Soccer: Herbert signs new All Whites deal

Ricki Herbert. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Ricki Herbert is set to become the All Whites longest serving coach after signing a contract extension through to the end of New Zealand's 2014 FIFA World Cup campaign.

It is the second extension since the 2010 FIFA World Cup for Herbert, head coach of the national team since 2005.

The first extension, signed in September 2010, was intended to see the team through to the end of the Oceania stage of World Cup qualifying in mid 2012, although those qualifiers have now been rescheduled and spread out to finish in March 2013.

"We believe Ricki is the man to see us through the qualifiers and, if things go to plan, on to another Confederations Cup and World Cup," said New Zealand Football chief executive Grant McKavanagh.

Herbert has been in charge for 45 matches, including 39 'A' internationals, and a successful campaign through the OFC Nations Cup in June will qualify New Zealand for a place at the Confederations Cup and at least six more World Cup qualifiers.

Those games, added to this month's international against Jamaica at Mt Smart Stadium and others in FIFA windows would see Herbert easily surpass John Adshead's total of 55 matches, and Ken Armstrong's seven-year tenure - records for All Whites coaches.

"Obviously the numbers are nice to reflect on - but at the end of your career," said Herbert.

"We have a job to do. The focus is reaching Brazil twice and to do that we have to keep winning games on the longest qualification path we've had since 1982.

"We start from a better base this year than we did in 2005 and with a full strength side against Jamaica on the 29th of February, I'm sure the public and the teams keeping tabs on us in the CONCACAF region will be keen to see what sort of marker we lay down."

If New Zealand prevail through two stages of Oceania qualifiers, their path to the 2014 World Cup will culminate in a home and away playoff against a CONCACAF nation in November 2013.

New Zealand Football has also continued the formal arrangement with Wellington Phoenix that ensures Herbert will be free from club commitments while fulfilling All White duties.

Under Herbert, the All Whites qualified for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, with the route to the latter including and a two legged playoff with the fifth placed Asian team, Bahrain.

The All Whites returned from the 2010 World Cup Africa as the only unbeaten team having secured draws against Slovakia, Italy and Paraguay. That year they also claimed the scalp of world number 15 Serbia with a 1-0 win in Austria, their first ever win over a nation ranked inside the world's top 20.