KEY POINTS:
Not prepared to risk another embarrassing showdown with the Government, New Zealand Football yesterday withdrew its bid to host next year's high-profile Olympic qualifying tournament.
Ironically, the likely stand-off over visas for Fijian players which led football bosses to withdraw their proposal has left Fiji as the only contender for the March tournament to find the Oceania Football Confederation's representative for the 16-team Olympic tournament in Beijing.
Asked why NZF had opted out before any call had been made on the successful tournament host, chief executive Graham Seatter said: "We just know from the experience of a couple of weeks ago that if any Fijian player who has any relative in the Army is selected to play here, a visa will not be issued. That is the Government's stated policy."
NZF had based its bid on playing the nine-team tournament - with all OFC member countries apart from New Caledonia and Tahiti (who compete under the French flag at the Olympics) - at North Harbour Stadium.
The OFC Olympic committee is expected to make a call later this week or early next week on the tournament venue.
"Rather than be chosen and then have to pull out, we decided to withdraw now," said Seatter. "We were very keen to host the tournament.
"It was the only OFC qualifying tournament in 2008 we had bid for, as we felt playing at home would give us a better chance of qualifying, especially when you reflect on the results of the under-20 tournament in the Solomon Islands two years ago, which is the age group of players now in our expanded under-23 [Olympic] squad."
That squad was named some time ago to meet New Zealand Olympic Committee requirements of having players available for out-of-competition testing leading up to the Olympics.
"What was always going to be a difficult task has just got that much harder. We know that the Fijian team will include many of the players who played in their national side against the All Whites [losing 2-0] in Lautoka last week."
Seatter said NZF could not risk the financial fallout that would result if it had to withdraw at late notice, as it had to do when the Government refused to allow Fijian goalkeeper Simione Tamanisau into the country and which led to the 11th-hour postponement of the World Cup qualifier scheduled at North Harbour Stadium on October 13.
Yesterday's call was tagged by Seatter as "unfortunate consequence" of the enforced calling-off of that game.
"It is a massive blow given the profile an Olympic campaign would have generated for the sport at home and hopefully in Beijing," said Seatter.
"But we can't have the same thing happen to us at such short notice again. The OFC and Fifa, rightly, wouldn't allow that."
New Zealand's bid for a place in the women's Olympic tournament hinges on a playoff with Pacific Games champions Papua New Guinea in March.
The format for the playoffs to determine the Oceania side which qualifies directly for the 12-team women's tournament in Beijing has yet to be decided.
