KEY POINTS:
On paper it is no contest, but Waitakere United are prepared to go head-to-head with the English Premier League's Manchester City in an attempt to lure Japanese superstar Hidetoshi Nakata out of retirement to play for them at December's Fifa World Club Cup.
Why not?
From top Japanese clubs to Parma, AS Roma and Fiorentina in Italy's Serie A and on to Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League then Waitakere United in the New Zealand Football Championship seems, surely, a natural progression for a player twice lauded as Asia's Footballer of the Year and rated among the best 100 players in the world.
Nakata, 31, retired in 2006 after playing for his country in three World Cups. In recent days, however, he has been the subject of much speculation over his return to the football field with Waitakere United and Manchester City seemingly at the head of the queue.
City's Thai owner Thaksin Shinawatra admitted this week his club is keen to sign the attacking midfielder who won 77 international caps between 1997-2006.
Nakata played 67 games for Parma, 30 for AS Roma, 33 for Fiorentina and 24 for Bolton before retiring at 29. He is now recognised as a fashion icon and lauded for his charity work.
"If it was a boxing match I would come off second best," said Waitakere chairman Rex Dawkins yesterday. "But that is not stopping us from trying.
"Through the Oceania Football Confederation, we have been dealing with the Japan FA and Nakata's management company Sunny Side Up. We are not in a position to offer him the world but are keen to sign him to play some NZFC and O-League games before we head to Japan.
"Obviously, we would cover his expenses and make a donation to his charitable trust," said Dawkins. "We hope to know one way or the other in a few days."
In the past, Oceania clubs have signed Japanese players as guests for the Club World Cup.
Kazuyoshi Miura played for Sydney FC in 2005 and a year later Teruo Iwamoto joined Auckland City.
"Having a Japanese player in the team obviously helps lift the profile," said OFC secretary-general Tai Nicholas.
"I met with the Japanese FA officials in Sydney last week and they acknowledged our letter had been received. We will just wait and see what happens."
Waitakere continue to seek lead-up matches at home and overseas.
They are struggling to get a game, as hoped, against an A-League side but are set to play Fiji here in late October and are awaiting confirmation of a game in Auckland against theWellington Phoenix in mid-November.
It is also likely they will play one or two O-League games (home or away) and some NZFC fixtures before heading to China for two games.
Given the sister city arrangement between Waitakere City and Ningbo in China's Zhejiang province, the club is hopeful of a game there (nearShanghai) and one in Beijing before flying to Japan on December 7 to prepare for the tournament opener five days later.
