By Terry Maddaford
Fred de Jong remains on "stork watch" while his Central United team-mates prepare for their second match in the Oceania soccer club championships in Fiji today.
De Jong and his wife Maria, awaiting the birth of their third child, are playing a waiting game but de Jong said if
the club wanted him for even just one game he would play.
"I have an open ticket and if we make Sunday's final and they wanted me, I would be off," said de Jong, "provided of course all was okay here."
De Jong, who said the baby was due on Monday or Tuesday, has been in the gymnasium at six o'clock each morning and training with the Kingz. He reckons he is probably fitter now than he was at the end of the local season.
Central play Vanuatu's Tafea FC in the last of today's three games with the winner automatically qualifying for Friday's semifinal.
There will be plenty of interest in today's 5.30 pm clash between AS Venus (Tahiti) and Samoa's Kiwi FC.
AS Venus and Nadi drew 1-1 in their first round clash. Nadi then beat Kiwi 13-0 in the second round to take the lead in pool B with four points.
Nadi have the bye today and the Tahitians must decide whether to go all out and better Fiji's 14-1 record and win the pool and with it a semifinal against South Melbourne or hold back and content themselves with second (on goal difference) to earn a semifinal place as the best runner-up.
They would then almost certainly meet Central who would have to lose to Tafea to miss out.
Malaitia Eagles (Solomon Islands) will be the unlucky loser. After going down in the last few minutes against South Melbourne, they walloped Konica (American Samoa) 14-2 on Monday to join the Australians on three points and hold a superior (15-4) goal difference.
But with only today's game against Konica to play, South Melbourne will regain the pool lead and book their semifinal berth.
The final will be played in Nadi on Sunday afternoon.
