Football: Peru gain significant advantage over All Whites

Paolo Guerrero of Peru (C) plays the ball during a match between Peru and Colombia as part of FIFA 2018 World Cup Qualifiers at Monumental Stadium. Photo / AP.

Peru may have gained a significant logistical advantage, ahead of the World Cup Intercontinental playoff with the All Whites over the next fortnight.

The Herald understands that Peru have secured a charter flight from Wellington direct to Lima, ahead of the second leg match on Thursday 16 November (NZT).

It means that the South American side could arrive in Peru almost 24 hours ahead of the New Zealand team, which could be a vital advantage given the tight time frame between the two games.

The first leg will be played in Wellington next Saturday 11 November (4:15pm kickoff).
Immediately after the final whistle goes in the capital, the race against time begins, with less than four full days before the return match in Lima on 15 November (16 November 3:15pm NZT).

New Zealand's plans are still to be confirmed, but it is believed they will travel on a commercial flight to South America, departing from Auckland.

They'll need to transfer from Wellington to Auckland - most likely on the Sunday morning - before picking up a flight to Buenos Aires or Santiago on Sunday late afternoon or evening.

After that journey, it's likely that the All Whites will take a charter flight from Lima (approximately four to five hours) to avoid unnecessary transit time between flights.

However, it means that the earliest New Zealand will arrive in Lima is late on Sunday night (local time), allowing just two full days preparation before match day.

In contrast, La Blanquirroja could arrive in Lima on Saturday night, giving them a full extra day on the ground in Peru and to re-acclimatize to the conditions in the Andean country.

The logistical side of this playoff has been a significant challenge for both federations, which brings into question the viability of such short Fifa windows for two legged playoffs across a number of time zones.

It was even more difficult this time, as NZF was unable to do any significant planning or confirm dates until the opponent was known, which was only confirmed after the South American qualifying came to a conclusion on October 11.

NZF and the Peru Football Federation applied to Fifa for financial assistance towards the cost of travel for these two matches, but the Swiss governing body declined the application. There was also a proposal for the two national federations to share a private plane for the journey after the first leg - which would help split the costs - but Peru decided they didn't want to take part in a combined venture.

But the deep pockets of the Peru Football Federation, and their army of sponsors, may have given them a considerable head start ahead of the death or glory playoff.

The All Whites are used to short time frames, and travelling on the Sunday allows them to have better rest and recovery after the first leg match, which will be vital ahead of the away game.

But there is no substitute for time on the ground, and that is where Peru could have gained an important edge.