Wellington, Aug 10 (DPA) New Zealand are to play Honduras and Paraguay at home in October, football officials said Tuesday.
The match against Honduras will be played Oct 9 at a venue to be confirmed, New Zealand Football announced, with Paraguay scheduled for three days later in Wellington.
These will be the New Zealand All Whites’ first matches since an unbeaten World Cup campaign in South Africa ended with a 0-0 draw with Paraguay, which was knocked out in the last eight by eventual champions Spain.
Although they did not gain the points to get past the group stage, New Zealand was the only team in the competition not to lose a match.
Football is a Cinderella sport in New Zealand, where rugby is close to being the national religion, and it was the first time in a generation that the national side had reached the World Cup finals.
The performances in South Africa, including a draw with defending champions Italy, entranced the nation.
‘Football has reached a new mark on in New Zealand’s sporting landscape and the time is right to celebrate that and build even more momentum, with two very big events,’ New Zealand Football chairman Michael Glading said.
‘It’s a football opportunity that’s been rare in recent years but we see it as a very special way for the team to thank the New Zealand public for all their World Cup support.’
