Coach Danny Hay (C) of the New Zealand All Whites talks to players during their international warm-up match against Algeria. Photo / Getty Images.
Coach Danny Hay (C) of the New Zealand All Whites talks to players during their international warm-up match against Algeria. Photo / Getty Images.
All Whites coach Danny Hay is comfortable that the team is safe in Abu Dhabi, despite the recent major security incident in the city.
A missile attack was averted on Tuesday, with the UAE and United States' military intercepting two ballistic missiles that had been launched towards the city byYemen's Houthi militia.
That strike came as most of the New Zealand squad had arrived in Abu Dhabi, ahead of the scheduled match with Jordan at 4am tomorrow.
Last week the Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for another strike on a fuel depot in a city neighbourhood, which killed three people, with six others injured.
Hay admits it has been unsettling, but he is happy with the decision to stay put.
"It's something that we don't get to experience in New Zealand, thankfully," said Hay. "But we've worked closely with the consulate, New Zealand Football is speaking to them regularly, on a daily basis.
"From my perspective and talking to senior leaders in the team, everybody's very comfortable with the precautions that are taking place. Obviously if we felt that there was any risk, we will be trying to get out of here as quickly as possible.
"But as it stands, all the information we've got, all the feedback we've got, we feel that we're in a good place to stay and play the game."
It's been a far from ideal build-up for the All Whites.
Goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic was unable to make the trip after testing positive for Covid, while South Africa-based Andre De Jong couldn't secure a visa to enter the UAE.
Midfielder Joey Champness was a late arrival, after his flight from Turkey was delayed due to snow, while a number of the squad are carrying knocks.
Chris Wood. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
"It's been one of those sort of tours to date," said Hay. "Anything that could sort of go wrong has. But the players and the squad are in a really good space. That's symptomatic of the environment we've got at the moment - little things like that aren't derailing us."
Midfield anchor Joe Bell is in doubt for tomorrow's game, due to a "niggle" picked up in the off-season. He is one of several players whose fitness will be assessed ahead of the match.
Hay said Chris Wood will start the match, with a subsequent decision to be made about his involvement in Wednesday's game against Uzbekistan in Dubai.
"We'll see how he pulls up over the course of 60, 70 if not 90 minutes in this game and then make a decision based off that.
"He'll want to play so it's it'll just be a matter of tempering that enthusiasm with him and making sure that we send him back to Newcastle in a really good space."
Michael Woud will start in goal, while Hay also confirmed that Tim Payne will be in the run-on team, for his first All Whites match in more than two years.
"I'm buzzing," said Payne. "It's been a while. To see the culture and the team develop over that time and not being involved in that has been tough to watch from the stands. So to get that opportunity again is amazing."
