Sounds like they are mostly helping out minnows like Samoa and the Cooks.
But yeah one of them works at Christchurch United.
NZF get alot of stick, but I'd be almost certain they know of these guys. Lets not forget NZF just recently posted an advert inviting any overseas footballers who may be eligible to play for NZ, to contact them.
It's probably common knowledge amongst all the OFC nations, that they offer this scouting service. I wonder if they pop on here from time to time for a tip. Wasn't it Young Heart who discovered Oscar Faulds had Kiwi heritage?
Their real value is likely at the age group level. Like the Samoa girls U17s who qualified for U17 WC, had a number of US based players. Also read a random story that there are some Tongan heritage footballers in Morocco! With NZ there is around 800,000 people with Kiwi heritage in Australia alone. So yes expect an ever growing number of national age group kids to be Aussie based.
21 yr old Ben Gibson at the Jets the latest to be identified as likely AWs eligible.
But yeah one of them works at Christchurch United.
NZF get alot of stick, but I'd be almost certain they know of these guys. Lets not forget NZF just recently posted an advert inviting any overseas footballers who may be eligible to play for NZ, to contact them.
It's probably common knowledge amongst all the OFC nations, that they offer this scouting service. I wonder if they pop on here from time to time for a tip. Wasn't it Young Heart who discovered Oscar Faulds had Kiwi heritage?
Their real value is likely at the age group level. Like the Samoa girls U17s who qualified for U17 WC, had a number of US based players. Also read a random story that there are some Tongan heritage footballers in Morocco! With NZ there is around 800,000 people with Kiwi heritage in Australia alone. So yes expect an ever growing number of national age group kids to be Aussie based.
21 yr old Ben Gibson at the Jets the latest to be identified as likely AWs eligible.