The Matildas will have to do things the hard way if they are to improve on their Tokyo showing and win a maiden Olympic medal at Paris 2024, despite landing in what appears to be a favourable group.

Tony Gustavsson’s side have been drawn in Group B with the USA and Germany and an African qualifier to be determined early next month.

It is a difficult group, but that was always going to be the case in a stacked 12-team women’s football tournament. It could have been much worse.

World Cup winners Spain, quarter-finalists France and Japan, and reigning Olympic champions Canada are in the other two groups, and avoiding them in the group stage gives Australia the best possible chance of starting out strong.

Germany were among the favourites to win the World Cup last year but were knocked out in the group stage, bested by Colombia and Morocco. The Matildas haven’t faced them since a 5-2 friendly defeat in Gustavsson’s first match in charge in early 2021.

Meanwhile, the United States are arguably at the lowest ebb of their proud history in the women’s game after being knocked out of the round of 16 on penalties against Sweden. Emma Hayes, Sam Kerr’s coach at Chelsea, is due to take over as USA boss in May.

The Matildas kick off their campaign against Germany in the early hours of July 26 (AEST), before facing an African opponent three days later. Their final group match is against the USA on August 1.

Since women’s soccer made its Olympic debut at Atlanta in 1996, Germany and the USA have won five of the seven gold medals on offer.