Let’s lay out the unwelcome mat

"What we've got to think about is what can we do in New Zealand, as a country, to make sure this team know they're coming into a battle."

Andy Martin, NZF chief executive, right

Leave your welcome mats at home New Zealand, Andy Martin wants sporting war.

With a Saturday, November 11 date at Westpac Stadium in Wellington confirmed for the first leg of the All Whites’ World Cup playoff against Peru, the New Zealand Football chief executive is urging Kiwis to abandon their customary friendly welcome to mirror what their team will face when they travel to South America.

‘‘Everyone laughs and jokes about the fact it will be uncomfortable for the team, it will be hostile, the hotel will be noisy and disruptive, all of those things we know happen in South America.

‘‘So what we’ve got to think about is what can we do in New Zealand, as a country, to make sure this team know they’re coming into a battle. It’s not about welcoming them into New Zealand for a great experience and a football extravaganza, this is about them coming into our home, and we’re going to make life as difficult for them as possible for them to perform.

‘‘Obviously we want that to be above board and we want everything to be done fairly, but I think we need the New Zealand public thinking ‘yeah, it’s a great spectacle, but it’s the No 12 team in the world, they’re coming into our place to beat us’.’’

What will also make it difficult for Peru to perform is the amount of travel needed to get to New Zealand, especially for their Europe-based players who, unlike the All Whites, won’t be used to all the flying needed to get to Wellington.

It was going to be so tricky that Fifa agreed on Sunday to extend the international window for the two sides to accommodate the return fixture, which will take place in Lima almost five full days later at 9.15pm local time on November 15 (3.15pm, Thursday NZ time) at the Estadio Nacional de Lima in Peru’s capital.

‘‘I am sure that was not an easy decision, but we feel it was right one,’’ Martin said.

‘‘With what is at stake – a place in the Fifa World Cup – we are pleased that Fifa have extended the window by a day and ensured that both teams will have a chance to travel, recover from their jet-lag and be at their best.’’

Kiwi football fans have until 5pm today to sign up for the ticket waitlist for the first leg, which will kick off at 4.15pm to align closely with the Peruvian timezone (10.15pm on Friday night) and make it more lucrative

for NZF to sell the television rights to broadcasters.

Tickets will go on sale at noon tomorrow for those on the wait list, while general sale will start at 12pm on Friday. Prices will be announced today.

With temporary seating extending Westpac Stadium’s capacity to 38,500, Martin was expecting a sellout crowd and challenged everyone in attendance to be ready for a battle.

‘‘This game is almost like a war really.

‘‘This is somebody coming to take away our prize, US$10m changes the nature of the game of football in New Zealand over the next five years and Peru are coming to take that away from us, so what are we going to do to stop them?

‘‘We’ll do everything we can on the field, but what can you do it off it?’’