Memories of the All Whites' greatest days have been rekindled with Fifa's decision to pitch the Oceania Football Confederation winner into Asia for the final round of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
In a much-anticipated move, the Fifa executive yesterday rubber-stamped the decision.
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the last two cups the Oceania winner, Australia, has had to play the fifth-placed South American team, Uruguay, for the last place at the World Cup.
Now, the path appears a little easier with the OFC champion joining the top Asian nations (which seem certain to include Australia which has swapped confederations) in a final group of eight or, more likely, 10 of which five will win through to South Africa.
It's most likely the top two teams in two pools of either four or five will qualify automatically with the third-placed sides playing off for the final spot.
Given that Australia, and now the OFC winner, have become part of the equation, it appears likely Asia will insist on 10 teams, rather than the eight of past years, playing in the final phase.
The Oceania representative will be found from a play-off series scheduled for 2008 and 2009.
New Zealand will be seeded through to those play-offs where they will play the top three teams from next year's South Pacific Games in Samoa which are regarded as the first phase of World Cup qualifying.
All home and away matches in Oceania and Asia will be played on Fifa-stipulated dates which will ensure all players will be available for selection.
The winner of the Oceania play-offs will also qualify for the 2009 Confederations Cup also to be played in South Africa with a guaranteed US$1 million pay day.
New Zealand Soccer chief executive Graham Seatter has welcomed the decision relishing the prospect of at least 14 full internationals for the All Whites if they win through to Asia.
"It is a great outcome," said Seatter last night.
"We now have something meaningful to aim at and know that we will always be able to call on all our players."
To qualify for the 1982 World Cup, the All Whites went through a preliminary round in Oceania where they beat, among others, Australia and then went on to play in Asia finally beating China 2-1 in Singapore in January 1982 to claim the last of the 24 places in Spain.
