Peru, NZ given extra day for World Cup playoff tie

Zurich, Oct 15: New Zealand and Peru have been granted an extra day to prepare for the second leg of their 2018 football World Cup playoff next month, allowing the teams more time to recover from long-haul flights.

New Zealand Football said on Sunday that the first leg would be played in Wellington on November 11, with the return match scheduled for November 15 in Lima, reports Xinhua news agency.

World football governing body FIFA origilly set a November 6-14 window for clubs to release players for their respective tiol teams. But the Peru and New Zealand federations lobbied for an extra day, given the distance and time zone differences between the two countries.

Peru, who have made five World Cup appearances, last participated in football’s premier tourment in 1982.

New Zealand are aiming to qualify for a third time, adding to their 1982 and 2010 campaigns. IANS