Both 18-player squads are will benefit from the availability of key players for the August 6-23 tournaments.

Barry Maister, New Zealand Olympic selector, was delighted to have the squads named and will look forward to honoring New Zealand's first Football Olympians.

"With the naming of two big squads today, the New Zealand Olympic Team to Beijing 2008 now stands at 163 athletes," he said, adding "with some squads as yet unnamed and qualification tournaments still to be contested, New Zealand is expecting its largest team Olympic Team ever."

After ending a 16-year absence from the world stage at the 2007FIFA Women's World Cup, the Football Ferns (The women team) returnto China with their strongest squad in John Herdman's two-year tenure as head coach.

"It's exciting going into an Olympic Games knowing that all 18 players bring something different and that they can all make a significant impact to the team performance in their own unique way," said Herdman, the women team head coach.

With football beginning two days before the Olympic opening ceremony, the Football Ferns will be New Zealand's first Olympians in action when they meet Japan in Qinhuangdao on Aug. 6, and Herdman and his team were relishing the opportunity to kick start New Zealand's involvement.

"It's all special - the whole mantle of being an Olympian. We know what it means to New Zealanders to be at the Olympics, and to be the first team in the first event makes it even more special," Herdman said.

"To have the chance to get off to a good start by getting a win against Japan and maybe inspiring the rest of the Olympic team is extra motivation. We've taken some key steps over the past nine months towards consistently performing in a way that will lead to results against top teams," he added.

The Football Ferns finish pool play with matches against world number five Norway on Aug. 9 and world number one the United States on Aug. 12.

Stu Jaccobs, coach of the New Zealand men's football team, Oly-Whites (U-23 Men), said the inclusion of senior All Whites Chris Killen, Simon Elliot and Ryan Nelson could be the boost his side need to progress into quarterfinals.

Despite a tough group that feature Olympic hosts China, Gold Medal favorites Brazil and European dark horses Belgium, Jacobs indicated a growing confidence within his side.

"We don't know what we're up against but we have to back ourselves against China and Belgium. If we start well and get a result in that first match we can create excitement and momentum," he said.