Immigration officials denied Simione Tamanisau a visa because his father-in-law is in Fiji’s military forces. Under sanctions in place following December’s coup in the South Pacific nation, members of the Fiji military and their families are banned from traveling to New Zealand.

“The goalkeeper should have the right to play,” FIFA said in a statement. The organization said it could not allow the match to take place, “in order to preserve this sporting principle as well as the competitive integrity of the qualifying campaign.”

FIFA said its request for the New Zealand government to reconsider its decision was rejected, forcing the postponement of the match in Auckland. Tamanisau was the only Fijian to be denied a visa. The efforts of New Zealand Football, the Fiji Football Association and the Oceania Football Confederation were praised for their attempts to resolve the issue.
“Football is truly a global game and to have a match involving political interference would set a bad precedent,” the OFC said in a statement on its Web site.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the decision was a “complete u-turn” by FIFA and that Football New Zealand had been assured this week that the game would go ahead as scheduled.

“Entry to another country is a privilege, and all countries retain the right to exclude individuals in accordance with their immigration policy,” Peters said. “Sporting bodies do not determine those policies.”

Fiji Football Association president Dr Sahu Khan said he planned to take the situation to the international Court of Arbitration for Sport. He was sure the court would nullify the game because it was “grossly unfair”, he told the New Zealand Herald.