New Zealand disqualified from 2016 Olympics football tournament

New Zealand Football is to take legal action after their men's Under 23 team were disqualified from the 2016 Olympics football qualifying tournament for fielding an ineligible player.

The All Whites had been due to play Fiji in the final of the Oceania qualifiers, being held as part of the 2015 Pacific Games in Papua New Guinea, after beating Vanuatu 2-0 in the semi-finals.

However, the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) upheld a protest from Vanuatu protest that South-African born Deklan Wynne was ineligible to play in the match.

Vanuatu were then awarded a 3-0 win, but lost to Fiji in Sunday's final.

Fiji will represent the Oceania region at next year's Rio de Janeiro Olympics after beating Vanuatu 4-3 on penalties.

Wynne, 20, who has already made a dozen appearances at both youth and senior level for the All Whites, represented New Zealand at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup last month.

The OFC's disciplinary committee ruled on Sunday (12th July) that Wynne did not meet any of the criteria set out in article seven of the FIFA statutes, that would allow him to represent New Zealand.

Wynne, who was not born in New Zealand and doesn't have a New Zealand parent or grandparent, would have to have lived in New Zealand for five years from the age of 18 to be eligible.

New Zealand Football said it was not aware of the disciplinary hearing and was told the matter was being referred to FIFA.

They are now working with their lawyers to contest the committee's decision

New Zealand Football Chief Executive Andy Martin stated “while we firmly believe that the 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.

"We trust that Oceania Football Confederation will change its position and conduct that proper and fair process."

FIFA statutes require a player who has changed nationality to either be born in the association's territory, have a biological father, mother or grandparents born in the territory, or to have lived in the new country for five years after the age of 18.

As Wynne is 20, and does not qualify on any of the other conditions, he would not be eligible to play for New Zealand at any level until the age of 23, despite being a New Zealand citizen and having lived in the country since childhood.

Wynne plays for Wanderers SC in the ASB Premiership,

Image of Deklan Wynne: YouTube

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