10 Nov 2008

Domestic based All Whites side to play in dead world cup qualifier against Fiji

2:38 pm on 10 November 2008

The All Whites will field a purely domestic based side to play Fiji in a dead football world cup qualifier, that was originally due to be played two years ago.

The match in Lautoka next week was to be played at Albany in October 2007 but was postponed and moved due fas the Fijian goalkeeper at connections to the Fiji military.

With All Whites having already topped the Oceania qualifying for the world cup and qualifying for next year's Confederations Cup and nothing riding on the game coach Ricki Herbert has selected six new caps.

The move saves New Zealand Football tens of thousands of dollars in bringing back nine of the European or North American based players.

Seven members of the New Zealand under-23 side that competed at the Beijing Olympics, included.

There is still a strong Wellington Phoenix component to squad with seven members of the squad included although Herbert has opted to rest Mark Paston, Tony Lochhead and Shane Smeltz.

The All Whites assemble in Auckland on Sunday.