Roy Krishna now a New Zealand citizen

Fijian ‘Wonder Boy’ Roy Krishna is now a New Zealand citizen, after 10 years of living and playing football in the country. There was genuine worry among many fans about the possibility of the striker joining the All Whites permanently after yesterday’s announcement.

But that will not happen.

Krishna has represented Fiji in FIFA-sanctioned international matches, making him ineligible to play for another country.

One understandably worried fan, Halitesh Datt, tweeted to Vodafone national men’s team coach Christophe Gamel asking about Krishna’s eligibility to play for Fiji.

Gamel pointed out that Krishna has represented Fiji in official games and therefore cannot feature for New Zealand.

The Frenchman added Krishna remained a “proud-to-be Fijian.”

Rules on international eligibility are prescribed in FIFA’s statutes, in articles 5-8 under the the Regulations Governing the Application of the Statutes section.

Article 5.2 notes: “...any player who has already participated in a match (either in full or in part) in an official competition of any category or any type of football for one association may not play an international match for a representative team of another association.”

There is one exception in article 8 of the statutes, but it is not applicable in Krishna’s case.

The striker remains a Fijian player, and will be key in the national team’s Pacific Games campaign in Samoa next year.

His club, A-league side Wellington Phoenix, will be a beneficiary of Krishna becoming a New Zealand citizen.

Pheonix can sign another ‘import’ in January as Krishna, the club’s leading scorer with 34 goals in 101 matches, will be counted as a local.

Krishna will travel with the Phoenix to Australia tomorrow for their away clash against third-placed Syndey FC.