World Cup players cleared for Gaines in Los Angeles

Press, 31 March 1983, Page 44

World Cup players cleared for Gaines in Los Angeles

By

DAVID LEGGAT

Should New Zealand reach the soccer championship at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles next year it is probable that only one member of the World Cup squad will be ineligible to compete.

All teams attempting to qualify for the finals at the Games must obviously use players classed as amateurs. According to the New Zealand Football Association secretary (Mr Gwyn Evans) all countries outside Europe and South America have, for the purposes of the Games at least, been categorised as amateur. However, any players from those countries who are playing in Europe or South America are bound to be termed professional. This would apply to the New Zealand striker, Wynton Rufer currently under contract to the Zurich club in Switzerland. Rufer is the only member of New Zealand’s World Cup

squad playing in Europe or South America. Thus the remaining 21 players who travelled to Spain — or at least those who have not retired from international competition — will be eligible, if selected for the Olympic qualifying matches. The International Olympic Committee, which met in New Delhi earlier this week approved new codes of eligibility for athletes at the summer and winter games next year in all sports except soccer and ice hockey. However, Mr Evans has received no new information and anticipates no difficulties for New Zealand when those guidelines for soccer are announced.

New Zealand’s first qualifying group for Los Angeles is likely to consist of Japan and China-Taipei. They are expected to easily overcome Papua New Guinea and the Philippines respectively. The group games involving New Zealand will be played from September 24 to October 12, and the top two of the three teams will progress to the second, and final, group. That group will comprise 10 teams, none of whom have yet advanced from their first round matches. The first three of those 10 will qualify for Los Angeles, and that will have been finalised by March 31 next year.