Fiji's soccer federation says it will seek to take the New Zealand government to court over its refusal to grant a visit to starting goalie Simione Tamanisau for Saturday's World Cup qualifier, the opening game of the final round of qualifying in what is also the OFC Nations Cup final round.

The New Zealand government had rushed through visas for the team so they could play the All Whites at North Harbour Stadium, but it denied an entry visa to Tamanisau because his father-in-law is a military policeman.

Under sanctions imposed by New Zealand after last December's coup in Fiji, people with ties to the military cannot enter the country.

"For the New Zealand government to say that we give visas to all the others and not to him," Fiji's soccer chief Sahu Khan told the New Zealand Herald, "means Fiji is not only playing New Zealand, but we are also playing the New Zealand government."

Khan planned to take the matter to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport.