On 26 July 1998 Powell managed England for the first time in a friendly against Sweden at Victoria Road, Dagenham. After entering the game as a substitute, Swedish debutant Malin Moström scored the only goal on 84 minutes. Powell's first competitive fixture in charge was the 2–0 defeat to Norway in Lillestrøm the following month, which consigned England to last place in the group and meant they faced a relegation play-off against Romania. Had England lost they faced being demoted to B level and therefore unable to qualify for major tournaments. Powell described the situation as "very much do-or-die" since a substantial reduction in funding was at stake. A 6–2 aggregate victory kept England's place among the elite.