Latest news from Friends of Football
Seven times defending champions New Zealand have overcome a stern challenge from hosts Fiji to get their OFC U-19 Women’s Championship campaign off to a winning start. Leon Birnie’s side have won 3-0 thanks to goals from Emma Pijnenburg and … Read More
By Jack Sharp Waikato Unicol’s chances of winning the Lotto NRFL Southern Conference got a boost last weekend, even though they didn’t play. Their game was washed out but their nearest rivals, Cambridge, lost 4-1 at Taupo, a result that … Read More
By Jack Sharp Key matches at the top and bottom of the table draw most interest in this weekend’s round of games in the Lotto NRFL Men’s Northern Conference. With almost perfect symmetry, the fixture list pairs teams that are … Read More
By Logan Smith After a disrupted start to the competition, all six teams get to play in this weekend’s Women’s South Island League round. Flight disruptions and the Kate Sheppard Cup prevented full rounds until this weekend, and we’ll finally see … Read More
Some Qatar players apologised to their New Zealand opponents when they heard the outburst by Yusuf Abdurisag that led to the All Whites’ refusal to play the second half of Tuesday’s international friendly, according to Tauranga-based football writer Mathew Nash. … Read More
By Jonno Ross A midtable clash between two Waikato rivals heads up a decent weekend of Northern League football. Hamilton Wanderers and Melville United have more than bragging rights at stake. They are part of a midtable pack trying to … Read More
By Logan Smith The Southern League returns to full action this weekend, with teams returning to league matches after a break for the Chatham Cup and flight cancellations for some teams in Round 10. The round kicks off at 7pm … Read More
Three of New Zealand’s most experienced internationals are on track to prove their fitness in time for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Ria Percival (175 caps), Annalie Longo (138 caps) and Olivia Chance (48 caps) have all been training with … Read More
New Zealand play Fiji in their group game at the OFC U-19 Women’s Championship on Thursday June 22, 2023. The game kicks off at 4pm (NZT), and will be live-streamed by OFC Media. You can watch it here: Fixture Game … Read More
New Zealand coach Leon Birnie says his side has prepared well for Thursday’s opening game at the OFC U-19 Women’s Championship but the hot conditions in Fiji will test his players. “It’s going to be a big challenge for the … Read More
Armchair fans will be able to watch two games to be live-streamed this weekend, featuring some of the country’s top teams. On Friday evening, Christchurch United will stream their live coverage of their derby with Coastal Spirit in the Southern … Read More
Otago and Canterbury fans have their chance to see the original FIFA Women’s World Cup trophy — in the company of legendary footballer Kristine Lilly — as it tours the South Island. The trophy will be at several events in … Read More
Wellington Phoenix Reserves have retained the O’Brien Shield with a 3-1 come-from-behind win against Miramar Rangers. The win lifts the Phoenix into second place on the Central League table. Meanwhile, the Lotto NRFL Men’s Northern Conference match between Franklin United … Read More
Football Fern Mackenzie Barry is the first women’s player to commit to the Wellington Phoenix beyond the upcoming A-League season. The combative centre-back has re-signed with the Phoenix through until the end of the 2024-25 Libery A-League. A founding member … Read More
New Zealand will take their first steps to qualify for next year’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup when they step out to play Fiji on Thursday. The national U-19 women’s team will play hosts Fiji in their first group game … Read More
New Zealand Tourism have released two short videos to promote the beauty of Aotearoa through the story of a young girl as she takes her football from Hobbiton to Aoraki Mt Cook. The first video shows off some of the … Read More
Organisers of the OFC U-19 Women’s Championship will provide live streams of all 20 games played at the tournament in Fiji. The tournament runs from June 21 till July 8, with the winner automatically qualifying for next year’s FIFA U-20 … Read More
Miramar Rangers have the chance to retake the O’Brien Shield in a midweek Central League game with the Wellington Phoenix Reserves. Rangers travel to Fraser Park on Wednesday night when the Phoenix will stage the first defence of the shield … Read More