WHERE IS "THE FAIR PLAY"??? TRICK OR TREAT!!!
By Michael Burgess in Lima
This is a seeming continuation of the intimidation - an ear-splitting fireworks display took place outside the hotel at 3am local time this morning.
The New Zealand team are based in the JW Marriott hotel, in one of the most upper class areas of the capital on the coast.
They will be relaxing and preparing for the match, and would surely have heard the thunderous, shrill sounds as the jets flew by, as the noise was ear piercing.
The noise was audible across many blocks all down the main street of Avenida Larco, and as the jets passed by there was loud cheers and applause from all the assembled Peruvian fans out on the streets.
The underside of the jets were emblazoned with Vamos Peru (Come on Peru) in huge red letters.
It feels like the intimidation level has gone up another level, with constant reminders that the All Whites stand in the way of a nation's football dreams.
Things might be getting serious.
Peru fans ramp up dirty tricks
Peruvian football fans have seemingly taken their efforts to disrupt the All Whites' build-up to Thursday's crucial World Cup qualifying playoff match in Lima to new heights.
Literally.
After several low key (yet highly suspicious) attempts at making life harder for Anthony Hudson's visiting team - including a delayed flight from Wellington, and inexplicably long bus trips to the JW Marriot hotel in Miraflores and the Estadio Nacional - a series of "prolonged fireworks" woke up players in the early hours of Wednesday morning (local time).
NZME football commentator Jason Pine tweeted at 2.51am local time (8.51pm NZT): "Massive explosion of fireworks in the sky directly above the All Whites' team hotel."
Jason Pine @pineyzbLima, 2.51am. Massive explosion of fireworks in the sky directly above the All Whites’ team hotel.
2:52 AM - Nov 15, 2017
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According to Pine, the fireworks display resembled Guy Fawkes time.
"It was prolonged, like a display at Guy Fawkes time and loud enough to wake me up and I'm 300 metres away from them [the team hotel].
"It lasted for at least two to three minutes," Pine said.
The team's arrival into Lima was earlier delayed by almost three hours, after what looks like a curious intervention by local authorities.
Then the bus that took the team from Jorge Chavez airport to the hotel was also strangely slow, taking more than twice as long as it normally should have at that time of night.
In what some observers would consider another attempt at ramping up the psychological warfare, the All Whites' double-decker bus got stuck trying to make its way into the stadium for the team's final pre-match training session.
The Peruvian government on Wednesday confirmed, via an official notice, that there will be a public holiday the day after the match if - and only if the Peru team wins.