Soccer date confirmed

Press, 29 February 1984, Page 56

Soccer date confirmed

The New Zealand soccer team will now meet Malaysia at English Park on the evening of April 4, in the second international of the three-match tour. Christchurch had originally been pencilled in as the venue for the final match on April 7. Now, however, the Malaysians will play in Wellington on March 31, and in Auckland on April 7. Both these week-end matches will be televised. The Canterbury Football Association will receive a grant from the New Zealand Football Association to cover expenses for the match. Malaysia is, along with New Zealand, one of the 10 nations competing for places at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in July. The qualifying series will be held in Singapore in April. While Malaysia and New Zealand are in different sections at Singapore it is possible they could meet in the play-off match to decide the third team — after the two group winners — to progress to Los Angeles. Malaysia advanced to the final qualifying series along with Saudi Arabia from its first round group. In the process, it beat Saudi

Arabia, which will be New Zealand’s first opponent in Singapore. The C.F.A. chairman, Mr Allan Fraser, also confirmed that there will be an international match in Christchurch, tentatively scheduled for June 3 or June 10. The opposition has not yet been confirmed, but it will be a game against New Zealand, rather than a provincial selection. In addition, negotiations are taking place for exhibition matches in Auckland and Christchurch between a top English club side and a leading Scottish premier league club this winter. Mr Fraser said the C.F.A. and the Auckland Football Association will promote the games. He added that the tour would be financially appealing. Costs look like being limited to accommodation and one or two internal flights. Early estimates indicate it could be among the cheapest promotions the C.F.A. has undertaken. He does not expect plans to be finalised until the middle of next month, but the games would be played on consecutive days of a week-end.