Source: Radio New Zealand
The Oceania Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament has been thrown into sudden disruption, with key semi-final matches in Hamilton rescheduled due to the looming threat of Cyclone Vaianu.
Tournament organisers have brought Sunday’s fixtures forward by 24 hours as severe weather warnings blanket the North Island, with heavy rain and damaging winds forecast to intensify over the weekend.
Officials said the decision was made to ensure the safety of participants and fans attending the games.
The Oceania semi-finals between the Football Ferns and Fiji and Papua New Guinea (PNG) and American Samoa were originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Hamilton.
They will now be played Saturday, with PNG playing American Samoa at midday and New Zealand playing Fiji at 4pm.
The winner of those games will meet in Albany on Wednesday, with a place at the 2027 World Cup up for grabs.
The loser of the Oceania final will head to the inter-confederation play-offs.
In a bid to accommodate fans affected by the late change, organisers have made the matches free to attend. Supporters will not need to book tickets in advance and can simply arrive at the stadium on the day. All tickets purchased for the original Sunday fixtures will be refunded.
Lisa Jones, general manager competitions and international events at New Zealand Football, said the organisation supported the decision by OFC.
“From the advice we have been given, we strongly feel this is the best option to allow the fixtures to be played and to ensure the safety of everyone attending the matches.
“With a considerable number of people looking to attend the games, this is a decision we wanted made as early as possible to ensure we didn’t have people travelling in potentially dangerous conditions.
“We now look forward to two great semi-finals being played on Saturday ahead of next week’s final in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.”
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
