Group A: France, Nigeria, Norway, South Korea - 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup teams

Topics: France, Amandine Henry, Eugénie Le Sommer, Corinne Diacre, Norway, South Korea, Nigeria, FIFA Women's World Cup

With the latest installment of the Women's World Cup just around the corner, Live Soccer TV takes a look at the four teams making up Group A: hosts France, Norway, South Korea, and Nigeria.

The latest edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup is just around the corner, and reigning champions United States will have 23 other teams hoping to deny them the chance to make it back to back titles. One of these teams includes hosts France, who will be aiming to win their first ever title and hopefully make history in the process; should Les Bleues win it, France will become the first country to have won the World Cup in both the men's and women's categories.

Without further ado, let's have a look at the four teams in Group A. Who really has a shot of getting to the round of 16, and who is likely to have an unfortunate quick ticket back home?

France

The hosts will be led by the star duo of Eugénie Le Sommer and Amandine Henry. Both ply their trades with Lyon and are among the more experienced members of this squad, having featured at the 2015 World Cup and enjoyed quite a bit of success at club level. Le Sommer is currently her country's active all-time top goal-scorer. France, who are ranked fourth in the world as per FIFA will be eager to go one step further than their best ever finish, which was reaching the semi-finals in 2011.

DID YOU KNOW? Current manager Corinne Diacre is the first woman to ever take charge of a men's professional team for a live match when she took over second-tier side Clermont Foot in 2014. She also scored the goal that helped France qualify for their first ever World Cup in 2003. Could she be the manager who helps them to lift their first ever title this summer?

Time, as well as Les Bleues' attacking statistics at the tournament, will reveal whether Diacre really made no mistake in snubbing PSG and D1 Feminine topscorer, Marie-Antoinette Katoto from France's 23-woman roster...

France Women's coach Corinne Diacre

France Women's National Team fixtures and broadcast listings

Norway

Norway are part of a small elite group of teams who have featured at every single World Cup since the tournament's inception in 1991. They will remarkably be making their eighth straight appearance this summer. To date, the Gresshoppene have won one title and although they have not enjoyed the same levels of success since 2007 (they bowed out in the group stages in 2011 for the first time ever and were knocked out in the round of 16 in 2015), they are still considered among one of the top sides in women's football.

However, as they aim to fully re-establish themselves on the world stage, they will have to do it without Ada Hegerberg. The first-ever recipient of the Ballon d'Or Féminin announced back in 2017 that she wanted to take a break from international duty and has not confirmed whether she intends to return to the national set-up. She was left out from Norway's 2019 Women's World Cup squad announced on May 2.

What lies ahead for the Norwegians? Qualification from Group A, or a miserable early exit?

DID YOU KNOW? In October 2017, the Norwegian Football Association passed a new rule stipulating that male and female football players would receive equal compensation. As a result, the men's side were required to contribute their commercial earnings to the women's side, which saw the women's pay increase by nearly 50 per cent.

Norway Women's National Team fixtures and broadcast listings

South Korea

This will be Korea's third participation at a World Cup. The Taegeuk Ladies, who are ranked 14th currently, will be naturally hoping to at least try to make some kind of impact in France although the odds are really stacked against them in this very tough quartet. Their best ever finish was the round of 16, which they reached at Canada 2015 after a decent group stage campaign. Meanwhile, their current coach Yoon Deok-yeo has really helped the squad tighten things up defensively as they did not concede a single goal in their four matches during the 2018 Asian Women's Cup.

DID YOU KNOW? Current all-time topscorer Ji So-yun, who plays her club football for Chelsea, is already a "veteran" of the national team at just 28. How? Because she made her debut at just 15! She is also the youngest ever goal scorer for the women's side, when she scored a brace against Chinese Taipei during the 2006 Asian Games in November of that year. Will Ji So-yun torment the hosts on June 7 and inspire her country to reach the knockout stages at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup?

South Korea Women's National Team fixtures and broadcast listings

Nigeria

Last, but certainly not least, the final team in Group A is Nigeria. The Super Falcons, like Norway, have been regular participants at World Cup tournaments. Unfortunately for them, and unlike many of the other teams, including Sweden, Germany, Brazil, and Japan, the Nigerians have nothing to show for it - not even a runners' up medal or a semi-finals finish. That's despite being a dominant force in Africa. It's been exactly a decade since the West African contigents went the farthest in the competition (quarter-finals). Under current manager Thomas Dennerby, the 2018 Africa Women's Cup of Nations champions will be hoping to buck that poor group stage exit trend which saw them go home early on six occasions in seven attempts.

In what will be their eighth participation, the Nigerians definitely face a stern test with the likes of hosts France and tricky Norway in their group as well. Both France and Norway are among the teams who have handed them their heaviest defeats (8-0 in 2018 and 1995 respectively). Humiliating.

So how will the Super Falcons approach the first three matchdays this summer in order to fly above negativity? Nigeria might identify the clash against Korea as the brightest opportunity to poach points. Reminder: the third-placed side still has a shot at getting tickets to the round of 16.

Nigeria Women's Team - 2018 AWCON champions

DID YOU KNOW? Nigeria boasts 11 titles at the continental level. In contrast, their Women's World Cup history is a tragedy. They have won just three games in the finals, while losing 16 and drawing three.

Nigeria Women's National Team fixtures and broadcast listings

Who will qualify from Group A at the FIFA Women's World Cup?

From Day 1 at the tournament, spectators are poised to be treated to an ultra-attacking French set-up. The opening match between the hosts and South Korea could provide the rhythm for a summer filled with goals. Defense, then, will be key for the Koreans as they look to contain the likes of France and Norway, who are expected to battle for the top spot in Group A.

On Matchday 2, the Asian contenders will likely fancy their chances against African giants and world stage flops Nigeria in a bid to snatch at least a point. Now, if the table's two European sides do not disappoint, this is where things could get very interesting as this tight group could produce a "best third-place finisher" en route to the Last 16.