Sligo Rovers defender Nando Pijnaker is targeting World Cup qualification with New Zealand after being called up for the latest round of qualifiers.
The All Whites face Fiji in the second of their Oceania Football Confederation group stages games in Qatar this evening after beating Papua New Guinea last week.
Dutch-born Pijnaker, who is on loan from Portuguese side Rio Ave, missed the first game due to his involvement in the Bit o’ Red’s 2-2 draw with Shamrock Rovers on Friday.
The qualification tournament, which is being held in Doha to minimise travel, runs until the end of the month and the winner will go into a play-off for a spot at the 2022 World Cup.
The 23-year-old has been recalled by Kiwi coach Danny Hay after impressing for Liam Buckley’s side in the opening five games of the season.
Pijnaker had been part of the OlyWhites side that reached the quarter-finals at the Olympics in Tokyo last summer, having made the first of his four senior caps in 2019
Like his national coach, who played in the Premier League for Leeds United, six-foot-three inch tall Pijnaker is a natural centre half.
And having played under the Auckland native at Eastern Suburbs, Pijnaker is well-placed to step in alongside Winston Reid for the games with Fiji and New Caledonia.
Should they finish in the top of two of their group, as expected, they will have two further play-off games before facing the fourth-placed CONCACAF team in June.
“We've been working towards the World Cup for a while now. We've done a lot of preparation, now these are the games that matter,” says Pijnaker.
“We can't afford to lose these games, I guess and we're expected to win as well. So there's pressure on and we're all feeling good.
“We've been based for the last international breaks in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, so we know what to expect, what the facilities are like and we're just excited and looking forward to it.”
Pijnaker’s arrival at Sligo was somewhat of a whirlwind experience as coach Liam Buckley used his contacts in Europe to secure an unlikely signing.
He’s far from the first Kiwi to pitch up in Sligo, however, and he was joined by compatriot and former Grasshoppers teammate Max Mata shortly after penning a year-long loan.
Fellow international Ryan De Vries spent the past two years at the Showgrounds, while Henry Cameron represented the All Whites while playing in the league for Limerick.
And Adam Thomas, a new signing for Damien Duff at Shelbourne, is a former teammate - and roommate - from their time at Eastern Suburbs.
“I wasn't sure whether I was staying with my club in Portugal,” Pijnaker says on the sequence of events that took him to Sligo.
“I took all my bags with me. My agent mentioned Sligo Rovers. I obviously knew Ryan De Vries. He played at Sligo for the last two seasons prior to this one.
“So I knew a little bit about the league and I have a friend at Shelbourne as well to talk to and see what to expect from the league. It happened very quickly.”
He adds: “I know a few players that have come to the league and also a few Irish people that have come to the New Zealand league. So I think we get along quite well, it's good.
“I’ve really enjoyed [living in Ireland]. I like the people, from my teammates to coaching staff and supporters.
“The community has been very welcoming and I feel that’s maybe showing on the field. I want to keep playing and enjoying it.”
A New Zealand side including Newcastle United striker Chris Wood played Cabinteely (who have since merged with Bray Wanderers) in a friendly in Blackrock in 2017.
And his international teammate has backed the big striker to continue a strong start at his new club that has seen them climb clear of the Premier League relegation fight.
“It was a massive move for him. I’m really happy for him, he scored last week. Hopefully he keeps doing what he’s doing and can score goals for the our national team too.”
