NZ miss Rio spot

 The Oly-White’s Olympic dream was shattered only hours before they were due to take the field in their Olympic qualifying final against Fiji at Sir Hubert Murray Stadium last night in Port Moresby.

All Whites defender Deklan Wynne played in New Zealand’s semi-final win over Vanuatu despite failing to meet the FIFA regulation for a player born outside of his representative country. 

Vanuatu had two hours to launch an appeal following their 2-0 loss, and when their complaints were upheld by OFC, the score line was reversed to a 3-0 win.

It will go down as one of New Zealand Football’s darkest days.

Hours before the Oly Whites were due to take the field in their Olympic qualifying final against Fiji last night, Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) announced that New Zealand would have to forfeit the match and their Olympic dream due to an administrative error.

Twenty-year-old Wynne was born in South Africa and has no Kiwi bloodline, which meant he was required by FIFA’s statutes to have lived continuously in New Zealand for five years after the age of 18 to be eligible.

He has played twice for the All Whites and represented New Zealand at last month’s Under-20 World Cup under the same FIFA regulations, however, somehow his paper work was never questioned. Until now.

“We strongly refute the ruling regarding the ineligibility of the player in question and we will be challenging this decision,” said New Zealand Football CEO Andy Martin.

New Zealand Football said they would make no further comment until their challenge process has been completed and it’s still unclear exactly what they are refuting.

The mistake will have long and far reaching repercussions for New Zealand Football. 

Tens of thousands of dollars appear wasted in their Olympic build-up but perhaps the football ramifications will be more costly.

Olympic qualification would have guaranteed at least three top quality matches and several lead-in games against other competing nations, which would have been vital experience and contact time for the majority of the All Whites squad. Coach Anthony Hudson has long targeted the Olympics as a critical time in his master plan to shape his group ahead of their World Cup qualifiers.

But the responsibility to get this right lies at the doorstep of New Zealand Football. 

If their challenge is not overturned, someone must be held accountable. Bill Tuiloma sacrificed two weeks of pre-season training with Olympique de Marseille to battle rough pitches, an overloaded schedule and relentless heat, only to have his hard work undone by an administrative gaffe. 

And his team mates have all equally sacrificed their bit – winning every game without conceding a goal – only to have their Olympic dream shattered. 

It’s not the first time New Zealand Football have dropped the administrative ball. In 2009, All Whites goalkeeper Glen Moss was sent off in a dead-rubber World Cup qualifier against Fiji for saying “the F-bomb” to the referee, earning an excessive four-match ban from FIFA.

The Oly Whites will return to New Zealand today at 2.30pm. 

– OFC