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KEY POINTS:
Waitakere United head to Park Island tomorrow fully aware they can claim the New Zealand Football Championship's minor premiership with a win over Hawkes Bay United.
A point might prove to be enough, given their superior goal difference over Auckland City - the only other contender. The burning question, though, is what happens next. Under current rules two New Zealand teams are guaranteed places in the all-important O-League. Those spots would normally go to the minor premiers and the winner of the season-ending grand final. If one team wins both, the runner-up in the league (minor premiership) would take the second spot.
A meeting of the Oceania Football Confederation's competitions committee this week reaffirmed their preference for the status quo to remain. That recommendation will be put to the OFC executive meeting in Rarotonga today.
The executive is expected to consider that with a proposal put forward by OFC president Reynald Temarii in New Caledonia last month. Temarii is keen to cut New Zealand back to one team in the 2009-10 O-League and beyond as a cost-cutting measure and to give greater representation to the island nations.
NZFC league manager Glyn Taylor, a member of the OFC competitions committee, said the committee members - from New Caledonia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea along with OFC competitions manager Seamus Marten - were unanimous in supporting the two-team New Zealand representation.
"We hope that will be endorsed by the executive," said Taylor. "But if it isn't we need to have plan B."
NZF chairman Frank van Hattum, chief executive Michael Glading and Taylor favour a home and away play-off between the league and grand final winners. Waitakere United chairman Rex Dawkins, while admitting his club has most to lose, supports the play-off suggestion.
The other point of contention is the play-off format for the top four teams which allows the team finishing top to play the fourth-placed team. Second will play third - also home and away - with the two winners meeting in the one-off final.
Most play-offs now allow the top two teams to meet with the winner going straight to the final where they would meet the winner of a semifinal between that match's loser and the third v fourth winner.
In a busy weekend, Auckland City meet Vanuatu's Port Vila Sharks at Kiwitea St this afternoon in the second leg of their O-League play-off after City won the away leg 2-0.
YoungHeart Manawatu and Waikato FC also clash today in a crucial NZFC game in Palmerston North with the winner a step closer to sealing a top-four finish.
Hawkes Bay host Waitakere United in Napier tomorrow.
The National Youth League, now contested by just four teams, kicks off tomorrow with Hawkes Bay playing Waitakere in a curtainraiser to the NZFC game and Auckland City at home to Auckland Manukau at 1pm.
