The Football Ferns road to London will continue in Northland with Whangareis Toll Stadium confirmed to host the first leg of Oceania Womens Olympic playoff on March 31. The match will be first time the Football Ferns have played a home international outside Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch or Hamilton and will form part of a festival of international and local football with the game preceded by the mens and womens finals of Northlands Community Cups. Its great to be able to take a crucial game to a part of the country that hasnt hosted international football before and even better that it becomes part of wider football event for the community, said New Zealand Football Chief Executive Grant McKavanagh. We want to take big games around the country as much as we can. The mens Olympic qualifiers begin in Taupo this week and there are All Whites games on the horizon later in the year that well be talking to various city councils about. The away leg on April 4, likely to be in Port Moresby or Lei, could yet prove a tricky affair so an in-form Ferns will look to take control of the tie with a comprehensive performance on home soil. Boosted by an increasing number of overseas-based professionals, the Football Ferns recently ran world number one USA to the wire in a 1-2 defeat and finished the Cyprus Cup unbeaten earlier this week after draws against Netherlands, South Africa and South Korea and a victory over Northern Ireland. Admission to the stadium is $5 and includes all three matches on the day. Children aged 14 or under get in free of charge. Olympic Games OFC Qualification Playoff (home and away) March 31 New Zealand v Papua New Guinea Toll Stadium, Whangarei Kickoff: 5pm Admission: (includes two Northland Community Cup finals). Adults: $5; Children: 14 or under free of charge April 4 Papua New Guinea v New Zealand Papua New Guinea (Location TBD)
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