Football: Six ways to boost our footballing prowess

Home games against the likes of Japan could attract a big crowd.

1. Prioritise the All Whites
New Zealand Football look after a multitude of teams - more than any other national sporting organisation - and it can be a logistical and financial challenge. But the All Whites are the shop window and must be the priority. The budget for the Road to Russia should be locked in now, to avoid a repeat of 2013 when NZF were scrambling for cash to fund build-up matches to the Mexico games.

2. Help the Phoenix rise

Things are improving between NZF and our only A-League club, and need to be. It's a key relationship. The Phoenix are vital to the success of the sport here - and the national team - but it hasn't always felt that way, especially with the scheduling of matches by NZF.

3. Lobby High Performance Sport New Zealand

HPSNZ insist on a strict, one-size-fits-all criteria for most high performance funding, centred around podium or top-eight finishes at Olympics or world championships. That's simply not realistic for global sports such as football. There needs to be separate criteria that sees qualification for World Cups as an end goal, recognising the impact that such achievements can have.

4. Maximise Fifa windows

With more preparation and planning, NZF can optimise the Fifa windows. The matches against Japan and South Africa this year were a good start and the game against Uzbekistan next month (and the training camp in Qatar) is a promising idea. Asia and Europe-based friendly matches should be the focus for the future.

5. Offer mental skills training for young players

New Zealand teams qualify for almost every Fifa age-group World Cup, which is an invaluable opportunity. But it's rarely seized. Too often, young New Zealand sides seem overawed and, instead of peaking for the occasion, play below their ability. A large component is coping with pressure, and mental skills courses - something Ryan Nelsen is a big advocate of - can be immensely valuable.

6. Be strategic about games

Most of New Zealand's top 10 trading partners are mad about football. It's a great opportunity to partner with the Government and use football diplomacy to open doors and also improve the profile of the sport. Imagine a game against Japan, South Korea or China on these shores - large expatriate populations would guarantee a good crowd and healthy interest.

Lean years and lowlights

With the appointment of Anthony Hudson, 2014 may be remembered as a fateful year for the All Whites. It wouldn't be a surprise, as Michael Burgess explains.

2004
New Zealand Football hit one of their lowest points, after a 4-2 loss to Vanuatu at the Oceania Nations Cup in Adelaide. It meant the All Whites failed to reach the last stage of qualifying for the 2006 World Cup (the Solomon Islands progressed instead), and coach Mick Waitt was dismissed.

1994
The All Whites didn't have a single international, playing only three games against regional selections. They faced a Danish under-23 side the following year but didn't contest a full international again until 1995.

1984
New Zealand lost all four Olympic qualifying matches to crash out of contention for Los Angeles. They later won only one of six games on a tour of England and Scotland, as the glory of Espana 82 began to well and truly fade.

1974
The Socceroos qualified for the World Cup in Germany, becoming the first team from Oceania to reach Fifa's showpiece event. That showed New Zealand what was possible - the All Whites had drawn home and away with Australia in the qualifying tournament in 1973 - and the silver fern would be seen at a World Cup just eight years later.

1964
The New Zealand side criss-crossed the globe, from facing Shahim FC in Teheran to an England XI in Northampton and a German-American League selection in New York. They played 17 matches in total but won only one game and didn't play again for three years.