Soccer: NZ to help solve problems

While Team Wellington and Canterbury prepare to compete on Sunday for a place in the New Zealand Football League final against Auckland City, City's chairman is set to rub shoulders with representatives from some of the world's elite clubs.

Ivan Vuksich has been appointed to the new Fifa club taskforce, a 12-member committee made up of club chairmen from each of the world confederations, Europe, South America, Asia, Africa, North and Central America and Oceania.

Members of the committee include German World Cup star Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who is chairman of Bayern Munich, Joan Laporta (FC Barcelona) and David Sheepshanks (Ipswich Town).

The committee is expected to offer solutions to problems such as relationships with national football governing bodies, player transfers and international callups, and the format of qualifying tournaments for the Fifa World Club Championships.

The committee will meet three times a year in Zurich, Switzerland, and Vuksich expects to learn a lot that will be of benefit to New Zealand. "I'm told the problems for clubs are the same the world over."

Wellington travel to English Park in Christchurch to play Canterbury on Sunday, confident after winning their last five games in a row. The home side, in contrast, are smarting after losing to Auckland 3-0 last weekend.

The Little brothers, Graham and Bryan, have been Wellington's main strike force, while Canterbury will be strengthened by the return of Chris Morris to the midfield.