The NRL player woke up early to cheer the Matildas, just like the devoted Australians.
Halfback Nathan Cleary of the Penrith Panthers has congratulated his partner, Matildas sensation Mary Fowler, after Australia overcame Zambia in an exciting 11-goal thriller at the Olympics. The Matildas pulled off a stunning comeback to upset Zambia 6-5 in Nice, maintaining their hopes of qualifying past the group stage of the Paris Olympics.
After losing their first group round match 3-0 to Germany, Australia was eager to win their second match. And with Zambia up 5-2, the Matildas were quite certain to be eliminated early from the Paris Games.
But before the match against the USA, the Matildas pulled off maybe their biggest comeback ever, scoring four goals in thirty minutes to earn a crucial three-point victory. Fowler began the match as a striker against Zambia, but Steph Catley’s two goals for the Matildas stole the show.
After a confidence-boosting victory, Michelle Heyman scored the game-winning goal to send the Matildas into a frenzy in Nice. Fowler has also had some support from NRL player Cleary at home, as her partner gets up early in the morning to cheer on the green and gold.
After the game, Cleary—who had his finest game of the year for the Panthers in 2024—posted a picture of Fowler and the hashtag #comeback on social media. The halfback got up early to cheer on the national team in the wee hours, just like the many ardent Matildas followers.
The comeback astonished Australian supporters and preserved Australia’s hopes of moving forward. Commentator Brenton Speed on Channel 9 remarked, “A memorable night in Nice… the Matildas have cooked up their most extraordinary comeback yet.”
On social media, Australian football veteran Craig Foster commented, “This is the craziest game ever.” bravest display of performance. Discuss the idea of never saying die. Incredible. “We want that medal,” Heyman said to Channel 9 following the game. We’re doing everything we can to bring anything home. We knew we were capable. It was inevitable. We’ve given it our all and haven’t given up.
At the Olympics, Mary Fowler represented Zambia in style.
Following her triumph, Fowler looked absolutely elegant as she was seen comforting goalie Ngambo Musole. In the 65th minute, Catley’s goal made it 4-5 after the first-choice Zambian player committed a terrible error. Catley hit straight at Musole instead of curling the free-kick into the upper corner.
And when the final siren went, Musole was inconsolable due to the error and the six goals he had given up. The 21-year-old made a graceful gesture by approaching and embracing Musole. Even though it was a tiny gesture, it served as a reminder of the Olympic ideals and demonstrated Fowler’s potential as team captain.
Mary Fowler and Nathan Cleary’s romance
Fowler and NRL star boyfriend Cleary have become the ‘it’ couple of Australian sport since going public with their relationship last year. With Fowler plying her trade for Manchester City in England, she spends large chunks of the year away from Cleary – the champion halfback of the Penrith Panthers.
But with Fowler’s club season wrapping in May and Cleary missing 10 weeks of NRL action with a hamstring injury, the couple got to spend around two months together in Australia without any distractions, before she jetted out for Paris.