The All Whites' hopes of adding Scotland, Wales and Poland to their fixture list this year appear to have been dashed.
New Zealand Soccer boss Graham Seatter is with the team in England and was hoping to negotiate fixtures with the three European nations.
Poland, however, are playing Iceland instead on the proposed date and Wales and Scotland have been unable to squeeze a friendly into a fixture list already congested with World Cup qualifiers.
Instead Seatter and All Whites coach Ricki Herbert will concentrate on building a fixture list for 2006 and beyond. There might be two fixtures towards the end of the year but Seatter would not say against who.
"We really need to work out a programme that suits us and find fixtures against appropriate opposition in an appropriate way rather than just playing fixtures in an ad hoc way by waiting for whomever calls us."
All Whites coach Ricki Herbert, who on Friday watched his team battle bravely against an Australian side before losing 1-0, said 2006 could be a watershed year for football in this country.
"In my mind 2005 was always about playing Australia... it would be great if we could pick up more games in 2005 but I am sure that there will be a comprehensive programme in 2006."
Seatter is in the process of coming to a hosting arrangement with a club in west London. Fulham's Craven Cottage and Queen's Park Ranger's Loftus Rd are the obvious grounds. "Australia are hosting three games a year in London this year. We haven't done that yet and we need to start doing that."
- HERALD ON SUNDAY
Soccer: Euro teams say thanks but no thanks to All Whites
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