News of mass shooting deems colourful kick-off of Women’s FIFA World Cup in Auckland

News of a mass shooting in Auckland, New Zealand has overshadowed the kick off of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The shooting which occured hours before the start of the World Cup claimed the lives of two people.

Six other people, including police officers, were injured and the gunman is also dead after the incident at 07:22 local time on a construction site in the central business district.

New Zealand Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins, said the attack was not being seen as an act of terrorism.

The tournament has however gone ahead with co-hosts New Zealand opening the ninth Women’s World Cup with a win against former champions Norway, whose team hotel is near the shooting incident.

After a colourful opening ceremony celebrating traditional Maori culture including the famous Haka war dance, a stunning goal from Hannah Wilkinson at Eden Park was enough to see to it that the co-hosts started on a winning note.

The crowd of 42,137 surpassed the host nation’s previous record for an international soccer match.

Authorities deployed extra police and security outside the stadium following the shooting.

Co-hosts Australia, known as the Matildas are by press time locked in an encounter with the Republic of Ireland in front of a sellout crowd of around 70,000 fans at Stadium Australia in Sydney – a record attendance for a women’s soccer match in the country.

Zambia is in Group C and will play Japan on Saturday.

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