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December 12 – New Zealand have opened discussions with international officials about retaining the present system of World Cup qualification for the 2014 tournament that would see them trying to reach Brazil via the Asian route.
But in a change to the format for South Africa 2010, New Zealand Football (NZF) is hopeful of the Oceania winners joining Asia’s group of 10 to find the five countries to play at the next World Cup.
There are two pools of five, with the top two from each qualifying automatically and the third-placed teams playing for the final place.
It would be a more difficult pathway to the World Cup finals than the one New Zealand took to South Africa, when they beat Bahrain in a two-legged play-off, but it would provide a larger number of meaningful games, NZF officials believe.
Oceania general secretary Tai Nicholas has recently returned from South Africa and Abu Dhabi, where he met with FIFA and officials from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to discuss qualification for the 2014 World Cup.
He said: ”I am confident Oceania’s grouping with Asia is going to be in place again for 2014.
“There are two options.
“Firstly, the status quo [where the Oceania winners playoff against the fifth-placed Asian side] and, as it stands, it will probably be the format for 2014.
“The second is that the Oceania winners go into Asia’s final group of 10.
“That’s our preference because it would mean four home and away matches which could produce some World Cup fever like New Zealand’s playoff with Bahrain.
“And if they finish third [in their group] then they would be involved in a playoff anyway.”
NZF had tried to get a similar proposal passed for South Africa 2010 but Asia rejected it because they claimed it would entail too much travelling.
Nicholas said: ”We came in too late.
“We came to them with the proposal after the Asian qualifiers had already started.
“It would be a big step for them to give away one of their 10 spots to Oceania.
“One idea we have suggested is to change it to 12 teams so there are 11 teams from Asia.
“Asia have to work through this proposal themselves before agreeing to it … but we have to move fast because Asia are putting together their plans now.”
Discussions between Oceania president Reynald Temarii and AFC President Mohammed Bin Hammam has been scheduled for February with FIFA expected to make a final decision at the end of next year.