Soccer: 'Treason' suggestions mystify NZ bosses

New Zealand Soccer boss Bill MacGowan and Football Kingz general manager Chris Turner are flabbergasted at suggestions there were moves from New Zealand to scuttle the Kingz' bid for their National Soccer League extension.

Speaking from Zurich last night after a Fifa congress, MacGowan said he had approached Oceania Football Confederation delegate Dr Mohammed Sahu Khan who confirmed the statement he had made on radio.

Sahu Khan refused to name the people he said had attempted to undermine the Kingz' bid, but assured MacGowan it was not New Zealand Soccer.

"We knew people were sending things to Fifa and that they have been receiving press clippings," MacGowan said, "but I didn't need to come here to face things like that."

Turner, contacted while he was in Australia on Friday and told that Sahu Khan had tagged some people in New Zealand as "traitors," said he could not understand why anyone would want to attack the Kingz in this way.

"It's stooping pretty low but I'm sure we will find out who is behind it," said Turner. "Not a lot surprises me after what we have had to put up with in the past four years but this certainly does."

MacGowan said a number of issues confront the OFC and New Zealand Soccer which would require attention before the planned Oceania meeting late next month.

Confirmation that the 2002 world club championship would be held in Spain in August could mean an early start for next year's national league.

"Once we know when Oceania plan to hold their qualifiers we can see if it will be possible to find our winner in time," said MacGowan. "In the bigger picture a logjam of fixtures is looming in the middle of next year with the Confederations Cup scheduled for June and the Oceania World Cup qualifiers to be played in June-July."

Japan have rejected Fifa plans that they and South Korea co-host the Confederations Cup as a rehearsal for the 2002 World Cup.

The inaugural world under-18 women's championship, scheduled for next year, has been delayed until 2002 which puts next April's Oceania qualifiers in doubt.

MacGowan said he was unaware of a standoff between the African and Asian confederations over the 2006 World Cup vote which saw the Africans say they would cut ties with the Asians.

The Africans are upset the Asians aligned themselves with Europe in voting for Germany in the controversial vote.

On a brighter note, South African chief executive Danny Jordaan, and MacGowan had a long conversation aimed at further strengthening relationships between the two countries.

"He is keen to see at least one match, maybe two - and sooner rather than later - between the All Whites and South Africa to show New Zealand were not to blame for the World Cup decision going against them," MacGowan said. "Fifa president Sepp Blatter expressed his delight and said if the game was played he would be pleased to accept an invitation to it."