Peru fans descend on capital

Peruvians painted Wellington Airport’s departure hall red and white yesterday.

With their national football team arriving in the city for their World Cup intercontinental playoff against the All Whites today, about 300 Peruvian people unravelled the welcome banner.

There were drums, posters, hundreds of cellphones held aloft, even tears of joy for some hardcore supporters.

If there was any doubt before about what a World Cup berth would mean to Peru, there should be none now.

Back home in Peru, ESPN reported that about three million shirts are expected to be sold prior to today’s game.

School children will be wearing the Peruvian colours to school, a brief switch of uniform as all eyes turn to Wellington.

Peruvian television stations have a permanent New Zealand clock on their TV screens, and update fans on what their players will be doing at any given moment.

Shortly before training, Peru coach Ricardo Gareca addressed the media in the depths of Westpac Stadium.

About 40 members of the media were present, some dressed in Peruvian football kit, ready to quiz their national coach ahead of the game.

Much of the focus was on the man who isn’t in Wellington, Paolo Guerrero, and what his loss will mean to Peru.

But Gareca wasn’t worried, instead putting his faith in likely starter Jefferson Farfan, or perhaps Raul Ruidiaz.

He stopped short of naming his starting striker for today’s match, but endorsed both players and said Peru lose little with star Guerrero out through suspension.