Botswana has become the first African country to cash in on Africa hosting the World Cup finals.
The tiny African country successfully persuaded the All Whites, as the New Zealand team is known, to camp in Botswana for 13 days while they prepare for the Confederations Cup, which kicks off in South Africa on June 14.
Coach Ricki Herbert and his charges jetted into Gaborone this week, becoming the first team to arrive on the continent for the tournament dubbed the Festival of Champions.
Jamie Scott, New Zealand Football Association press officer, confirmed that Botswana would be home for the Oceanic Champions for the next two weeks.
”New Zealand accepted Botswana’s invitation because it gave us a chance to acclimatise to African conditions and prepare ourselves against African opposition, before we take on South Africa in our second match of the Confederations Cup,” he told the Mail & Guardian.
The Kiwis will arrive in Rustenburg on June 9, just a day ahead of their last friendly, which will be against Italy. Hosting one of the eight teams competing in the Confederations Cup is a major coup for Botswana.
Countries in the region have been fighting tooth and nail to attract some of the big names of football to set up base in their countries with little success.
Zimbabwe and Mozambique reportedly sent powerful delegations to Brazil to try to lure the Samba Kings to use their respective countries to prepare for the tournament. Nothing concrete has come out of either trip to Rio de Janeiro.
The Botswana Football Association (BFA) is naturally proud of their coup.
”This is the culmination of four months of a great lobby we set out to attract New Zealand to our country. We are naturally ecstatic to see it all come together. Our people can now look forward to a taste of the Confederations Cup,” BFA communications officer Phakamile Kraai told the M&G.
The country, renowned for its diamonds, intends to take its visitors on some breathtaking tours, according to Kraai.
However, it will not be all play for the All Whites, who have an underdog tag to worry about.
Largely viewed as the weaker team in Group A that consists of hosts South Africa, European champions Spain and Iraq, the Kiwis will budget much of their time to soaking up the African conditions.
They have lined up two friendly internationals during their two-week stay in Botswana. According to Scott, New Zealand will first play Tanzania on June 3 before Botswana host the Confederations Cup finalists three days later in a match with some historic significance.
It will be just the third country from outside Africa to play in Botswana, after China (1977) and Trinidad and Tobago (2003). The first meeting between the All Whites and the hosts’ national team, affectionately referred to as the Zebras by fans, is an early opportunity for Batswana fans to sample the international football that will descend on the region for the 2010 World Cup.
The 23-man All Whites squad has a few names that should thrill the football public of Botswana. Captain Ryan Nelson is an integral part of Blackburn in the English Premiership. Bafana skipper Aaron Mokoena was also a Blackburn player until just this past week when he switched to Portsmouth FC.
There is also Simon Elliott, Chris Killen, Shane Smeltz, Duncan Oughton, David Mulligan and Mark Paston who were all part of the 2003 All Whites squad, which competed in France.
New Zealand have added an exciting prospect in 17-year-old striker Chris Wood. The teenager rose through the ranks of Premiership side West Bromwich Albion and made a few appearances for the club’s first team this year.
”Chris has gone to a good club, spent a decent amount of time in a very competitive environment and been good enough to pave his way through to coming off the bench in a Premier League game. That speaks volumes and he thoroughly justifies his place in the squad,” Herbert told New Zealand football media shortly after he picked the youngster.
This will be the Oceania Champions’ third appearance at Fifa’s tournament for continental champions and they hope to do better than the first-round exits suffered in previous campaigns.
New Zealand squad
Goalkeepers: James Bannatyne (Petone/Team Wellington), Glen Moss (Melbourne Victory), Mark Paston (Wellington Phoenix).
Defenders: Andrew Boyens (New York Red Bulls), Tony Lochhead (Wellington Phoenix), David Mulligan (Wellington Phoenix), Ryan Nelsen (Captain / Blackburn Rovers), Steven Old (Kilmarnock), Aaron Scott (Melville United/Waitakere United), Ben Sigmund (Wellington Phoenix).
Midfielders: Andy Barron (Petone/Team Wellington), Leo Bertos (Wellington Phoenix), Tim Brown (Vice-captain / Wellington Phoenix), Jeremy Christie (Wellington Phoenix), Simon Elliott (San Jose Earthquakes), Chris James (Tampere United), Duncan Oughton (Columbus Crew).
Forwards: Kris Bright (Panserraikas), Jeremy Brockie (North Queensland), Chris Killen (Celtic FC), Shane Smeltz (Gold Coast United), Jarrod Smith (Seattle Sounders FC), Chris Wood (West Bromwich Albion)
Timetable
International friendlies:
June 3 New Zealand v Tanzania
June 6 New Zealand v Botswana
June 10 New Zealand v Italy
Confederations Cup matches:
New Zealand v Spain, Rustenburg
June 14, 8.30pm
New Zealand v South Africa
Rustenburg, June 17
New Zealand v Iraq
Johannesburg, June 20