WELLINGTON — Fiji's under-23 men's side advanced to next year's Rio Olympics after a 4-3 victory penalties over Vanuatu following New Zealand's expulsion from the final for fielding an ineligible player during the tournament. The final had ended 0-0 after extra time. Fiji is the first country other than Australia or New Zealand to represent Oceania at the Olympic soccer tournament, though its qualification was mired in controversy. New Zealand defender Deklan Wynne, who was born in South Africa, was deemed ineligible just hours before the final against the Fijians by an Oceania Football Confederation disciplinary committee, a decision that angered New Zealand Football who felt the game should have been postponed. “Given the circumstances regarding the process around the decision, Sunday's Olympic qualifying final should have been postponed,” NZF chief executive Andy Martin said in a statement after the game had kicked off in Port Moresby. “Representations have been made to OFC, FIFA and the Pacific Games Council supported by NZ Olympic Committee and Sport New Zealand. At this point no response has been received from Oceania Football.” Martin said NZF had been blindsided by the outcome, having been told the case would be referred to world governing body FIFA for a decision. “While we firmly believe tonight's match should have been delayed, we will continue to do everything in our power to ensure that any final decision is only reached after a proper and fair process has been carried out,” Martin added. “We trust that Oceania Football Confederation will change its position and conduct that proper and fair process.” Martin said NZF was working with its lawyers to appeal the decision, which could put it on offside with its fellow OFC members. NZF snubbed its 10 other OFC colleagues in late May when it voted for FIFA presidential challenger Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein instead of embattled incumbent Sepp Blatter following the arrest of 14 leading soccer officials in a corruption scandal days before the governing body's election. The OFC had previously unanimously agreed to back Blatter for a fifth term. The 79-year-old Swiss resigned just days after he was re-elected but is yet to step down. Wynne, who has represented New Zealand at a senior level and during the under-20 World Cup on home soil earlier this year, played in the 2-0 win over Vanuatu in the semifinals, which had advanced New Zealand to the final against Fiji. Vanuatu, however, lodged a protest with the OFC, which found he was ineligible and awarded the game 3-0 to Vanuatu instead. “In accordance with Article 7 of the Regulations Governing the Application of the Statutes, a member of the New Zealand U-23 squad has been deemed ineligible to represent New Zealand,” the OFC said in a statement. Article 7 of the FIFA statutes relate to a player acquiring a new nationality. Under the article either the player, a parent or grandparent needs to be born in the country they wish to represent. If they are ineligible under the first three criteria, they can represent the country if they have lived there for five years continuously since the age of 18, making the 20-year-old Wynne too young to qualify under that clause. Such a clause, however, would restrict many age-group players, particularly those wanting to play in the under-23 Olympic tournaments, from representing a country they were not born in or had any family ties to. — Reuters
