New Zealand has produced two classy, structured performances at the OFC Men’s Olympic Football Tournament in Fiji and they owe a lot to the performances of midfielder Cole Peverly.
His stunning 25 yard drive opened the scoring against Fiji on Saturday and his inspiring box to box workrate and physical prowess in the midfield has helped make the New Zealand midfield a force to be reckoned with.
Peverly had a chance to sit down with OFC and discuss his experiences so far in Fiji.
Cole how is your body feeling after two gruelling game days against Fiji and Vanuatu?
It’s actually feeling pretty good. Obviously I’m a little sore after games but the rest day in between helps the recovery and I’m in good shape
How have you dealt with the heat and the humidity in Fiji?
It’s really hard to deal with the heat, it’s definetly not something you can get used to straight away. In the last game I struggled towards the end of the match and found it hard to catch my breath, but it’s one of those things that you get used to over time.
How does playing 90 minutes in Lautoka for New Zealand compare to playing 90 minutes in Napier for Hawkes Bay?
It’s a lot more intense here in Lautoka, and most of that is to do with the heat. The body tires quicker and things seem to start happening quicker.
New Zealand has had two good wins so far in the tournament against Fiji and Vanuatu, whats the mood like in the camp?
It’s really good. Everyone’s really positive and we all have our minds set on going the whole way and reaching the Olympics, which is now within reaching distance which everyone is excited about.
You scored a screamer of a goal in the first game from 25 yards out, how did you feel after seeing that one hit the back of the net?
It was a great feeling. I was actually a little shocked at first, because I havent hit one like that for ages but the feeling afterwards was one I will always remember. I’ve scored better goals than that before but in terms of importance it was right up there.
How does this tournament compare to the OFC U’20 World Cup Qualifying tournament you participated in?
The teams are a lot better at U’23 level. The quality is a lot higher here. We would go through that tournament winning games easily but this tournament is different, the games so far have been really competitive. The quality of players seems to be higher here, I’ve seen some excellent players from Fiji and Vanuatu.
Whats your mindset heading into the final three games?
We need to win them all and all the boys know this. I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s game against PNG but I think in the back of everyones mind we know that the clash with the Solomons is coming.