The All Whites have already been on the road for 18 days following a brief camp in New Zealand and have since travelled over 32,000 kilometres, got a taste of altitude and played three tough warm-up games against Australia, Serbia and Slovenia with one win and two competitive losses.
With just a training match to come against Chile on Wednesday, New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert was finally pleased to touch down in Africa and begin the final leg of the World Cup journey.
“We’ve had some pretty good preparation in Europe but we’re here now and into the real thing,” he said on arrival at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International airport. The team settled into their impressive accommodation at Serengeti Golf and Wildlife Estate and will train today at the nearby Sinada Stadium.
June 9
New Zealand v Chile
Nelspruit, South Africa
Kickoff 1.30pm (11.30pm NZT)
2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa
June 15
New Zealand v Slovakia
Rustenburg
1.30pm (11.30pm NZT)
June 20
New Zealand v Italy
Nelspruit
4pm (2am June 21 NZT)
June 24
New Zealand v Paraguay
Polokwane
4pm (2am June 25 NZT)
Story courtesy NZF Media.
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