Coming from a non-kiwi, let me give you this perspective. With Covid still an ongoing pandemic and ever evolving situation, there is absolutely no guarantee that the NZ borders will open at that point and so the two week quarantine wil not be something FIFA or other FAs will tolerate (You can imagine the drama and scandal South American teams will make leading up to the game about this and will no doubt make appeals and complaints to fifa) Players and footballing bodies complain players play too much and player welfare, flying from Panama to NZ via USA is at least a 24 hour journey and even longer for European based players (assuming NZ gets CONCAF). FIFA doesn’t care about what little James from Auckland or Hamilton cares when it comes to seeing their heroes in Chris Wood in live action, they want to make sure the fifa program gets underway and isn’t further interrupted. Also got to remember in many countries they’re playing qualifiers without crowds even in their home nation (China has had to play their entire world qualifiers in Dubai im front of an empty stadium let alone a one per play off game) Unfortunately the fifa world can be an unfair place most of the time, and sentimental feelings like seeing your heroes at home doesn’t cut the fifa mustard. Covid has shafted a lot of things, I have had to delay my wedding, I couldn’t fly to NZ for a relatives funeral (because I live in Covid torn Melbourne) so this is the consequence of this pandemic, I think perspective is needed among this frustration. And, if NZF were so desperate to get home games, they would lobby the OFC to be held in NZ, km sure there is little Covid in Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Samoa, funnily enough they don’t seem desperate to do it, probably because if makes no money
Coming from a non-kiwi, let me give you this perspective. With Covid still an ongoing pandemic and ever evolving situation, there is absolutely no guarantee that the NZ borders will open at that point and so the two week quarantine wil not be something FIFA or other FAs will tolerate (You can imagine the drama and scandal South American teams will make leading up to the game about this and will no doubt make appeals and complaints to fifa) Players and footballing bodies complain players play too much and player welfare, flying from Panama to NZ via USA is at least a 24 hour journey and even longer for European based players (assuming NZ gets CONCAF). FIFA doesn’t care about what little James from Auckland or Hamilton cares when it comes to seeing their heroes in Chris Wood in live action, they want to make sure the fifa program gets underway and isn’t further interrupted. Also got to remember in many countries they’re playing qualifiers without crowds even in their home nation. Unfortunately the fifa world can be an unfair place most of the time, and sentimental feelings like seeing your heroes at home doesn’t cut the fifa mustard. Covid has shafted a lot of things, I have had to delay my wedding, I couldn’t fly to NZ for a relatives funeral (because I live in Covid torn Melbourne) so this is the consequence of this pandemic, I think perspective is needed among this frustration. And, if NZF were so desperate to get home games, they would lobby the OFC to be held in NZ, km sure there is little Covid in Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Samoa, funnily enough they don’t seem desperate to do it, probably because if makes no money