Central defender Tommy Smith has been confirmed in the New Zealand squad for their home friendlies with Honduras and Paraguay next month. Smith has won eight full caps and played in all three matches at the World Cup in South Africa.
The games against Honduras in Auckland on Saturday 9th October and Paraguay in Wellington on Tuesday 12th October are being seen as a chance for the players involved in the All Whites’ successful World Cup campaign to thank the fans for backing them.
Coach Ricki Herbert said: "Selecting the 23 for South Africa was among the toughest decisions I've had to make but it was of paramount importance that we give those players who went to South Africa a chance to thank the public for the overwhelming support.
"It's fantastic to have two World Cup opponents here in New Zealand so close after the World Cup. It is a great way of concluding the 2010 campaign, but it's also important to announce the start a long hard campaign towards Brazil 2014.''
New Zealand: Glen Moss (Gold Coast United), Mark Paston (Wellington Phoenix), Andrew Boyens (New York Red Bulls), Tony Lochhead (Wellington Phoenix), Ryan Nelsen (captain, Blackburn), Winston Reid (West Ham), Ben Sigmund (Wellington Phoenix), Tommy Smith (Ipswich Town), Ivan Vicelich (Shenzhen Ruby), Leo Bertos (Wellington Phoenix), Jeremy Brockie (Newcastle Jets), Tim Brown (Wellington Phoenix), Aaron Clapham (Canterbury United), Jeremy Christie (Tampa Bay Rowdies), Simon Elliott (unattached), Michael McGlinchey (Central Coast Mariners), David Mulligan (Auckland City), Cole Peverley (Team Wellington), Chris Killen (Shenzhen Ruby), Shane Smeltz (Genclerbirligi), Chris Wood (West Brom).