Soccer: Changes made to O-League format

Adam McGeorge of Auckland City celebrates after scoring during the O-League Grand Final. Photo / Getty Images

Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) has rubber-stamped changes to the O-League which will see the two New Zealand clubs placed in separate qualifying groups, starting from the 2011-12 season.

The OFC also announced an operating surplus of almost $1 million for 2010 and reaffirmed its support for the re-election of Fifa president Sepp Blatter at its executive meeting in Auckland.

For the first time the top two New Zealand clubs - Waitakere United and Auckland City next season, as the two qualifiers from this year's national league - will not be forced to play in the same O-League group, which means there is now the real possibility they will meet in the two-legged final for a spot in the Club World Cup.

One club one will be drawn with the club champions of Fiji, New Caledonia and Tahiti while the other will compete in the second group with the champions of Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.

No preliminary tournament for the 2011-12 O-League will be played. Instead, the champion teams from American Samoa, Samoa, Cook Islands and Tonga will take part in a pilot stand-alone tournament. In future seasons, it will likely become a preliminary tournament, with the winner qualifying to play off for a place in the O-League.

It was also agreed at the meeting that there would be no change to the World Cup qualification process, meaning the All Whites will play off with the three top-placed teams from this year's Pacific Games to find Oceania's representative. The playoff series will start in June next year.

A proposal to next year revive the OFC Nations Cup, which involved the All Whites and five of the Pacific Island nations, was deferred to 2015. Instead, a Pacific Cup, involving the top five teams from the 2011 Pacific Games and possibly the New Zealand Olympic team, will be held in February next year.

Meanwhile, the OFC's audited accounts showed an $11 million turnover with an operating surplus of $975,930, while the confederation agreed to support the re-election of Blatter due to the range of initiatives that have "positively impacted the region under his leadership".

Blatter's presidency is being challenged by Qatari Mohamed Bin Hammam, who has publicly voiced his opposition of the Wellington Phoenix's place in the A-League and said his preference would be for the New Zealand team to be kicked out of the competition, which comes under the Asian umbrella.

- NZPA