By TERRY MADDAFORD
Faced with a budget which could stretch close to $1 million for international play over the next year, New Zealand Soccer are unlikely to hand any of the prizemoney won by the All Whites at the Merdeka tournament back to the players.
"In an ideal world, we would like to be in a position to reward the players with a payout, but the reality is much different," said NZS chief executive Bill MacGowan. "We paid a $75 daily allowance.
To double that, as has been suggested, would wipe out a considerable amount of the $111,000 won."
New Zealand teams are set to play in at least four Oceania tournaments next year.
The men's under-17 championships are scheduled for Vanuatu and the under-20 team will play in the Solomon Islands. Both tournaments will have later home-and-away finals almost certain to involve New Zealand.
The World Cup qualifiers are set for June in Auckland, with All Whites coach Ken Dugdale keen for a series of overseas warm-up matches. Again, there is the provision for a home-and-away playoff.
The Oceania women's under-18 tournament will be played in Tonga with no home-and-away playoff. There also remains a possibility that the women's national side will be involved in a World Cup qualifying tournament.
"It is a huge commitment and we must spend every dollar carefully," said MacGowan.
"We are still actively pursuing a game, or games, with South Africa. We wrote to them again today and hope to have something in place soon."
NZS were also offered the opportunity to play the All Whites against the Olympics-bound Chilean under-23 side next month, but the date was impractical.
Soccer: No to extra payout for victorious All Whites
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