Ferns star switches loyalty to Germany
A top New Zealand football prospect is switching allegiance to Germany in a move she hopes will benefit her promising career.
When Maya Hahn was just 11-years-old she wrote down the two goals she wanted to achieve in life.
The first was to get a scholarship to a university in the United States. The second was to play for the German national team.
Hahn ticked off the first when she accepted a scholarship to the University of Oregon last year and she is now set to achieve the second despite representing New Zealand at the Under-17 Women’s World Cup in 2018.
Eligible to represent the country through her father Peter, Hahn has sensationally switched allegiance to Germany ahead of the Under-20 World Cup later this year.
Once the switch is approved by Fifa, there will be no going back for the Wellington-born and raised midfielder, who is considered one of New Zealand’s top prospects.
‘‘I remember in Year 7 we had to write our goals and my two were to get a scholarship to play in America and to play for the German national team,’’ Hahn said. ‘‘I was 11 and I guess I just always had a vision of doing that.
‘‘The ultimate goal is to play professionally and obviously being there and having connections with coaches in Germany is really helpful. I’m not trying to rush playing for the full team right away, I just want to focus firstly on my team here in Oregon and then whenever I’m ready to try explore the professional opportunities.
‘‘I just want to try and become as good a player as I can and maybe I’ll get the chance to play at a Fifa World Cup with Germany.’’
After helping New Zealand secure a bronze medal at the Under-17 World Cup in Uruguay — Hahn scored the first penalty in the quarterfinal win over Japan — she is now looking forward to the prospect of playing against some of her former teammates.
‘‘That’d be pretty cool. I’d be excited for that. It would be a pretty cool experience that you won’t get many times. I can just imagine playing and switching shirts with my friends.’’
While Hahn said the Under-17 World Cup was one of the best experiences of her life, she has made no secret of the fact she was becoming increasingly disillusioned by the women’s game in New Zealand.
As a ball-playing midfielder from the Ole Football Academy, she said the long-ball tactics deployed by most New Zealand teams were diminishing her love for the sport.
‘‘Going into camp, it wasn’t like it was fun being there. I love football so much but when I go into that environment I don’t really love football that much, and that’s the important thing — that I’m having fun.
‘‘I felt when I was in Germany, despite being with a completely new group of people and the different language I was having fun playing football and enjoying it, which is important.
‘‘The style of play is a huge thing for me. If something had turned around in the way they had played it definitely would have made the decision harder but it’s I think mostly the opportunities that I’ll get in Germany.’’
Hahn has already attended two under-20 training camps in Germany and said she was blown away by the level of professionalism.
But ultimately she felt that the switch would benefit her football career in the long run, moving her closer to her dream of playing professionally in Europe.
She said coach Leon Birnie and her under-17 team-mates were supportive of her decision.
‘‘The players there, they’re in pro teams playing with some of the best players in Europe week in, week out. You can’t compete with that in New Zealand. The whole level of professionalism was quite eye opening.
‘‘They truly want to be the best in the world and are trying to achieve that in the best way possible. At our camp they did individualised tests on our vision and everything and it was the small things where they’re really trying to get an edge on the competition.
‘‘In that sense it was the professionalism that was a big step up. Obviously I want to play professionally so it’s another stepping stone to playing in Europe.
‘‘For me I just want to become the best player that I can become, you’re playing high level international games every month and you can’t really compete with that.’’
New Zealand Football declined to comment.