New Zealand welcome inquiry into qualifier

Andrew Durante speaks to media during a Wellington Phoenix A-League media session at Westpac Stadium on February 26, 2013 in Wellington, New Zealand. (Getty Images)

New Zealand football authorities welcomed Saturday a FIFA inquiry into the eligibility of Australian-born Andrew Durante to play in a World Cup qualifier, saying it should clarify his status.

Disciplinary proceedings have been launched against New Zealand amid claims they fielded an ineligible player in their final Oceania group match against the Solomon Islands in March.

FIFA did not identify the player, but New Zealand Football (NZF) confirmed it referred to Durante who received his New Zealand citizenship a few weeks before the match.

Despite not having FIFA clearance at the time, he played in the 2-0 win against the Solomons which was a dead rubber as the All Whites had already sealed qualification for the intercontinental play-off in November.

At issue is whether the three months the Wellington Phoenix skipper spent on loan to Australian side Sydney FC in 2011 affected FIFA’s requirement for five years of continuous residency before approving a change of nationality.

NZF argues he was still domiciled in New Zealand during that period and want the matter resolved before their November qualifying play-off against the fourth-placed Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) side.

“The proceedings will help us clear up the eligibility surrounding the player and we will be working closely with FIFA to resolve the matter,” NZF chief executive Grant McKavanagh told the New Zealand Herald.

If the decision goes against New Zealand and they are stripped of the three points for beating the Solomon Islands they will still remain the top side in the Oceania qualifying group,

Oceania, the weakest of the six FIFA confederations, does not have an automatic berth at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.