World Cup teams shocked but safe after deadly Auckland shooting

Women’s World Cup teams in Auckland said they were shocked but safe after a deadly shooting in the centre of the New Zealand city on the opening day of the tournament Thursday.

ALSO READ: Five players to watch at FIFA Women’s World Cup

A gunman opened fire at a building site just hours before the opening game at the city’s Eden Park between hosts New Zealand and Norway. Two people, plus the shooter, were dead and six wounded.

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said the showpiece match would go ahead as scheduled but the incident left teams rattled with at least one squad staying nearby.

“New Zealand Football are shocked by the incident in Auckland this morning,” NZ Football said. “We can confirm that all of the Football Ferns team and staff are safe.”

Norway’s team hotel was close to where the shooting unfolded but they were unharmed and said “everything is calm in the squad”.

Captain Maren Mjelde said they were woken up by a helicopter and “a large number of emergency vehicles”.

“At first we didn’t know what was going on, but eventually there were updates on TV and the local media,” she said in a statement.

“We felt safe the whole time. FIFA has a good security system at the hotel and we have our own security officer in the squad. 

“Everyone seems calm and we are preparing as normal for the game tonight. Then we may have to adapt if there are any instructions from the authorities.”

Defending champions the United States are also based in Auckland for the tournament, which is also being co-hosted by Australia, and similarly said “all of our players and staff are accounted for and safe”.

“Our security team is in communication with local authorities and we are proceeding with our daily schedule,” they added.

The Americans are chasing an unprecedented third World Cup crown in a row and face outsiders Vietnam to open their title defence in Auckland on Saturday.

Hipkins told reporters there was no ongoing risk and he had spoken with football’s governing body FIFA.

“Clearly with the FIFA World Cup kicking off this evening there are a lot of eyes on Auckland. The government has spoken to FIFA organisers this morning and the tournament will proceed as planned,” he said at a press conference.

“I want to reiterate that there is no wider national security threat. This appears to be the actions of one individual.”

Former New Zealand player Maia Jackman was reportedly in a fan zone as the drama unfolded and told The New Zealand Herald: “It’s pretty scary actually.”

Below are all the fixtures for the Fifa Women’s World Cup:

Thursday 20 July

Group A: New Zealand vs Norway (09:00am, Auckland)

Group B: Australia vs Republic of Ireland (12:00, Sydney)

Friday 21 July

Group B: Nigeria vs Canada (04:30am, Melbourne)

Group A: Philippines vs Switzerland (07:00am, Dunedin)

Group C: Spain vs Costa Rica (09:30am, Wellington)

Saturday 22 July

Group E: USA vs Vietnam (03:00am, Auckland)

Group C: Zambia vs Japan (09:00am Hamilton)

Group D: England vs Haiti (11:30, Brisbane)

Group D: Denmark vs China (14:00, Perth)

Sunday 23 July

Group G: Sweden vs South Africa (07:00am, Wellington)

Group E: Netherlands vs Portugal (09:30am, Dunedin)

Group F: France vs Jamaica (12:00, Sydney)

Monday 24 July

Group G: Italy vs Argentina (08:00am, Auckland)

Group H: Germany vs Morocco (10:30, Melbourne)

Group F: Brazil vs Panama (13:00pm, Adelaide)

Tuesday 25 July

Group H: Colombia vs Korea Republic (04:00am, Sydney)

Group A: New Zealand vs Philippines (07:30, Dunedin)

Group A: Switzerland vs Norway (1o:00, Hamilton)

Wednesday 26 July

Group C: Japan vs Costa Rica (07:00am, Dunedin)

Group C: Spain vs Zambia (09:30am, Auckland)

Group B: Canada vs Republic of Ireland (14:00, Perth)

Thursday 27 July

Group E: USA vs Netherlands (03:00am, Wellington)

Group E: Portugal vs Vietnam (09:30am, Hamilton)

Group B: Australia vs Nigeria (12:00, Brisbane)

Friday 28 July

Group G: Argentina vs South Africa (02:00am, Dunedin)

Group D: England vs Denmark (10:30am, Sydney)

Group D: China vs Haiti (13:00pm, Adelaide)

Saturday 29 July

Group G: Sweden vs Italy (09:30am, Wellington)

Group F: France vs Brazil (12:00, Brisbane)

Group F: Panama vs Jamaica (14:30pm, Perth)

Sunday 30 July

Group H: Korea Republic vs Morocco (06:30am, Adelaide)

Group A: Norway vs Philippines (09:00am, Auckland)

Group A: Switzerland vs New Zealand (09:00am, Dunedin)

Group H: Germany vs Colombia (11:30am, Sydney)

Monday 31 July

Group C: Costa Rica vs Zambia (09:00am, Hamilton)

Group C: Japan vs Spain (09:00am, Wellington)

Group B: Ireland vs Nigeria (12:00, Brisbane)

Group B: Canada vs Australia (12:00, Melbourne)

Tuesday 1 August

Group E: Vietnam vs Netherlands (09:00am, Dunedin)

Group E: Portugal vs USA (09:00am, Auckland)

Group D: Haiti vs Denmark (13:00, Perth)

Group D: China vs England (13:00pm, Adelaide)

Wednesday 2 August

Group G: South Africa vs Italy (09:00am, Wellington)

Group G: Argentina vs Sweden (09:00am, Hamilton)

Group F: Jamaica vs Brazil (12:00, Melbourne)

Group F: Panama vs France (12:00, Sydney)

Thursday 3 August

Group H: Korea Republic vs Germany (12:00, Brisbane)

Group H: Morocco vs Colombia (12:00, Perth)

Knockout stages

Saturday 5 August

Match 49: Winners Group A vs Runners-up Group C (07:00am, Auckland)

Match 50: Winners Group C vs Runners-up A (10:00am, Wellington)

Sunday 6 August

Match 51: Winners Group E vs Runners-up Group G (04:00am, Sydney)

Match 52: Winners Group G vs Runners-up Group E (11:00am, Melbourne)

Monday 7 August

Match 54: Winners Group D vs Runners-up Group B (09:30am, Brisbane)

Match 53: Winners Group B vs Runners-up Group D (12:30pm, Sydney)

Tuesday 8 August

Match 56: Winners Group H vs Runners-up Group F (10:00am, Melbourne)

Match 55: Winners Group F vs Runners-up Group H (13:00pm, Adelaide)

Friday 11 August

Quarter-Final 1: Winner Match 49 vs Winner Match 51 (03:00am, Wellington)

Quarter-final 2: Winner Match 50 vs Winner Match 52 (09:30am, Auckland)

Saturday 12 August

Quarter-final3: Winner Match 53 vs Winner Match 55 (09:00am, Brisbane)

Quarter-final 4: Winner Match 54 vs Winner Match 56 (12:30pm, Sydney)

Tuesday 15 August

Semi-final 1: Winner QF1 vs Winner QF 2 (10:00am, Auckland)

Wednesday 16 August

Semi-final 2: Winner QF3 vs Winner QF4 (12:00, Sydney)

Saturday 19 August

Third place play-off: Loser SF1 vs Loser SF2 (10:00am, Brisbane)

Sunday 20 August

Final: Winner SF1 vs Winner SF2 (12:00, Sydney)