Latest news from Friends of Football
Here are Wednesday night’s results from the Northern League and the NRF Men’s League One competitions. Defending champions Auckland City fought back from a 2-0 half-time deficit to rescue a 2-2 draw with nearest challengers Birkenhead United, with the equaliser … Read More
An end-of-season charity match will be staged in Hamilton to rally support for former local player Johnny Konings, who faces a battle to walk again. Former Northern League player Konings (31) moved to Australia’s Gold Coast two years ago to … Read More
New Caledonia and New Zealand will lock horns for a second time at the 2024 OFC U-19 Men’s Championship, this time with the trophy on the line. Both sides have already qualified for next year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup in … Read More
Out-of-contract Wellington Phoenix midfielder Hope Breslin has joined New York’s Brooklyn FC who will play in the new USL Super League. Breslin (25) was the Phoenix women’s first visa signing and was the team’s only player to feature in all … Read More
By Craig Stephen Superstar footballer Christian Karembeu is the Pacific’s only-ever World Cup winner after lifting the trophy with France in 1998. But as the Olympic Games approach, it is worth remembering when the territory Karembeu hailed from, New Caledonia, … Read More
Former New Zealand age group international goalkeeper Una Foyle has signed for Irish professional club Cork City. Foyle (25) has been one of Canterbury’s leading goalkeepers in recent years, anchoring the defence for Coastal Spirit and Canterbury United Pride. Cork … Read More
Defending national champions Auckland United have become the first northern club to qualify for this year’s Women’s National League. Following last weekend’s 1-0 win against Western Springs, United are assured of finishing in the top four of the Lotto NRFL … Read More
By Richard Davis I was at an early-round Chatham Cup tie in a provincial town this season. About 100 spectators turned up, dotted around the pitch. The home team had invited some of the club juniors up to be ball … Read More
New signings Marco Lorenz and Jerson Lagos are expected to line up for defending champions Auckland City in their midweek Northern League showdown with nearest rivals Birkenhead United. The top two teams will meet under lights at the Croatian Cultural … Read More
Tahiti and Vanuatu have ended their OCF U-19 Men’s Championship campaigns with wins in the tournament’s play-off round. Tahiti beat hosts Samoa 4-0 to claim 5th place at the eight-nation tournament, while Vanuatu avoided the wooden spoon by beating Papua … Read More
All Whites fans will learn on Thursday July 18 who New Zealand will face in the qualifying games to decide who’ll represent Oceania at the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup. The draw will take place at FIFA’s Zurich headquarters to … Read More
Attacking midfielder Bozhidar Kraev has left the Wellington Phoenix to join men’s A-League rivals Western Sydney Wanderers. Within hours of the Phoenix confirming he was leaving, Wanderers named the Bulgarian international as the first new signing by incoming head coach … Read More
Auckland FC chief executive Nick Becker says the decision to choose Go Media Stadium Mt Smart to host A-League games does not rule out future plans for the club to develop its own stadium. In a 13-minute interview with NewstalkZB … Read More
Long-serving Jason Flynn has been appointed as an honorary president of Palmerston North Marist after stepping down as chair of the Manawatu club. Announcing Flynn’s new role, the club told social media followers: “This is a significant change within the … Read More
New Zealand captain Chris Wood has celebrated his return to football with a goal for Nottingham Forest in their 3-0 pre-season win against Chesterfield. Forest had the better of the chances in the opening spell of their first pre-season game, … Read More
Head coach Chris Greenacre has praised semi-final opponents Fiji for the way they took the game to New Zealand at the OFC U-19 Men’s Championship in Samoa. “Fiji made things really, really difficult for us,” he said after New Zealand … Read More
New Zealand have beaten Fiji 1-0 in a tightly contested semi-final at the OFC U-19 Men’s Championship in Samoa. A goal by Ryan Watson early in the second half sealed the win, and ensured New Zealand would qualify for Thursday’s … Read More
New Zealand have beaten Fiji 1-0 to qualify for the 2025 FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup in Chile. The win takes New Zealand into Thursday’s final at the OFC U-19 Men’s Championship in Apia, Samoa. A Ryan Watson goal early … Read More