Latest news from Friends of Football
Uzbekistan have drawn heavily on players from their domestic leagues for their 21-player squad named to meet New Zealand at the FIFA Men’s U-20 World Cup in Argentina. Of the squad, 19 play for clubs in the Uzbekistan Super League … Read More
Futsal Ferns Hannah Kraakman, Dayna Manak and Tessa Leong are continuing the success of New Zealanders in the top-tier competitions of futsal in the United Kingdom. The trio play for Bloomsbury Futsal, who have won the league stage in Tier … Read More
FIFA Women’s World Cup sponsor VISA are offering customers of BNZ the chance to win 50 prize packs and to meet Football Ferns defender Claudia Bunge. To win, BNZ customers need to register and then use their VISA card once. … Read More
New Zealander Olli Harder has been fired as women’s head coach at leading Norwegian club SK Brann after less than a year in charge. Harder (37) moved to Norway last year after two years as head coach of the West … Read More
Torrential rain and flooding in Auckland have forced the postponement of Friends of Football’s annual golf day, planned for Thursday (May 11). The Toyo Tires-sponsored tournament will be rescheduled for Thursday June 1, 2023, at Huapai Golf Club beside Auckland’s … Read More
Teenage midfielder Matt Dibley Dias could be the next New Zealand-born player to play in the English Premier League. The Lower Hutt-born youngster was an unused substitute for Fulham in the London club’s 5-3 win against Leicester City on Tuesday … Read More
New Zealand Football’s former technical director, Rob Sherman, has been appointed head coach of Fiji’s men’s national team. Sherman, who had two spells with New Zealand’s national body, says his aim is to guide the Bula Boys to qualify for … Read More
New Zealand international Clayton Lewis has signed a two-season deal with men’s A-League side Macarthur, confirming speculation he was set to join the club at the end of his Wellington Phoenix contract. Macarthur coach Mile Sterjovski described the signing of … Read More
Organisers are looking for “cast members” to be part of their spectacular opening ceremony when the FIFA Women’s World Cup gets underway at Auckland’s Eden Park on Thursday July 20. The ceremony, which will be broadcast globally, will take place … Read More
Midfielder Jay Herdman says he’s got three coaches to thank for his emergence as a key player in the New Zealand side heading to the FIFA U-20 Mens World Cup in Argentina this month. They are: National U-20 coach Darren … Read More
New Zealand age group international Zac Jones is being hailed a hero after the young goalkeeper saved three penalties to take his Welsh club to within a game of qualifying to play in the Europa Conference League. Jones (22) saved … Read More
The Ball — football’s equivalent to the Olympic Torch — has spent a week in Singapore on its way to Auckland, in time for the opening game of the FIFA Women’s World Cup on July 20. The project — which … Read More
Here are the results, scorers and tables from the Northern, Central and Southern leagues, as well as the top men’s and women’s competitions in the upper North Island. Meanwhile, the season ended for the Wellington Phoenix, beaten in the men’s … Read More
Capital Football are holding back payments to Wellington City Council until they get transparency on why the costs of hiring turf pitches is so expensive. The federation’s chief executive, Richard Reid, says football pays about $300,000 a year to hire … Read More
Here’s our round-up from around the country with Sunday’s results from the Central League and Southern League, and the top women’s competitions in the upper North Island. Results Games played on Sunday May 7, 2023 Central League Napier City Rovers … Read More
Newly-appointed head coach of the Wellington Phoenix women’s A-League team Paul Temple says recruitment is going to be critical as he leads the side into its third season. Temple says the evidence from other clubs’ success suggests that finding goalscorers … Read More
New Zealand international forward Alex Greive has broken a six-month goalscoring drought in the Scottish Premiership with a goal for St Mirren against Hibernian. Greive, whose season has been disrupted by injury, was one of three players recalled to the … Read More
The Wellington Phoenix have named Paul Temple as head coach for their women’s A-League team for the next two seasons. Temple, who has been the Phoenix Academy’s technical director, replaces Natalie Lawrence who decided against seeking reappointment following a review … Read More