January 2026 | EDITION 173
VIETNAM CULINARY TRAVEL SPECIAL
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INCLUDING WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS
CAREERS EXPOS RAMP UP IN WEST
SPECIAL EDITION: WOMEN IN SMALL BUSINESS
WEST MAGIC Western Sydney girl and former Wander Woman Kyah Simon is mobbed after scoring the winning penalty in the 2010 Women’s Asian Cup Final.
W
ITH the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup kicking off in six weeks, it is fitting to remember the influence that Western Sydney football and the Wander Women have had on the prestigious event. In fact, the woman who
captained the Matildas at the inaugural AFC Women’s Championships in 1975 in Hong Kong, was Pat O’Connor, who played her first ever game of football at Bass Hill RSL. O’Connor also scored the Matildas’ first ever goal at that event, in a 3-2 loss to Thailand.
Australia went on to finish third, winning a Bronze Medal in their first ever tournament. More The Pat O’Connor Medal, awarded to the Wanderers’ Fans’ Player of the Year, is named after the pioneering footballer.
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