Soccer: Singapore warm-up beckons for All Whites

By TERRY MADDAFORD

The All Whites will assemble in Singapore on May 19 or 20 for the start of their 2002 World Cup campaign.

Confirmation yesterday of the first part of the Oceania qualifying series in Australia has given New Zealand Soccer the go-ahead for their scheduled group at North Harbour Stadium in June.

"With Australia now able to confirm their dates, we can go ahead and plan our warm-up games, our World Cup qualifiers and, hopefully, the play-offs with the other groupwinner," NZS chief executive Bill MacGowan said yesterday.

"If the first play-off is, as expected, against Australia, it will be played in Wellington on June 20.

"As far as the qualifying series is concerned, there is no point inbringing the players back to New Zealand.

"It makes sense to assemble in Singapore for the game at their national stadium on May 22.

"We are chasing a second warm-up match, hopefully in Malaysia, Oman or South Korea."

All Whites coach Ken Dugdale has drawn up a list of around 30 players from which he will name 20 for the cup campaign.

The All Whites will go into camp in Auckland on May 28 or 29 to prepare for the qualifying tournament, which begins on June 4 with games between Vanuatu and Tahiti, and Solomon Islands and Cook Islands. New Zealand have the bye on the first day.

The tournament ends on June 13 with New Zealand playing Vanuatu and Tahiti meeting the Solomons.

Meanwhile, Dugdale has a more immediate engagement as assistant coach with the New Zealand under-17 team, who play Tahiti in their third match of the Oceania qualifying group in Vanuatu today.

With their 12-0 win over Tonga, Vanuatu have gone to the top of the table, but New Zealand should regain the lead because the hosts have the bye.

In the other game today, Fiji play Tonga.