Match Abandoned: Football Ferns Friendly vs Chinese Taipei Cancelled Due to Unsafe Pitch

Kaohsiung, Taiwan—In a disappointing yet necessary decision, New Zealand Football has officially canceled the Ford Football Ferns’ upcoming international friendly against Chinese Taipei, scheduled for Tuesday, April 8 (10:30 PM NZT), at Kaohsiung Nanzih Football Stadium. The match has been called off due to serious safety concerns regarding the state of the pitch.

The cancellation follows a similar decision just days earlier, when a planned training match between the two nations, set for Saturday, April 5, at the same venue, was also abandoned due to the pitch’s poor condition.

Despite the best efforts from stadium officials to restore the playing surface in time, the pitch failed to meet the minimum safety standards required for international competition. With player safety taking top priority, New Zealand Football made the difficult call to withdraw from the fixture.

“While we were all looking forward to this match, the welfare of our players is paramount,” a New Zealand Football spokesperson said. “Unfortunately, the current state of the pitch does not allow us to proceed safely.”

We immediately made efforts to source an alternative venue. However, no suitable grass pitch options in the region could accommodate the international fixture on such short notice.

The match was intended to be a valuable opportunity for head coach Jitka Klimková to test tactical strategies and deepen squad cohesion ahead of upcoming competitive fixtures. Instead, the team will now return home without taking the pitch in Taiwan.

This cancellation highlights ongoing concerns in global football regarding infrastructure standards and the importance of protecting athlete safety, especially in high-performance international contexts.