just heard on local (Malaysia) radio news that we have a game lined against them in this months window
It has been confirmed that AFC has suspended/postponed all AFC World Cup qualifiers in the March window, incl Malaysia verus UAE (A) & Vietnam (H).
Malaysia's earlier friendly against Bahrain (A) in March, had already been cancelled.
NZF would have established a bit of a relationship with the Malaysian FA, when Schmid was AWs coach. Fritz had previously worked in Malaysia, and AWs almost went to a 4 nation tourney there last March.
FYI - Malaysia has 117 Coronavirus cases at the moment. Maybe it's become an AWs verus Malaysia game in NZ, or somewhere neutral like Doha, Qatar.
Especially if the AWs v Oman game still goes ahead, and Malaysia just replaces Bahrain (2nd scheduled friendly). Malaysia's FIFA ranking is 88, Bahrain 83. Oman has 16 cases of Coronavirus - 15 related related to travellers via Iran.
Fax machine must be burning over time in Albany.
AFC has also suspended World Cup qualifiers in June, so that may free up some opportunities for friendlies, if NZF want another AWs game. They might be more ambitious about that if the Olympics is called off, and whole U23s campaign goes into the dustbin. Dare I say Socceroos early June, before they head to the Copa America.
Read somewhere that FFA are likely content to be without any Socceroos matches now in March, as helps keep the European clubs a bit happier (most of first choice Socceroos are based in Europe) - given they are not best pleased their Aussies will have a short off/pre season heading into 2020/2021, being away in Sth America all of June. Socceroos have min 5 matches at the Copa America.