All Whites coach Danny Hay undecided about future in job

All Whites coach Danny Hay says a plan by New Zealand Football (NZF) to put the team on a six-month “hiatus” has him undecided if he wants to stay in the job.

Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The former All Whites defender’s contract runs out at the end of next month, with no announcements yet made about who would be coaching the side beyond that.

But, despite taking the team to the brink of qualification for this year’s World Cup, Hay admitted he wasn’t sure if he would remain in the role.

He revealed a factor in his uncertainty was NZF’s plan to not schedule matches for the All Whites in the upcoming November international window, meaning they would go at least six months without a match.

“The fact the team didn’t play for two years, and now there is going to be a hiatus,” Hay said on Monday after naming the squad for two matches against Australia later this month.

“For me as a football coach, this is a tough role in the fact that you’re not getting to work with the players on a regular basis…

“100 per cent, the All Whites need to be playing. That’s a big thing.

“The opportunity to play more teams from outside of [Oceania], which November potentially would have given the side, is vitally important for their continued development.”

Hay believed NZF’s financial situation, in the wake of the team’s contentious 1-0 loss to Costa Rica in June’s intercontinental playoff, was a major factor in keeping the team on ice in November.

“We all know it was more than just getting to the World Cup riding on that game against Costa Rica.

“It was the 16 million [dollars] that was a big factor and obviously that was a big part of New Zealand Football’s financial planning.

“So the fact we haven’t got that I assume is one of the big reasons.”

A reason he acknowledged, given NZF were not able to generate the level of revenue that other sports in the country could.

But not a reason that made him agree with the plan.

“I’ve got to look at it from the team’s perspective…

“I would think even the nation as well. I would hope they want to see them playing on a regular basis and on a regular basis against teams that are going to excite people, and watch this team develop over the course of the next four-to-six years.

“This is a young group and they can do some special things if they’re given that opportunity.”

All Whites duo Elijah Just, left, and Liberato Cacace show their disappointment after losing to Costa Rica in the World Cup intercontinental playoff.
Photo: AFP / Karim Jaafar

Meanwhile Hay had named two new caps in the All Whites squad for the team’s first match in New Zealand for almost five years.

The All Whites were set to face the Socceroos in Brisbane on 22 September, before the long-awaited return to Aotearoa took place three days later at Auckland’s Eden Park.

Goalkeeper Alex Paulsen and defender Kyle Adams had received their maiden senior international call-ups.

Experienced stars like Chris Wood and Winston Reid were named but a number of other familiar faces were not.

Sarpreet Singh was still recovering from injury, while fellow forwards Kosta Barbarouses (suspended) and Marco Rojas and goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic were missing from the squad.

Francis de Vries, Niko Kirwan and Clayton Lewis were also said to be unavailable through injury.

The 24-person squad featured 16 players who were part of the side who played in June’s playoff against Costa Rica in Doha.

The matches against Australia would be the first for the All Whites since 2011.

All Whites squad:

Goalkeepers: Alex Paulsen, Oli Sail, Michael Woud.

Defenders: Kyle Adams, Michael Boxall, Liberato Cacace, Dane Ingham, Tim Payne, Nando Pijnaker, Winston Reid, Storm Roux, Bill Tuiloma, Deklan Wynne.

Midfielders: Joe Bell, Matt Garbett, Cam Howieson, Ben Old, Marko Stamenic.

Forwards: Andre de Jong, Alex Greive, Elijah Just, Callum McCowatt, Ben Waine, Chris Wood.