Latest news from Friends of Football
All Whites interim head coach Darren Bazeley says he’s going to make the most of this month’s games against China to try to keep alive his chance of getting the job. In a 15-minute interview with Newstalk ZB’s Jason Pine, … Read More
A thigh injury to All Whites striker Chris Wood will make for a nervous wait by national team coaching staff as his Nottingham Forest club evaluates how serious it is. Wood (31) is due to head to New Zealand in … Read More
While many clubs are pacing themselves through pre-season football, others were playing for big stakes at the weekend. The Wellington Phoenix men picked up a crucial win in their quest for play-off football; the women Nix caused the upset of … Read More
National women’s champions Papakura City and a powerful Auckland City side had successful weekends at the Ford Futsal Superleague’s Northern Travel Series. Played at Tauranga’s Trustpower Stadium, both teams went through the respective fixtures with 100% winning records, indicating they’ll … Read More
The Wellington Phoenix have celebrated their 150th win in the Isuzu UTE A-League and taken a major step towards securing a place in this year’s finals. The Phoenix have beaten Sydney FC 1-0 at Eden Park in Auckland, extending their … Read More
Northern League Golden Boot winner Derek Tieku has transferred from Hamilton Wanderers to Central League champions Wellington Olympic. Tieku, who scored 17 goals in last season’s 22-round Northern League, signed for Olympic in February and made his new club debut … Read More
Lotto NRFL Northern Conference side Franklin United have added to their pre-season signings with the arrival of experienced defender Cameron Sinclair. Sinclair (27) joins from Lotto NRFL Championship club Mount Albert Ponsonby. He’s the second player to move across from … Read More
Six more teams have qualified to compete with New Zealand at May’s FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup in Indonesia — but Australia have blown their hopes of qualifying. Gambia, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia earned qualification by filling the semi-final spots … Read More
The Wellington Phoenix have produced the upset of the Liberty A-League season. Bottom-of-the-table Phoenix stunned league leaders Sydney FC 1-0 at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium in Sydney, thanks to a first-half goal from centre back Kate Taylor. Main photo: Kate Taylor … Read More
Honours are even between Wellington Olympic and Auckland City after a tense first leg ended 1-1 in their OFC Champions League national play-off. Olympic scored through new signing Joel Stevens while City rescued the draw with Christian Gray’s first goal … Read More
Te Atatu are ready to mount a strong challenge for the NRF League One title this year after a swag of new signings ranging from national league veterans to talented Sunday league players. New coaching duo of Nathan Christie and … Read More
The Wellington Phoenix can extend their unbeaten run at Auckland’s Eden Park to 10 games if they achieve a positive result in Sunday’s A-League clash with Sydney FC. The Nix have yet to be beaten at New Zealand’s national stadium, … Read More
More than 100 of the best men and women futsal players in the upper North Island will play in a two-day tournament in Tauranga over the weekend (March 11-12, 2023). The tournament is the Ford Futsal Superleague’s Northern Travel series … Read More
The Wellington Phoenix are offering a two-game pass for fans who want to go to both of the side’s upcoming A-League games at Auckland’s Eden Park. The Phoenix play Sydney FC on Sunday March 12, and the Brisbane Roar in … Read More
Here’s a photo to test the memory banks of some of our long-time football followers. Friends of Football have been loaned a copy of this team photo of the 1962 U-12 Auckland boys’ representative team. The names and spellings are … Read More
One-cap All Whites full back James McGarry has landed a two-year extension to his contract with men’s A-League club Central Coast Mariners. McGarry (24) is now under contract till at least the end of the 2024-25 season after joining the … Read More
As three players prepare to leave the club, the future of Wellington Phoenix coach Ufuk Talay remains uncertain. He’s out of contract at the end of the current men’s A-League season after four years in the job. The club is … Read More
Wellington Olympic will try to make the most of their home advantage when they face national champions Auckland City in Saturday’s first leg of their OFC Champions League play-off. Olympic lost all three of their 2022 meetings — once at … Read More