If there was a laugh react on this forum, I’d use it.
As said before, comparing an organisation from ten years ago to now and stating they’re the same, when in reality they’re not is a massive joke.
Rugby has more money to bring teams into the country for matches and to appoint more people into key roles so others can focus on other key roles + Media promotion etc.
Football doesn’t have that resource, so it’s basically like working with what you’ve got.
Imagine you start up a pie shop and your brother does the same and he starts one up on the same street, but he has more money to invest in his pies and make them better, whereas you don’t have that resource, so your pie quality isn’t as good. It’s like that.
Simple from me though, get over the past as those people who were unorganised are likely not in those roles now.
Look at the circumstances, which are basically (correct me if wrong) but there was meant to be OFC qualifying matches in this window but Covid stopped that.
So NZF had to get squared matches with teams outside of WCQ - which is obviously teams with low resource who struggle to host the matches. So it’s a matter of getting countries that could meet in the middle on neutral ground. However some nations aren’t in a position to play during this window - look at the lower African nations, similar boat to most of OFC nations, but guess what, those national teams aren’t playing cause they have no resource to do so.
Literally this issue just comes down to money, not disorganisation.
As said before, comparing an organisation from ten years ago to now and stating they’re the same, when in reality they’re not is a massive joke.
Rugby has more money to bring teams into the country for matches and to appoint more people into key roles so others can focus on other key roles + Media promotion etc.
Football doesn’t have that resource, so it’s basically like working with what you’ve got.
Imagine you start up a pie shop and your brother does the same and he starts one up on the same street, but he has more money to invest in his pies and make them better, whereas you don’t have that resource, so your pie quality isn’t as good. It’s like that.
Simple from me though, get over the past as those people who were unorganised are likely not in those roles now.
Look at the circumstances, which are basically (correct me if wrong) but there was meant to be OFC qualifying matches in this window but Covid stopped that.
So NZF had to get squared matches with teams outside of WCQ - which is obviously teams with low resource who struggle to host the matches. So it’s a matter of getting countries that could meet in the middle on neutral ground. However some nations aren’t in a position to play during this window - look at the lower African nations, similar boat to most of OFC nations, but guess what, those national teams aren’t playing cause they have no resource to do so.
Literally this issue just comes down to money, not disorganisation.
Yes laughable to compare NZF to NZR especially.
NZF are mostly at a beggar's table trying to find international opposition for friendlies. Yes they could have done better pre Covid, but since appears they have done their damnest to find AWs games.
As AV and other journos have detailed, there is an International Teams Fund (money from 2010 WC & 2013 Mexico Tv rights), that funds all the mens & womens international programs. Basically the AWs have funded everyone else, including Football Ferns. Sort of ironic that what nearly 10 Ferns have played over 100 games, when Chris Wood has played less than 50. However there are lots of reasons Ferns play more. Easy qualification biennially for a WC or Olympics, shorter club sesaons for female players so easier access to players for internationals etc etc
But NZF are always conscious cash in this Teams Fund could run dry, until a likely boost with virtual automatic qualification for 2026 WC (if OFC gets planned 1.5 spots with a bloated 48 team WC).
Part of the reasoning I'd imagine why in first 2 years of a WC cycle AWs barely play. Back in 2018-2019 NZF didn't see Covid coming (who did) or fact AWs wouldn't be hosting OFC qualifying games in 2020.
I've banged on about it but OFC joining some sort of AFC Nations League is best idea I reckon to have meaningful quality regular H/A games in first 2 years of any WC cycle. Infantino was pushing Global Nations League concept hard pre Covid. Hopefully is revived in 2023.
One of the things I was thinking about the other day was an AFC x OFC tournament similar to the World Cup.
32 teams - Qualification process exists only for lower ranked sides (Cook Islands, Laos, Timor-Leste etc)
Teams name squads of 23 and its run every 4 years.
I seem to come up with ideas like this on the toilet.
Acts as I guess you could say a precursor to the Asian Cup and even the massive event of the OFC Nations Cup.
In saying that, there’s a lot of things that get in the way. But thought it would be cool.
Unfortunately AFC landscape is already pretty crowded. Asian Cup, Arab Cup. I think there is also some sort of SE Asian Cup.
But UEFA manages to incorporate Euro qualifying into it's Nations League games. So you'd just aim I guess to incorporate Asian Cup qualifying (early years of WC cycle) somehow into a sort combined AFC/OFC comp or Nations League.
Basically suspect Infantino/FIFA would need to pressure/provide a financial carrot to AFC to make it happen.
Edit - from memory the planned lucrative Global Nations final series was to be 8 teams from various Confederations (basically replacing Confeds Cup). Maybe was 1 AFC and 1 OFC team I can’t remember.
So FIFA could offer 2 spots to top 2 teams Division A in a combined AFC/OFC Nations League, as a nice carrot to get AFC to bring in the OFC minnows.