Canada coach turns down All Whites job

Publish Date
Thursday, 2 February 2023, 10:14AM

Canada coach John Herdman has turned down an offer from New Zealand Football to be the new All Whites coach.

New Zealand Football announced that the appointment process had stalled on Wednesday, with negotiations with the leading contender put on hold due to a family health issue, which resulted in Under-20s coach Darren Bazeley being given the job on an interim basis for the upcoming series with China in March.

NZF chief executive Andrew Pragnell said the preferred candidate was a standout contender, with the deal “all but done” before personal issues intervened.

Though Pragnell wouldn’t be drawn on identities, the Herald understands that Herdman was the prime target.

Several sources told the Herald that Herdman applied for the role when it was first advertised last year, and there have been ongoing discussions with the 47-year-old.

However, the former Football Ferns coach released a statement saying he was staying with Canada.

“Success at this level will always invite opportunity. I’ve received several offers in recent months, all of which I have turned down, including an offer from New Zealand Football,” the statement said.

“To our Canadian players and our fans, I want to reiterate my commitment to Canada Soccer and the growing of this program. At the World Cup in Qatar, our men showed the world that they belong at that level. I’m not going anywhere. We still have a job to do, and the objective is to take this team to the next level in 2026.”

Herdman is a popular figure in Canada. The trajectory of the team is tracking upwards, with their potential shown in Doha despite the results (three defeats), in a group that featured two teams that reached the last four (Morocco and Croatia) and 2018 semifinalists Belgium.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission

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