New Zealand Football confirmed on Monday that it intends to appeal its U23 side's expulsion from the Olympic qualifying tournament in Papua New Guinea, according to Strang, Hyslop & Walters of STUFF. Vanuatu Football Federation protested its 2-0 semifinal loss to New Zealand, saying that New Zealand's South African-born player Deklan Wynne was ineligible. Speaking at Auckland Airport upon returning from the Olympic qualifying tournament, NZF CEO Andy Martin said that NZF believed all players were eligible and "received confirmation" from the tournament's organizers. He added that NZF had received confirmation of the eligibility of the squad from the Pacific Games Council before the tournament. Martin said in a statement, "Our lawyers are working on the appeal currently and are reviewing both the process followed and the OFC Disciplinary Committee's interpretation of the Regulations Governing the Application of the Statutes and how this has been applied in similar cases." Martin and team coach Anthony Hudson "refused to comment on the details of Wynne's eligibility at Monday night's media stand-up" (STUFF, 7/14). REUTERS' Greg Stutchbury reported NZF said that it had been "led to believe" that
FIFA "would be making a determination on the outcome
of Vanuatu's appeal." Wynne was deemed ineligible under Article 7 of FIFA's statutes, which "relate to a player acquiring a new nationality" (REUTERS, 7/13).
