While these matches are undoubtedly the two most important of Oxtoby’s tenure to date, his message to his youth team is clear: play the game and not the occasion.
Few expect Northern Ireland to advance, especially as the match will be played over two legs.
“I’m used to being the underdog. We’ve talked about not getting carried away by the occasion,” Oxtoby added.
“We want to play in major tournaments, so playing against teams like Norway, who have been there and done that numerous times, gives us a great opportunity to learn where we are.”
Oxtoby added that his team “will accept the challenge.” Norway are certainly a step ahead of any of Northern Ireland’s previous rivals, but the former Chelsea assistant added that she “knows the girls are ready for it.”
“We will have to do things faster, with much more purpose and intention, but we are not going to move away from who we are and what we are doing.
“It is another great challenge for the group and we are waiting for it as a collective.
“We respect every opponent but we fear no one. At the end of the day, any opportunity we have to play against a good team is an opportunity for us to learn and improve.”
The first leg will be played on Friday, November 29 at Inver Park (19:00 GMT) before the second leg in Oslo on Tuesday, December 3 (17:00 GMT).
