Home matches a rare commodity for the All Whites, but coach Danny Hay believes that trend could well be reversed next year.<\/p>\n
All Whites coach Danny Hay. Photo: Photosport<\/p>\n
The Oceania Football Confederation have submitted a revamped plan for the region's 2022 World Cup qualifiers to governing body Fifa.<\/p>\n
Oceania's 11 teams would be split into two groups, with each playing group stage games in a central location across the March and June international windows.<\/p>\n
The format could give the All Whites up to five home games in 2021, if the team reaches the final and New Zealand hosts one of the group stages.<\/p>\n
Hay was optimistic the latter would happen.<\/p>\n
\"We'd like to hope that we'd get at least one of those entire windows based in New Zealand.<\/p>\n
\"We've got the facilities and obviously we can accommodate a number of teams as well.<\/p>\n
\"That for me would be exciting, to bring the players back and play locally here in New Zealand because we obviously haven't had that many opportunities to do that.\"<\/p>\n
If the plan is given the green light by Fifa, it will make for a busy year for Hay and many of the country's top male players.<\/p>\n
The All Whites will play two of their group matches in March and the other three in the June window, while for Hay and a number in the squad it will then be straight into their Tokyo Olympics campaign.<\/p>\n
Assuming the All Whites finish in the top two of their Oceania qualifying group, that will be quickly followed a home-and-away semifinal in September, with a spot in the home-and-away final in October on the line.<\/p>\n
The winner of Oceania qualifying advances to the intercontinental playoff in June, 2022 with a spot at the World Cup in Qatar on the line.<\/p>\n
\"We've been kept up to date, so they were no surprises there,\" Hay said of the qualifying plan submitted to Fifa by OFC.<\/p>\n
\"We knew that it was going to be an 11-team qualification series. Obviously with Covid we were well aware as well that it was going to be pushed back to 2021.<\/p>\n
\"We're just going to keep on preparing. Hopefully with Covid it does start to settle down and we can get lots of games under our belt next year.\"<\/p>\n
While planning for a busy 2021, Hay had also been keeping a close eye on the here and now.<\/p>\n
As well as watching the Kiwi players in action around the world, the former All Whites defender had been keenly following the fortunes of the Phoenix in the A-League.<\/p>\n
And Hay had no hesitation placing the second-placed Wellington side as favourites to lift the title.<\/p>\n
\"I just look at the way they're playing, the sense of togetherness in amongst the squad.<\/p>\n
\"They seem to be in a really good space, Ufuk Talay has done a really good job.<\/p>\n
\"Yeah, I genuinely see them going all the way.\"<\/p>\n
Hay also commented on Chris Wood's feats in the English Premier League.<\/p>\n
The Kiwi striker finished with 14 goals as the EPL season wrapped up over the weekend, a new single season record for the Burnley club he plays and his third straight season in double figures in the English top-flight<\/p>\n
A former Premier League player himself, Hay said those kinds of achievements were inspiring.<\/p>\n
\"14 goals over the course of a season in arguably the strongest and best football competition in the world is pretty impressive.<\/p>\n
\"It's great that young players in particular that aspire to be professional footballers or play at the highest level can see a Kiwi doing it week in and week out.<\/p>\n
\"It's special. We need those sorts of role models.\"<\/p>\n
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All Whites to have bumper home season in 2021? - RNZ<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Home matches a rare commodity for the All Whites, but coach Danny Hay believes that trend could well be reversed next year. All Whites coach Danny Hay. Photo: Photosport The Oceania Football Confederation have submitted a revamped plan for the region's 2022 World Cup qualifiers to governing body Fifa Continue reading