Soccer: Boost for under-23 team

Tai Nicholas. Photo / Greg Bowker

The New Zealand men's under-23 team's chances of qualifying for the London Olympics received a huge boost yesterday with the Oceania Football Confederation's decision to move the March qualifying tournament from Fiji to New Zealand.

The women's qualifying tournament, also scheduled for Fiji, will be held in Tonga.

A legal dispute involving OFC general secretary Tai Nicholas and Fijian authorities could be the reason for the venue changes.

The women's Olympic qualifying tournament does not involve New Zealand's Football Ferns as they are seeded through to the second round. They will play the winner of that tournament home and away to find the women's Olympic representative.

The Oceania Nations Cup, the first stage of the men's World Cup qualifiers which will also find the OFC representative for next year's Confederations Cup in Brazil, is also likely to be moved from Fiji after next month's OFC executive meeting.

It is understood New Zealand, the Solomon Islands and New Caledonia have expressed interest in hosting that eight-team tournament.

The OFC Futsal tournament is pencilled in for Fiji later in the year and could be moved to New Zealand or New Caledonia.

The O-League game between Ba and Waitakere United will go ahead in Fiji on March 4.