Buzzing of All Whites’ hotel ‘a step too far’
"We expected some disruptions ... but when the military get involved that is another level.'' NZ Football chief executive Andy Martin
New Zealand Football has reportedly laid a complaint with the Peruvian Government over the military jet flyover above their team hotel prior to their World Cup playoff defeat in Lima.
The All Whites’ World Cup dream came to an end on Thursday as they suffered a 2-0 loss in the second-leg tie that saw Peru qualify for the global tournament for the first time since 1982.
With so much at stake, the locals did their best to unsettle the New Zealanders on their way to and during their time in Lima.
They were delayed three hours by an unscheduled refuelling stop in Chile, and fans let off fireworks at 3am and 4am outside their hotel on the morning of the match.
But the flyover by the Peruvian airforce was the tipping point for NZ Football chief executive Andy Martin. According to NZME, NZ Football sent messages to the New Zealand Government after the incident, asking for intervention from their Peruvian counterparts.
New Zealand’s ambassador to Peru also laid a complaint.
Martin, who called on the Kiwi public to give Peru a hostile reception ahead of the first leg in Wellington, expressed concerns about how the flights were sanctioned as well as the safety for the small group of Kiwi supporters.
‘‘The fact that it was clearly a sanctioned action, that is clearly a step too far,’’ he said.
‘‘We expected some disruptions and hassles here – that’s how it is. But when the military get involved that is another level. It wasn’t just the team, it was the rest of the Kiwis that were here.
‘‘If that sort of involvement had taken place – which clearly had to be sanctioned for those sort of planes to fly – we wanted to make sure we had assurances for the safety of all of the Kiwis here, and in particular getting to the ground,’’ Martin said.