Horns and drums greet secretive Peru side

Scores of Peru football fans greeted their national team with horns and drums at Auckland Airport yesterday ahead of Saturday’s first leg World Cup qualifier against the All Whites.

Peru, trying to qualify for their first World Cup since 1982, were greeted by a large number of fans at the arrival hall, many dressed in the national colours of red and white.

More than 60 television, radio, press and production journalists were on the flight, as well as the large army of sponsors and the big contingent of players, staff and officials.

Peru will be based in Auckland until Friday before heading to Wellington, where they will take on the All Whites in the first leg of their World Cup playoff late on Saturday afternoon.

Peru will be staying in a central Auckland hotel, but have requested two entire floors to themselves and no public access to any of their team or dining areas.

They have canvassed training venues in West Auckland and on the North Shore, with the priority of a secluded, private venue.

It’s understood that all of their training sessions will be closed to the media and public across the week.

The Peru Football Federation also informed New Zealand Football that they would not be doing any media sessions ahead of Saturday’s game, but have since had to relent.

FIFA regulations state that each team must do a least one media and interview session the day before an international match, but the South American team were reluctant to do so, pointing out that they had to travel on the same day.

However, NZF have held firm and Peru will conduct a media session in Wellington on Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Kiwi fans are being asked to turn Wellington’s Westpac Stadium into a sea of white on Saturday.

Tracey Hodge of All Whites supporters White Noise said: “Get a boiler-suit, hunt out the wedding dress, play doctor for the night, reuse the ghost costume from Halloween, heck — paint yourself white! It doesn’t matter what, it just matters that it’s white.”