Boath backs return trip for soccer team

Press, 27 April 1984, Page 28

Boath backs return trip for soccer team

NZPA staff correspondent Singapore The New Zealand soccer captain, Allan Boath, would like to see the All Whites return to Singapore in October to take part in the Merlion Tournament and erase the memory of the team’s disappointing performance in the Olympic qualifying final round.

“Just to show Singapore and the Asian nations that we can beat them,” said Boath yesterday. The Christchurch midfielder said it had been “very frustrating” to sit out two key games of the four New Zealand lost in Singapore as a result of an ankle injury. “Especially when you know there are four senior international players already unavailable and that another senior player has gone home injured,” said Boath. The captaincy, however, had been “more than adequately handled,” in his absence by the right back, Ricki Herbert, said Boath. Herbert said yesterday that he had been very proud to captain the team in spite of New Zealand’s disappointing performance in Singapore. “I think everybody would love to captain a New Zealand team,” he said. “It’s a very good feeling to lead the side out and toss the coin.” The University player, who has just turned 23, said he was very pleased to have been given the opportunity while still quite young. Boath’s captaincy has come under some press criticism in New Zealand with comparisons being made to his predecessor, Steve Sumner — sidelined back home for this tournament with a broken bone in his foot. Sumner lost the captaincy when he was unavailable for an Australian tour soon after the coach, Allan Jones, took over the squad.

flying in top international sides for regular competition. “And they didn’t even qualify,” said Boath. “If we’d had $24 million (the amount Kuwait reportedly spent in its World Cup build-up) we would have made sure we qualified.” New Zealand had had three off-season matches against Malaysia and two weeks in camp. “There’s a vast difference between the preparation these teams are able to do and our resources.” Speaking of New Zealand’s future, Boath said the development of the World Cup squad was up to “The Boss” (Mr Jones) who was ruled by the New Zealand Football Association Council. “I would like to come up in October for the Merlion tournament here with a full season of matches under our belt and a full squad and show them how we can play; but time and money are not on our side,” he said. New Zealand soccer needed the money to give players the time to train properly for international tournaments. “A lot of people have lost jobs in the past,” he said. “They need some reassurance before they can make the commitment needed.” Boath said he would get his ankle — which the team’s physiotherapist, Mark Butler, believes has a fragment of bone floating in it — X-rayed and checked on his return. “It’s my first priority — after seeing my wife.”

Mr Jones said in Singapore he did not believe the captaincy was as important in soccer as in cricket or rugby. It was up to the coach to decide the team’s strategy for a game, said Mr Jones. Boath said while it was up to the captain to help motivate the side, in the end players needed to motivate themselves because of their desire to play well for their country: “In that sense there are 11 captains on the field.” Boath said he did not believe the team could have given more than it had in each game. “The lads battled as best they could,” he said. “They really grafted. “When you look at the depleted squad the team did the best it could.” Boath said New Zealand did not have millions of dollars to spend on preparation as Kuwait had done,