Las Cafeteras seek a landmark World Cup performance, entering the tournament with three goalkeepers who bring international experience and composure to the squad.
Colombia confronts its third Women’s World Cup with a campus that inspires ambition to surpass past results, beginning with the names in the goalkeeper rotation announced by Nelson Abbey.
The Cafeteras have options in Catalina Pérez Jaramillo, Sandra Sepúlveda Lopera, and Natalia Giraldo Alzate for the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand 2023. Each of the three keepers boasts a track record that earns the trust of the coaching staff, including one who has played in Europe.
Colombia at the 2023 Women’s World Cup: when it plays, group stage matchups, results, and call-ups
WHO ARE COLOMBIA’S GOALKEEPERS IN THE 2023 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP?
The eldest of the trio is Sandra Sepúlveda Lopera, entering the tournament at 35. The Independiente de Medellín goalkeeper brings extensive experience with the national team, having started for Colombia in the World Cups of Germany 2011 and Canada 2015.
Her international journey includes appearances in the 2014 and 2018 editions of the Copa América Femenina, where Colombia finished second and fourth respectively. Across her club career, Sepúlveda has represented Deportivo Formas Intimas, Atlético Junior, Deportivo Cali, and Independiente de Medellín, along with a stint with the Israeli club Kiryat Gat.
The national squad for the 2023 Women’s World Cup also features Catalina Pérez Jaramillo, 28, who started in the recent 2022 Copa América Femenina held in Colombia, where the team finished second. Pérez Jaramillo has worn the kit for SE Kindermann-Avaí in Brazil and has previously spent time in Europe with Fiorentina, Napoli, and Real Betis.
Her World Cup experience includes the 2015 edition, where she played in the round of 16 before a suspension involving a caution incident affected her participation. She did play against the United States in that campaign.
The third goalkeeper named is Natalia Giraldo, a 20-year-old who represents América de Cali. Giraldo debuted with the senior national team in 2019 and started in the 2022 South American Under-20 Championship, helping Colombia to a runner-up finish.
What has Colombia’s best World Cup performance looked like in women’s football?
Together, the trio forms a diverse and capable group, ready to face the high-level challenge of a World Cup staged across Australia and New Zealand. Each goalie brings a different blend of senior tournament experience, continental competition, and early exposure to international football, ensuring the coaching staff has options for rotation, injury contingency, and tactical adaptation during the tournament.
Throughout the team’s preparation, the dialogue around goalkeeper depth has centered on balancing youth with veteran leadership, and on ensuring the squad has specialists who can manage varied match scenarios. The backing of the coaching staff, coupled with the resilience shown by Colombian clubs and the national program, underlines a collective push toward a strong showing on the world stage.
Source: Goal