18 Aug 2015

NZ Football Olympic appeal to be decided next week

11:37 am on 18 August 2015

New Zealand Football's appeal against its Olympic disqualification will be heard by the Oceania Football Confederation in Auckland next week.

Two days have been set aside for the hearing, which will be held on Monday and Tuesday next week but won't be open to the public.

New Zealand was disqualified for fielding an ineligbile player at last month's Rio Olympic qualfying tournament in Papua New Guinea.

Deklan Wynne the player at the centre of an eligibility row.

Deklan Wynne the player at the centre of an eligibility row. Photo: Photosport

Following a protest by Vanuatu, the OFC disciplinary committee ruled that 20-year-old South African-born New Zealand defender Deklan Wynne wasn't eligible to play, as he didn't meet FIFA regulations whereby he must be resident in New Zealand for five years since turning 18.

New Zealand beat Vanuatu 2-0 in the semi-final but subsequently forfeited the match, ruling them out of the final against Fiji, who gained the Oceania qualifying spot for Rio.

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