22 JUL 1998 , Edition 2, Page 9.
Goal hero Kingi’s cup runneth over
The man whose goals have turned Ngaruawahia into the most talked about soccer club in the country has risked kicking himself out of the Chatham Cup.
Aaron Kingi is to fly to the US on August 10 for a four-year scholarship. His club play Dunedin Technical in the semifinal of New Zealand’s FA Cup equivalent six days later. The cup run has caught everyone by surprise, including the Tainui 20-year-old — who first planned to fly out this month.
Kingi — a defender — has scored the winning goals in three of Ngaruawahia’s five cup matches, and his brace last weekend included one which had the 250-plus audience gasping.
He is now asking his coach at Fairfield University, Connecticut, for a week’s grace.
The scholarship has been arranged by former All White coach Bobby Clark and Kingi, who hopes to play professionally in Europe, will join 15 other Kiwis in the US.
“The coach will probably give me another week because they will only be in pre-season training then,” Kingi said today.
But there will be a twist in the tail if the Hamilton-based player grabs another winner in Dunedin.
“The final would definitely be out for me.”