KEY POINTS:
The bosses and bean-counters at New Zealand Football are torn.
On one hand they would like nothing more than an All Whites win over New Caledonia in Noumea tomorrow night.
Victory would guarantee New Zealand a place in next year's Confederations Cup in South Africa and, more importantly,
a playoff spot for the 2010 World Cup.
Countering that is the hope of a big crowd at North Harbour Stadium next Wednesday for the return leg with the Oceania newcomers.
Their reasoning is that a bigger crowd will turn up if the game truly matters; say if the Oceania Nations Cup is still at stake.
New Zealand Football chairman Frank van Hattum is in no doubt which scenario he wants.
"Obviously we want to win the first one and get it out of the way," said Van Hattum. "Then we have to hope that the chance to see what, in reality, is the first full-strength All Whites team playing at home in years will be a big enough drawcard in itself.
"You always want the certainty, so winning in Noumea is the priority. We will hopefully get it [qualification] out of the way and then look towards the game here."
There is an air of expectancy around this team.
They appear relaxed but at the same time determined, especially the players who were part of the disastrous campaign in Adelaide in 2004 which cost New Zealand any chance of winning through to the Confederations Cup and the 2006 World Cup.
While it is time to look ahead, there is no doubt the wounds left by the losses to Australia (1-0) and Vanuatu (4-2) must be healed. Winning the OFC Nations Cup would do that.
In their only outing on home soil in the past couple of years, the All Whites beat Vanuatu 4-1 in Wellington last November to go to the top of the Cup table. A win over New Caledonia would slam that door and leave the All Whites with just the return here next week and the postponed fixture with Fiji - now to be played in Fiji in November - outstanding.
New Caledonia will be no easybeats.
Ranked 116 on the latest Fifa list, they are only five spots below New Zealand.
In their last 13 outings, New Caledonia have lost only once - 5-0 to Hyundai A-League champions Central Coast Mariners in a friendly in Australia. At home they have won four-from-four scoring 14 goals to three. At the South Pacific Games in Samoa they won five and drew one of their six matches.
New Caledonian coach Didier Chambaron rates his team's chances of winning the Nations Cup at "one chance in a thousand" citing a lack of recent competitive match play as the biggest handicap.
The New Zealand coaching staff shrugs off suggestions of such long odds knowing they can expect a torrid time in Noumea.
Anyone who was in the island nation for the May 31 Karembeu All Star Game will be aware of just how passionate soccer fans there are and how vociferously the packed stadium will get behind their team tomorrow.
"The players see the standard required each week on television so they are under no illusion about the challenge in front of us," Chambaron said, referring to the professionalism the All Whites will take into the match. "Some weeks our training sessions are in Magenta, the next somewhere else. It is not ideal."
All New Caledonia's players are based in the French Overseas Territory and with their Super Ligue Nestle competition yet to kick off, most observers see New Zealand as strong favourites.
"We have been training for one month and if we only have one chance in a thousand then it is still one chance - there is hope," said Chambaron who will look to his leading players from last year's South Pacific Games - Pierre Wajoka, Michel Hmae and Jose Hmae - for the inspiration to lift his team, who he sees as amateurs pitted against "businessmen footballers".
"Man for man, technically, we can match New Zealand but how we measure that collectively over the two matches is harder to assess."
Tomorrow's game at Stade Numa-Daly will be the first full international between the two countries.
All Whites coach Ricki Herbert has no doubts the match will be a real test and the most difficult of the Nations Cup.
"Probably, they are the best island nation in the group," said Herbert. "We have not had a lot of time together but we have a wealth of experience in our squad. Like any away match, it will be difficult.
"I have seen a video of their 3-0 win over Vanuatu and know they have three or four good players."
Whether they will be good enough to upset the All Whites remains doubtful but, as Herbert saw when he was in Adelaide as Mick Waitt's assistant, nothing can, or should, be taken for granted.
'Best chance in 26 years'
New Zealand Football chairman Frank van Hattum is convinced the All Whites have the best chance of getting back into soccer's big time since he and his 21 teammates, including current coach Ricki Herbert and assistant Brian Turner, burst on to the World Cup stage 26 years ago.
"Playing one-off home and away matches against the fifth-best Asian team has to be as good as we could have ever hoped for," said Van Hattum. "We are not there yet but if we can get the three points we need from the matches against New Caledonia we can start planning for a big year in 2009."
Top of the immediate list is qualifying for the June 14-28 Confederations Cup in South Africa. That would guarantee NZF much-needed dollars as they continue efforts to turn their flagging financial situation around.
"There is a significant return for just making the Confederations Cup," said Van Hattum. "If you can win through to the second phase it means even more money." That will not be easy as Brazil, the US, Iraq, Egypt, Spain, World Cup winners Italy and hosts South Africa are already guaranteed their places.
"Money is something New Zealand Football desperately needs but more importantly, we need to put the game here back on the map. I see this as our best chance [of qualifying] since 1982."
Herbert and the others, will, from this weekend's opening round of matches, be taking a closer than usual interest in the Asian World Cup playoffs in which the top four teams will automatically qualify. Japan heads the rankings of the 10 teams (at 35) followed by Australia (38) with the UAE the longshots (at 104).
Making it through to the playoffs with the fifth Asian team - that will not be decided until after the last of their final phase of round-robin matches on June 17 next year - also brings hope of a healthy return.
It will also mean significant planning to ensure the national side has the best possible preparation. "It will need to be planned well in advance. Winning the Nations Cup, either on Saturday or next Wednesday, would help that."
But van Hattum stresses that the national body will not be throwing money they haven't got in the campaign.
"It has to be a managed programme. We need to be prudent. We must minimise the risk but at the same time, maximise the opportunity."
Starting now. Unlike previous sorties, when teams have been accompanied by a large off-field contingent, there will be no chairman or chief executive in Noumea tomorrow.
"This is pretty much part of the new philosophy," said van Hattum. "While there is a need for some people to go sometimes, there are others when there is no need for a whole lot of people on the sideline."
NEW CALEDONIA V NEW ZEALAND:
Stade Numa-Daly, Noumea, Tomorrow 6pm - live Sky Sport 3
