'We can put Canada on the map' - Kadeisha Buchanan's World Cup dream

Kadeisha Buchanan will feel at home when she takes to the pitch in France for Canada this summer.

At club level, she plies her trade at Olympique Lyonnais and with the semi-finals and final to be hosted at Stade de Lyon in July, Buchanan will be hoping to help her country progress to the latter stages of the tournament.

“I was fortunate enough to be a part of the last World Cup. To host that trophy is another thing,” says the 23-year-old, named Young Player of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada in 2015.

“It will be nice to play in France. I’m very familiar with the atmosphere, with the country. There’s going to be a lot of coverage so home or not home I think there’s still a bit of pressure for the team to perform.”

Canada were knocked out by England in the quarter-finals in 2015, a Christine Sinclair goal just before half-time not enough to spark a comeback after two early goals from Jodie Taylor and now Lyon teammate Lucy Bronze.

Alongside Bronze, Buchanan is used to winning in France, part of a squad to pick up seven trophies in the last three seasons.

And the aim is to lift the World Cup with Canada on 7 July.

“That’s what our goal is, to win the World Cup. We can put soccer on the map for Canada.”

The defender will also be keeping a close eye on how Jamaica fare at their first World Cup. Her parents were born on the island and so her childhood was heavily influenced by the culture, though she is confident that should the two sides meet in France, her family will be cheering for her rather than the Reggae Girlz.

Buchanan and Canada are in Group E alongside the Netherlands, New Zealand and Cameroon, who they kick-off their campaign against in Montpellier on Monday June 10.

Kadeisha Buchanan was speaking at Nike's Women's World Cup event in Paris.