NZF saga: Players exempted

The Young All Whites will attend next month's Under-17 World Cup in Chile. Photo / Mark Mitchell

New Zealand Football have won some exemptions for players to turn out for national teams but the threat of major Fifa sanctions for eligibility breaches are still possible.

The eligibility saga, which began with the Oly-Whites' disqualification from the Pacific Games and later widened when the New Zealand Herald revealed up to 16 ineligible male players were under the microscope - is still weeks, and probably months, away from being resolved.

In the latest developments, the Herald on Sunday understand that:

•NZF have received exemptions from Fifa for some players caught up in this saga. The exemptions, which relate to article seven of the Fifa statutes governing player eligibility, were applied for after the Pacific Games.

•Fifa have been asked to investigate NZF over the large number of eligibility breaches in the last few years. If they find there was intent, sanctions could be applied. These could range from a fine - probably the best-case scenario - to a wide-ranging suspension from Fifa competitions.

•NZF's appeal of their Pacific Games expulsion will be heard in two weeks. It was originally scheduled for last month but was postponed at NZF's request after their key lawyer was unable to attend.

•The Young All Whites will attend next month's Under-17 World Cup in Chile. There had been fears the team could lose their place after allegedly fielding ineligible players in qualifying but that looks unlikely.

The revelations that some exemptions have been granted is a good news, bad news scenario. It's great for the players, allaying any fears that a whole batch were going to be caught in some kind of twilight zone, unable to play representative football. It's also heartening that Fifa have applied some leniency, offering exemptions after the fact.

But it also highlights, again, the mess NZF have got themselves into.

As the Herald on Sunday revealed last month, Australia have been granted more than 20 exemptions from article seven since 2008. It seems an efficient process. But NZF now need to apply for retrospective exemptions, which is, in effect, admitting their breach. And the numbers could exceed 20 if the women's game is factored in.

It's not comparable to Mexico's crime in 1988, when they falsified passports to use over-age players. Their national sides received a two-year ban from Fifa events.

But the sheer quantity of alleged breaches is disturbing. The possibility of a heavy punishment - even New Zealand teams being suspended - can't be discounted, although no decisions will be made until after the Deklan Wynne appeal.

NZF declined to comment on the latest developments, citing the ongoing legal situation.