Soccer: Kingz are not yet at full strength

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Coaches Wynton and Shane Rufer will not quite have a full house when they hold the Football Kingz' first training session of new National Soccer League season on Monday.

The confirmation of further signings, Australian Levent Osman (to a new two-year contract), Lee Jones and Ivan Vicelich yesterday has brought the tally of contracted players to 16.

The club is also looking to sign a German midfielder but will not have that confirmation for a week or two. If the Kingz fail in that, Australian Robbie Middleby has expressed a keen interest in re-signing after playing on an initial one-year contract last season.

While there is nothing signed yet, Kingz general manager Chris Turner said yesterday that the club was also keen to sign All Whites Simon Elliott and Ryan Nelsen when their commitments end in the United States later in the year.

Noah Hickey and Jeff Campbell, with the national side in Malaysia for the Merdeka tournament, are also expected to return to the Kingz but only after their club commitments to Central United and University/Mt Wellington have been fulfilled.

The Kingz also have a verbal agreement with Solomon Islands star Batram Suri, who is expected to return.

The club is also having talks with Fred de Jong, Mark Elrick and Leigh Kenyon with a view to playing them on a performance-based arrangement.

Players expected at training on Monday are goalkeepers Julio Cuello and Jason Batty, German Dennis Ibrahim, Osman, Aaran Lines, Jonathan Perry, Harry Ngata (who has signed a new two-year contract), Riki van Steeden, Vicelich, Che Bunce, Kenyon and Wynton Rufer.

Missing will be Gerard Davis, Paul Urlovic, Hickey and Campbell (in Malaysia), Silva (in Chile), Jones (in Finland), Suri (in the Solomon Islands), Jackson (in Mexico), de Jong and Elrick.