Soccer: Charlie: no tri-nations angel

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Plans for a tri-nations soccer tournament involving New Zealand, South Africa and Australia are headed for the rocks following yesterday's decision by Fifa to hand the 2006 World Cup to Germany.

New Zealand Soccer have been branded scapegoats in the decision by Oceania Football Confederation president Charlie Dempsey to abstain from the World Cup vote once his first choice - England - had been eliminated.

New Zealand Soccer chief executive Bill MacGowan was kept busy answering calls from overseas blaming his organisation for South Africa's failure to win the right to host the World Cup.

"We have had calls from South Africa saying that 'our decision' had damaged employment opportunities in the Republic," MacGowan said. "We seem to be tarred with the Oceania decision, yet we have been talking with the South Africans about a tri-series as a great opportunity to further strengthen soccer ties between the two countries following the success of the recent Olympic playoffs."

The tri-series had been planned for some time after the Olympics, but within the next year.

MacGowan is refusing to push any panic buttons, although he is well aware of the far-reaching implications of the decision.

"I think we need to wait and hear from Charlie Dempsey on Sunday," MacGowan said. "Our concern at the moment is that New Zealand Soccer are seen as 'pimps' in this whole affair."

Tomorrow's Oceania executive meeting in Auckland - now to be held at an undisclosed venue - has a full agenda, including the Football Kingz' continuing bid for an extension to their initial two-year licence in the Australian national league.

"That is one of two major issues which must be under some threat now," MacGowan said.

"The other will be the on-going push by Oceania for direct representation in future World Cups.

"We already know the Football Kingz' application is on the agenda for the August Fifa executive meeting. Charlie Dempsey will have to take the application and present it at that meeting. No one else from this part of the world is entitled to go to that meeting."

Dempsey said in Singapore last night that he had had a very good session with Fifa secretary-general Michel Zenruffen "and I am confident they will look favourably at the Kingz." The talks with Zenruffen were held before the final ballot.

Mark Burgess, New Zealand Soccer's official representative on the 12-strong OFC executive, said he was surprised at the way the association had been targeted over Dempsey's decision to abstain from the crucial vote.

"Everyone is assuming New Zealand Soccer are the villains, but that is not the case," Burgess said. "I'm surprised everything is aimed at New Zealand and that Soccer Australia is not being implicated in any way."

Burgess confirmed there had been no formal vote at May's Oceania executive meeting in Samoa, over what would happen to the Oceania vote once England were eliminated.

It is understood that the initial vote in favour of continuing Dempsey's long-held support for England was 7-5, but New Zealand were not among those supporting that motion.

Burgess said it had been decided at the meeting there was no need to vote on the issue, but it was firmly understood that when England dropped out of the race, Oceania support would be with South Africa.

"Our support was for South Africa and we were aware that they would be Oceania's second choice. There was never any talk of abstaining at the meeting in Apia or in any subsequent discussions."

Burgess, who has been on the OFC executive for a little over a year, said: " I don't need this stuff."

Neither do the Football Kingz who can only sit and watch as Fifa's all-powerful executive consider their pleas for a continuing lifeline.