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Catherine Ivill / Getty Images
All Whites captain Winston Reid in action during last year’s friendly against the Republic of Ireland.
All Whites coach Danny Hay says he is “devastated” by New Zealand Football’s decision to withdraw from next month’s international friendly against England at London’s iconic Wembley Stadium.
NZ Football announced on Wednesday that the long-awaited November 13 [NZ time] the clash against Harry Kane and company will no longer continue due to player unavailability and travel restrictions.
It is the fourth match the All Whites have missed this year due to Covid-19 implications, having previously canceled a match against world number one Belgium earlier this month, as well as two against Bahrain and Oman in March.
SPORTS KANSAS CITY
All Whites captain Winston Reid is eager to play England at Wembley in November.
The All Whites have not played since a pair of friendlies against Ireland and Lithuania last November.
“I am devastated and I know that the players will be too. But this is one of those situations that we can’t do anything about, ”Hay said.
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“We always knew when planning these matches that certain players would not be available, but considering the restrictions currently in place, as well as the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in Europe, it is simply not possible to form a competitive team.
“We all want to play more games, but facing one of the best teams in the world with a team with much less strength does not help our development in the long term.”
Michael Regan / AP
NZ Football has withdrawn from scheduled matches against England and Belgium in recent weeks.
Hay was planning to select a team made up primarily of European-based players, but travel restrictions meant that some front-line players would have to serve a two-week period in administered isolation upon returning to their clubs, and NZ Football was not prepared to jeopardize their careers. .
“It is not an action to be taken lightly. This is a game we all wanted to play, ”said CEO Andrew Pragnell.
“However, as it stands, of the last All Whites team selected for the November 2019 tour, even excluding the New Zealand players, a significant number of the team would be subject to quarantine or restrictions on their return home. This would greatly disrupt their national seasons and could jeopardize their professional careers.
“The changing nature of travel restrictions and the availability of commercial flights under Covid means that we are not certain that we can muster a squad at Wembley on this day and missing this match at the last minute is not an option.”
Although he was determined to participate, All Whites captain Winston Reid recently revealed that it was unlikely that he would be available for the England game, as his Sporting Kansas City is scheduled to play its last game of the regular season. Major League Soccer on November 9, just three days earlier. to the date that the international was to take place.
