New Zealand football fans look likely to be cheering on their national men’s and women’s sides in at least a dozen full international matches in the second half of 2022.
Regardless of whether the All Whites qualify for the FIFA World Cup finals tournament in November/December, Danny Hay’s squad aim to play four friendlies as well as their crucial play-off against Costa Rica.
And New Zealand Football aim to line up at least eight international games for the Football Ferns to help prepare them for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup to be co-hosted in New Zealand and Australia.
Here’s how the international programme currently looks:
All Whites
v Peru (friendly)
RCDE Stadium, Barcelona
Monday June 6, 3.30am (NZT)
v Unnamed National Team (friendly)
Behind closed doors, Stadium in Qatar
Friday June 10, time TBC (NZT)
v Costa Rica (inter-continental play-off)
Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar.
Wednesday June 15, 6am (NZT)
Discussions are underway to play two friendlies in the September FIFA international window, possibly home and away games against Australia.
By then, both countries will know whether they have qualified for the World Cup finals in Qatar.
A two-game series will either provide the platform for warm-up games, or can be used to generate revenue for both national bodies as a consolation for missing out of their World Cup windfall.
Football Ferns
Four international windows remain in 2022.
Here are the dates and intentions:
June 20–28: Two friendlies, with one of them against Norway
August 29 – September 6: Two friendlies.
October 3–11: Two friendlies.
November 7–15: Two friendlies.
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