Editorial: All Whites in range of elusive goal

Opinion

Qualification for football's World Cup finals has been, arguably, the most elusive goal in New Zealand sport.

Only once, in 1982, has it been achieved. There are good reasons for this skinny level of success.

Football may be the world's most popular game but it continues to struggle to implant a footprint of anything approaching that stature in this country.

Notwithstanding that, New Zealand now has an excellent opportunity to qualify for next year's World Cup finals in South Africa. All rests on a play-off against Bahrain, the away leg of which will be played in Manama this weekend, with the home encounter to follow in Wellington on November 14.

A quick glance at the New Zealand squad hints at success. It also reveals the change that has enveloped football in this country, despite the game's many ups and downs.

In 1982, the All Whites, with the exception of Norwich City-based Wynton Rufer, were assembled from clubs playing in domestic New Zealand and Australian competitions.

This year's squad boasts a captain who also leads Blackburn Rovers in the English Premiership, a striker from leading Scottish club Celtic, and two players in England's second-tier Championship.

For good measure, there is also the leading scorer from Australia's A-League, as well as many other players from that competition and the United States' league.

A change in Fifa eligibility rules has helped further. So, too, has the fact that coach Ricki Herbert has been able to select from a fully fit squad, a far cry from the problems of availability that usually dog the All Whites. Only suspended goalkeeper Glen Moss was ruled out.

Yet any optimism should be tempered. New Zealand, the winner of Fifa's Oceania zone, enters the play-offs ranked lower than Bahrain, which finished fifth in the Asian qualifying group. The money poured into football in the Middle East means the Bahrainis are guaranteed to be compact and quick.

By reputation, they are also unpredictable. They will also be match-hardened by their endeavours in the tough Asian zone. That represents a considerable advantage over the All Whites.

They garnered experience in June's Confederations Cup, where a draw with Iraq saw a New Zealand team claiming its first point in 12 attempts at senior Fifa tournaments stretching back to 1982.

But since then there has been only a friendly against lowly Jordan and a week's training in Dubai to prepare for this weekend's match.

That shortcoming highlights the quandary associated with this country's continued presence in the Oceania Confederation.

On the plus side, passage to this World Cup qualification stage and, indeed, to Fifa competitions at all levels for NZ's men and women, is now almost guaranteed, thanks to Australia's decision to move into Asia.

But it is a considerable jump from playing six games against the likes of New Caledonia to competing against teams such as Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Japan.

Failure to defeat Bahrain could suggest that football in this country is not progressing and will not move forward on the international stage until the comfort of the Oceania zone is abandoned. It could be the catalyst for a move into Asia, either at New Zealand's behest or by Fifa-initiated qualification format changes.

But such political matters are for the future. The play-off against Bahrain offers an immediate shot at the game's biggest stage. Football in this country drew tremendous inspiration from the 1982 All Whites.

They opened eyes to the world game and propelled players such as Rufer and Herbert into clubs of international renown. The likes of Ryan Nelsen and Chris Killen have followed their lead. Now is their chance to also emulate their World Cup accomplishment.