No Queenstowner’s buzzing over the Fifa Women’s World Cup more than 9-year-old Eva Turnbull.
The mad-keen footballer, who attends Shotover Primary and is a member of the Whitmarsh Football Academy, has been selected as a player escort for three games at the Dunedin Stadium — Friday’s clash between Switzerland and the Philippines, next Wednesday’s between Japan and Costa Rica and a potentially crunch game between New Zealand and Switzerland next Sunday, July 30.
Running on to the pitch for two games involving Switzerland gives Eva a shot at escorting none other than her super-heroine, forward Alisha Lehmann, who has almost 14 million Instagram followers.
‘‘I really like her because in her position it’s the same position as me.
‘‘She’s very good at shooting and dribbling, and that’s why she’s the greatest of all time.’’
Eva, who’s managed to juggle the ball off her knee, chest or head 48 times in a row, isn’t short of ambition herself — she’d like to play for New Zealand by the age of 15 or 16.
She admits she’ll be conflicted on July 30 between supporting the Football Ferns and Lehmann’s team.
