Soccer: All Whites seek Asian path to glory

New Zealand's pathway to the 2014 World Cup looks almost certain to remain through Asia, and serious thought is being given to allowing the Oceania winner to join Asia's final qualifying group.

New Zealand Football is hopeful of the Oceania winners joining Asia's group of 10 to find the five countries to play at the next World Cup.

There are two pools of five, with the top two from each qualifying automatically and the third-placed teams playing for the final place.

It would be a more difficult pathway to the World Cup finals than the one New Zealand took to South Africa, but it would provide a larger number of meaningful games.

North America would like Fifa to return to the groupings used for the 2006 tournament, which would see the Oceania winners handed the more difficult assignment of playing the fourth-placed South American country.

This is politically motivated to improve North America's chances of getting another team at the World Cup.

Oceania general secretary Tai Nicholas has just returned from South Africa and Abu Dhabi, where he met with Fifa and Asian officials to discuss qualification for the 2014 World Cup.

"I am confident Oceania's grouping with Asia is going to be in place again for 2014," Nicholas said.

"There are two options. Firstly, the status quo [where the Oceania winners playoff against the fifth-placed Asian side] and, as it stands, it will probably be the format for 2014.

"The second is that the Oceania winners go into Asia's final group of 10. That's our preference because it would mean four home and away matches which could produce some World Cup fever like New Zealand's playoff with Bahrain. And if they finish third [in their group] then they would be involved in a playoff anyway."

The proposal might be difficult for Asia to stomach. There are a number of hurdles like TV rights, commercial considerations and the fact Asia would have to give up one place in their group of 10.

It's also not the first time this proposal has been considered. NZF and Oceania put it to Asia for the 2010 qualifiers but it was thrown out with Asia citing the increased travel as a major factor.

"We came in too late," Nicholas said. "We came to them with the proposal after the Asian qualifiers had already started.

"It would be a big step for them to give away one of their 10 spots to Oceania. One idea we have suggested is to change it to 12 teams so there are 11 teams from Asia.

"Asia have to work through this proposal themselves before agreeing to it ... but we have to move fast because Asia are putting together their plans now."

Discussions have been informal to date but a formal meeting between Oceania president Reynald Temarii and Asia president Mohammed Bin Hammam has been scheduled for February.

Nicholas said they were working on trying to reach an agreement before March, when Fifa begin serious discussions about the 2014 qualification pathways.

A final decision will be reached by Fifa at the end of 2010.