When the All Whites line up against Samoa in their Oceania World Cup qualifying fixture tonight, midfielder Marko Seufatu Nikola Stamenic will carry allegiances on both sides of the pitch.
Stamenic, 22, was born in Wellington to a Samoan mother and Serbian father, and plays his professional football in Greece, on loan from English Premier League side Nottingham Forest, but his Pacific heritage is obviously very dear to him.
"It's going to be a really cool experience," he told 1News. "I know my mum didn't know who to support, but she's obviously supporting whoever I play for.
"It's going to be an awesome experience to hear the New Zealand national anthem and also the Samoan, and to see some of the boys where my blood is from. I know my mum will really enjoy the experience as well.
The NZ men face Samoa in World Cup qualification on Monday. (Source: 1News)
"That was part of my childhood, the Samoan heritage and going to church with my nana. She taught me a lot.
"She was only speaking to me in Samoan and sometimes I had no clue what she was saying, but I remember my nana and I remember my aunty really well from my Samoan side."
Stamenic is proud of all his cultural ties and is mindful that he represents them all on the world football stage,
"I'm mindful that, if I'm doing well in Europe, New Zealand benefits from it, Samoa benefits from it and hopefully Serbia does as well," he said.
His family have already soaked up his personal allocation of tickets for the All Whites-Samoa match in Auckland, with the home side already assured of a place in the zone semifinals. Stamenic has had to hit up his teammates for their comps to appease the huge demand.
"We can't take anything away from any team we play against," he said. "It's obviously going to be a big game for them, but it's also a big game for us.
"It's an opportunity to be at a World Cup and that's a huge goal to have as a team. They're going into the game to get a result and so will we."
While the island nation is not known for its roundball prowess, one of its favourite footballing sons can trace some of his ability to those roots.
"My mum, being Samoan, is probably a bit aggressive, so maybe I have those traits in my game," chuckles Stamenic. "I think it's a good thing.
"It's probably what's got me so far, being aggressive in my game, defensively and attacking. Those are the main traits I got from my mum."
With an expanded field of 48 teams, the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States offers an Oceania team guaranteed entry for the first time, without having to play off against other zones.
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