Albania, Montenegro learn debut opposition
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Article summary
Albania's first competitive opposition will be Malta, Luxembourg and Latvia while senior newcomers Montenegro face Georgia, the Faroe Islands and Lithuania in April's preliminary round.
Article top media content
Article body
Albania and Montenegro have discovered their first senior competitive opposition after the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup preliminary round draw was made in Nyon, Switzerland.
Playing in their maiden women's competition at any level, Albania will travel to Malta for Group 1 and also face Luxembourg and Latvia. Senior debutants Montenegro play Georgia, the Faroe Islands and hosts Lithuania in Group 2.
Both mini-tournaments take place from 4 to 9 April 2013 and the top two in each group will progress to the qualifying group stage and join the 38 top-ranked nations. Seven groups of six teams will be drawn on 16 April, to be played on a home-and-away basis from 20/21 September 2013 to 17 September 2014.
The seven group winners qualify for the finals. The four runners-up with the best record against the sides first, third, fourth and fifth in their groups go into two rounds of knockout play-offs drawn on 23 September. Those ties take place on 25/26 and 29/30 October, and 22/23 and 26/27 November 2014 as the remaining UEFA berth in Canada the following summer is decided.
Group 1: Albania, Luxembourg, Malta*, Latvia
Group 2: Georgia, Faroe Islands, Lithuania*, Montenegro
*Hosts
