The All Whites during a training session. Photo / Photosport
The All Whites during a training session. Photo / Photosport
The All Whites are taking every possible precaution to limit the risk of a Covid outbreak within their camp, as the spectre of the virus begins to overshadow the Oceania 2022 World Cup qualifying tournament in Qatar.
Half of the first six games have been cancelled, due to teams nothaving enough players and Vanuatu officially withdrew from the event on Monday – without playing a match – after the vast majority of their squad had contracted the virus.
There were no group A matches on Monday, with positive cases within the Cook Islands squad meaning their clash with Tahiti was called off.
The other scheduled match between Vanuatu and the Solomons Islands was never a possibility, given the seven-day quarantine requirement and Vanuatu's slew of positive tests on the first day of the tournament last Friday.
The developments have highlighted the precarious nature of participation in this event – given the compressed time frames – and dodging the virus is as important as any other aspect of off-field preparation.
All Whites coach Danny Hay admitted they were concerned, after enduring a similar scenario in January which saw their friendly match against Uzbekistan cancelled after an outbreak, but they have doubled down on countermeasures.
"We are having daily RAT tests, even though it wasn't compulsory until this point," said Hay. "We have locked ourselves down into a really tight bubble inside the hotel, so we are trying to take every precaution that we can.
"That is not to say that the unthinkable won't happen; it is still very much a risk but we have got to do what we can to negate that creeping its way in."
The All Whites during a training session. Photo / Photosport
Hay said the Qatari Ministry of Health have also got involved, visiting hotels to test all teams.
The All Whites have been careful with room allocations – trying to avoid grouping those in similar positions together – and are braced to quickly isolate individuals should a case emerge.
If Hay were to lose some players, he would be on the phone to A-League teams immediately – "trying to get players back" and he hoped that club decision-makers would be open to that.
There is also a series of players scattered around the world on an extended long list, though Hay admitted it would not be ideal to be bringing individuals in from far away destinations.
Tournament rules have provided flexibility, with players able to be brought in at any time, as long as they are added to a match day squad within 24 hours of kickoff.
But it's a lingering threat, that could turn New Zealand's hopes upside down in an instant.
It's also difficult for those group A teams that have been deprived of match play, with Fifa and OFC yet to confirm how they will allocate points from the cancelled games.
"They need to come up with something that is going to be fair for all teams but that is for them to decide," said Hay.
Goalkeeper Oli Sail is one of seven players who will farewell the squad after Tuesday's match against Fiji, as part of a deal struck with A League clubs.
The 26-year-old, who said his long-awaited international debut on Saturday was a "great honour", admitted it was an unusual feeling.
"It is a strange one," said Sail. "But we are adding further quality to the squad and it is exciting to see more players get more opportunities.
"It's been an amazing tour for myself but it has felt quite brief. I'm looking forward to hopefully coming up against some more high quality opposition come June."
Hay would love to be retaining the Phoenix cohort- and the other departing players – but said they have tried to find a middle ground to suit all parties.
The All Whites final group match is against New Caledonia on Friday at 6am, before the top two teams from each pool progress to the semifinals on Monday morning.
