2014 Friendly Discussion - China & Thailand in Nov

I work with a white South African who's only been here for 5 years and he doesn't even know what soccer is lol

I think you will be very surprised at how many SAFAs of all races live here and love their football

The

 whites also love their rugby (which the blacks historically viewed as the sport of apartheid). Likewise the whites viewed soccer as the sport of blacks. You may however have Cape Coloureds who like soccer but many of them follow rugby.

So I should ignore the 25 blokes I know from one club alone who are white, black and mixed race? I lived there for a year so I don't need history/generalisation 101 thanks.

I doubt very much Andy Martin has walked down the main street of Mairangi Bay, seen a couple of Springbok jerseys and thought "let's bring Bafana Bafana over here." Seems to me to be pretty logical if they are already travelling to Australia to try and get them to add on a game in NZ. And why not rattle off some press releases to get people talking about it - at least someone is trying to organise a game for the AWs.

and was it 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 happydays? I dont think so.

since you seem well qualified in the matter, exactly how many white south africans do you know in this country verses black?

The numbers do not support you

I sincerely hope you are wrong Auckland Phoenix! You seem so self righteous and categorical in your sweeping judgements that, following your logic:

Blacks can't travel because they can't afford it.

Leaving those that do travel here white

And whites only like rugby, so:

0 South Africans will turn up to this game.

On ya champ!

Not sure they would target the ex-pat SA community tbh, I think they would try to sell it to the public on the NZ v SA rivalry even tho we have little history in football afaik. Shame we couldn't drag Aussie over for a tri series style comp.

when many peoples wage is $1 an hour and 50% of the black youth are unemployed then I am afraid it is true

The middle and upper class do not migrate, they just build higher fences

on you champ

As an ex-pat South African I can say that Akl Phoenix is not entirely correct. Lots of South Africans of all ethnicities have made NZ home. Also white South Africans are interested in football (a few have played here, you may have heard of them), depending which area you grow up in, football may be the only winter sport offered in primary school (includes intermediate in SA) plus with its timezone European leagues are popular and the PSL is one of the wealthier leagues in Africa, if not the most successful.

I'm not interested in getting into a political discussion about it. All I was saying was that if SA play NZ I'm sure we'll get a decent crowd, with some Kiwis wanting to see their team plus some expats showing up as well.

Moved because of the risks to our safety. We have had neighbours and friends held for ransom, murdered, robbed at gun point, assaulted, mugged, robbed, hi-jacked etc. You start living in your own private security prison.

And, yes you probably find that most that have moved are White South Africans (maybe higher proportion in Auckland) but there are a lot of Indian, Coloured and Black South Africans that have moved too.

Well you can bet that the guy who blows his bloody vuvuzela on the bank at Forest Hill Milford will be there.

errr...Kerryn Jordan IIRC?? 

Erm, why?

Why not? Australia, Chile, Indonesia, Phillipines, Malaysia ditto. We've been isolated in our little Oz-offshore middle-of-nowhere South Seas paradise far too long.

In reply to the Michael Burgess article stating some All Whites do not want to play in the possible up-coming SA game:

Yes its their off season but if they want the AWs to play more they should not look a gift horse in the mouth.  If certain players (Smith etc) do not want to play I'm sure there are other fringe kiwi's more than keen to put their hands up (Fallon, Clapham, Old even the likes of Daniel) so if I were the first choicers I'd be very careful what I say no to.

All Whites to host South Africa

Tuesday 8 April, 2014

Embargoed until 4pm (NZ time), Tuesday 8 April, 2014

A traditional sporting rivalry will add a new football chapter when the All Whites clash with South Africa at Mt Smart Stadium on Friday 30 May.

After meeting the Socceroos in Sydney on May 26, Bafana Bafana will make the trip across the Tasman to meet the All Whites four days later.

The May match-up follows closely on the heels of the All Whites’ trip to Japan in March which saw a young side - including two debutants in Ryan Thomas and Tyler Boyd - score twice in an improved second half showing in a 4-2 defeat in Tokyo.

New Zealand Football CEO Andy Martin said the Japan encounter highlighted the way forward for a side building towards the qualification process for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

“Our performance in Japan across the 90 minutes against a side heading to the World Cup showed we have a young team full of great potential,” Martin said.

“Given the nature of our situation with players now based all over the globe, it’s imperative for our team and players that we take every opportunity to bring the group together.

“A game, in Auckland, against strong opposition in South Africa – a country with which we enjoy a strong and competitive sporting relationship - ticks a number of important boxes for us on and off the field.

“We’ve seen with the excellent support we’ve received when we’ve played games at home or abroad our fans simply want more opportunities to see their heroes in action.

“Hosting this match at a time when football is front of mind for the thousands of members of our football community in the early stage of the grassroots season, we have an excellent opportunity to showcase our players, our team and our game.”

Harry Ngata, chairman of the New Zealand Professional Footballers’ Association, says the May 30 fixture gives the young All Whites side a chance to continue preparations for the next FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.

“The Professional Footballers’ Association understands the need for the All Whites to play as often as possible in the build up to the next World Cup campaign, and is supportive of quality fixtures, like this one, in New Zealand,” Ngata said. 

The team will be led by interim head coach Neil Emblen for the clash at Mt Smart Stadium in what will be just the sixth senior men’s football meeting of the two nations.

South Africa were 2-0 winners over the All Whites in the most recent match-up in Rustenburg at the 2009 Confederations Cup while the visitors recorded four wins over the New Zealand side in a series in 1947.

South Africa, who did not qualify for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil in June, are currently ranked 64th in the world with the All Whites 90th.

The match will be the first time the All Whites have played in Auckland since a 6-1 win over the Solomon Islands at North Harbour Stadium in 2012 during the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign and it will be the first match at Mt Smart Stadium since a clash with Jamaica in the same year.

An exclusive football family ticket period will open later this week via Ticketek followed by general public sale.

The May 30 date also marks exactly a year before the FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup kicks off in New Zealand.

yays

Vuvuzelas allowed?

now if there ever was a game that should be played in the North Shore, you'd think this would be it.

HNS out of action for U20s rugby world cup.

Last time that was held here (the Rugby U20s) so few people watched they played on the outer fields at NHS

Awesome! can't wait.

Unlike Tommy Smith.

I can totally see Reid, Smith, McGlinchey, James, Keat & Henderson being unavailable through it not being a window/can't be arsed (smith/reid)

I can see Moss, Spoonley, Boxall, Sigmund, Durante, Roux, Tuiloma, Payne, Howieson, Thomas, Rojas, Barbarouses, Boyd, Brockie, Smeltz & Wood being there with perhaps Hicks and Ridenton getting a call up?

Good chance to bring in Eagar for a look?

Now that's finally a game to look forward to!

I've always thought that bringing teams that NZ has a strong sporting rivalry with would be a great idea.

I'd also like to see the AW's play teams like Scotland, Ireland, and Wales more often.

Big crowds and media interest guaranteed, because people are familiar with these opponents from watching the AB's playing them.

Queens Birthday weekend too. Good excuse for a road trip.

This.