Sydney, Sep 17 : Football Australia announced the appointment of Tom Sermanni as interim head coach of the national women's team.

Sermanni will begin his duties immediately, working closely with the existing coaching staff and Football Australia's high-performance team to maintain the Matildas' preparation for upcoming fixtures.

He will temporarily take a leave of absence from his role as Head of Women's Football at Western Sydney Wanderers FC to fully dedicate his time to the interim head coach position with the CommBank Matildas.

The 70-year-old Semmane is the longest serving coach of the women's team having previously coached the team from 1994-1997 and 2005-2012, leading them to quarterfinals in the 2007 and 2011 edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup and the 2010 AFC Women's Asian Cup title.

Football Australia CEO James Johnson said, "We are delighted to welcome Tom (Sermanni) back to the CommBank Matildas program. 'With over three decades of football experience in Australia and internationally, his extensive knowledge of the global women's football landscape, the local Australian game and his previous success with the team make him the ideal candidate to guide the CommBank Matildas through this transitional period."

Sermanni's appointment comes as the Matildas prepare for two matches in their upcoming October FIFA Women's International Window including against Olympic bronze medallists Germany. During this period, his focus will be on getting the squad ready for these fixtures while ensuring their cohesion and competitiveness are maintained.

Upon accepting the interim position, Sermanni stated, "It's an honour to return to the CommBank Matildas, even in this interim capacity. I'm looking forward to working with this talented group of players and helping to ensure a smooth transition as Football Australia continues its search for a permanent head coach. My immediate priority is to prepare the team for the upcoming international window."

Football Australia has confirmed that the process for selecting a permanent head coach is ongoing, with the organisation finding the best possible candidate to lead the Matildas for the next cycle.

/IANS