Oliver Thompson-Henderson Named in NZ U-16 Football Squad
By OBHS | Posted: Monday May 5, 2025
Congratulations to Year 11 student Oliver Thompson-Henderson, who along with OBHS old boy Zach Chasmore has been selected to represent Aotearoa New Zealand in the U-16 Football Squad for the upcoming FIFA Youth Series Tournament in Zurich, Switzerland, later this month.
This prestigious international tournament features six teams from each of FIFA's six confederations, divided into two groups:
Group A: Aotearoa New Zealand, Switzerland, and Guatemala
Group B: Malaysia, Paraguay, and Tunisia
New Zealand will face Switzerland on 19 May and Guatemala on 20 May, with both matches kicking off at 2:30am NZT (4:30pm local time on 18 and 19 May, respectively).
Each team will compete within their group, followed by placement matches between equally ranked teams from each group (e.g., 1st vs 1st for the final). This series provides an opportunity for young footballers to train, compete, and gain valuable international experience, as well as prepare for upcoming major competitions.
The tournament is also a key part of preparations for the OFC Men’s U-16 Championship 2025, the qualifying tournament for the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2026, which will take place in the Solomon Islands this August.
We’re incredibly proud of Oliver and wish him all the best as he represents his country on the world stage!
The full squad is:
The full 22-player squad is:
Aidan Adams - Western United (St Monicas)
Oliver Anderson - Brighton & Hove Albion (Brighton College)
Max Carmichael - Seattle Sounders (Eastside Academics School)
Zach Cashmore - Miramar Rangers (Scots College)
Grayson Cattle - Palmerston North Marist (Palmerston North Boys’ High School)
Joseph Chalabi - Wellington Phoenix (Te Kura)
Willem Des Tombe - Wellington Phoenix (St Patrick’s College)
Zane Donaghy - Bristol Rovers
Ethan Dyer - Sydney FC (Endeavour Sports High School)
Nicholas Ferguson - Preston North End (Birkdale High School)
Gethyn Foster - Cambridge FC (Cambridge High School)
Cailean Hamilton - Wellington Phoenix (Upper Hutt College)
Jack Hocken - Christchurch United (Rolleston College)
Sean Kane - Eastern Suburbs (Saint Kentigern College)
Joe McIntyre - Wellington Phoenix (Hutt International Boys’ School)
Matias Nunez - Auckland United (Mount Albert Grammar School)
Benjamin Perez Baldoni - Ellerslie AFC (Selwyn College)
Alexander Taylor - Macarthur FC (Redlands School)
Oliver Thompson-Henderson - Dunedin City Royals (Otago Boys’ High School)
Ben Trenberth - Wellington Phoenix (Hutt International Boys’ School)
Sena Vesty - Christchurch United (Burnside High School)
John Woldegiorgis - Western United (The Grange P-12 College)
