Disappointed Peruvian football fans have been told to leave their musical instruments at home, when they attend the World Cup qualifying showdown against the All Whites in Wellington on Saturday.
But they're determined not to let their side down in the first leg of the home-and-away format to be played at Westpac Stadium. The second leg is scheduled for Lima on November 16 (NZT).
Thousands of South American diehards from around the Pacific region are expected among the projected sell-out crowd at 'The Cake Tin', but stadium management and NZ Football have ruled there's no room for their instruments.
"When we go to the stadium to watch a game, we are not just sitting down," says Auckland-based Cesar Gonzalez. "We love to sing and jump, make the stadium shake.
"This is what we are going to do in Wellington, show everyone how noisy Peruvian fans can be. I am disappointed, though, because our instruments are like our soul, our heart.
"We really want to be there, making the drum explode - this is our energy coming out and spirits rising."
Westpac Stadium policy only allows musical instruments with the approval of the hirer - in this case, that's NZ Football.
With an expected full house and extra seating installed, spectators are likely to be jammed tightly into the facility, leaving little scope for drums or trumpets.
The policy is applied differently across sports - Indian and Sri Lankan cricket fans are usually allocated specific zones for their musical support, but the Super Rugby Hurricanes don't allow cowbells when the Waikato-based Chiefs visit the capital.
Musical instruments became a major issue for international football body Fifa at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where noisy vuvuzela horns disrupted player communication on the pitch and fan enjoyment, both in the stands and through television broadcasts.
With Peru already missing star striker Paolo Guerrero for the tie, the loss of musical accompaniment looms as yet another blow to the world's 10th-ranked side, at least for this opening encounter.
No doubt, that will change for the return match though.
"There are a lot of stones in our path to Russia, but all those bad things make us stronger and stronger," insists Mr Gonzalez.
"We are Peruvian, nothing will stop us reaching Russia."
For the enthusiastic expatriates, a visit from their national football team is nothing less than a blessing.
"It's hope, it's happiness, it's love," says Carolina Noble, who has married a Kiwi and settled in Auckland.
"We come from South American and football is king there - not so much in Auckland or New Zealand."
Says Mr Gonzalez, her brother: "It's very emotional for me to know my national team is here and we can be close to them.
"I've been to the last two trainings, filming and taking pictures. From what I could hear and see, they felt very good, seeing us there, cheering and singing and giving them strength for this game.
"It must be a surprise for them to see a lot of people here, a long way from home."
Peru have contested the World Cup tournament four times, most recently in 1982, and won the inaugural Fair Play Trophy in 1970, as the only team with no yellow or red cards issued.
They qualified to face New Zealand in the inter-confederation playoff as the fifth-ranked South American team, behind Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Colombia.
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