Peru's national soccer team left for Auckland, New Zealand to begin their pre-match preparation ahead of the first leg of their World Cup playoff against the All Whites.
The Peruvian side left a hotel in the San Isidro district of Lima on Sunday after 10:00 PM and headed to Jorge Chavez International Airport to take a charter flight.
Players got on the bus under heavy security measures joined by a large number of passionate fans.
The team's captain Paolo Guerrero —who has been
suspended for 30 days by soccer's governing body FIFA— met his fellow players prior to their departure.
The flight left shortly after midnight and is expected to land at 8:45 AM on Tuesday in Auckland (that's 2:45 PM on Monday in Peru).
As is known, the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF) chartered a plane for the coaching team and most of the players.
On the other hand, Peru's Europe-based players are on board a commercial aircraft that is currently on its way to Auckland. They are slated to arrive a few hours after their teammates.
That is the case of Renato Tapia, Edison Flores, Andre Carrillo and Jefferson Farfan, who played for their clubs on the weekend.
The game will take place at Wellington's Westpac Stadium on November 11 at 4:15 PM local time (that's November 10 at 10:15 PM in Peru).
It must be noted President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski showed up on the plane to say goodbye and good luck to the players.
"We are all warriors. We will win," he posted on Twitter.
(END) JCC/VVS/RMB/MVB
Published: 11/6/2017