COMMENT:

Two days to go then. After an interminable wait, hey it's only been 525 days but who's counting, the number one football side in NZ will finally play a game again this Friday morning.

The All Whites kick-off vs The Republic of Ireland in what's hopefully the first step towards World Cup qualification 2022 in Kuwait.

Why have we not played in so long you ask? Don't. Just don't. It's a long boring story full of indecision and incompetence, in fact one of the worst periods of administrative idiocy the sport's ever witnessed in this country - and that really is saying something.

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The New Zealand Football board which happily employed Andy Martin as CEO deserve to be outed and publicly shamed for the mess they've caused but like most of their counterparts in this country, (another fine example being the bozos from Bike NZ who let coach Anthony Peden run amok), they've escape with personal reputations unsullied and precious CV's intact.

It really is quite scandalous and I wish you the public cared more than a mere
jot about it because these same losers will do their time before being re-employed
again on their exorbitant salaries by some other lunatic taxpayer funded sporting
body.

But let's park all that because this is meant to be a celebration of something that's
been missing from our sporting landscape for way too long. And not for the first time either. When Ricki Herbert took over the top job in 2006 the All Whites also hadn't played in over a year. Before even beginning to think about possible world cup qualification he needed to get games - the exact same scenario Danny Hay finds himself in.

Hay is a Godsend for the sport in this country. Spend any time with the bloke and his enthusiasm is infectious. He lives, loves and breathes football. But better than that he knows what he's doing.

Hay's coaching credentials, his commitment to NZ youth and his consistent success are there for all to see. Plus he brings a belief in his players and a passion for the jersey unequalled among his peers.

Two days 'til we get underway, the rebirth of the All Whites and best foot forward for Fifa World Cup 2022.

As we say in round ball land, here we go, here we go, here we go ...