With a win against New Caledonia on SAT 06 SEP 2008, New Zealand won the OFC final round of 2010 Men’s World Cup qualifying and earned their place in the AFC/OFC playoff. Ben SIGMUND scored his first goal for the All Whites, and after an equaliser by Michael HMAE, Shane SMELTZ scored twice to secure the 3-1 win. New Zealand will play off against the fifth team in the AFC, and they have also earned a ticket to the 2009 Confederations Cup as winners of the OFC Nations Cup.

The draw for the AFC fourth round of South Africa 2010 qualifiers was completed on FRI 27 JUN 2008, and most pairs from the third round remained united. Only Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan, Group 4 opponents, were separated. Uzbekistan’s opponents in Group A include heavyweights Australia and Japan, whilst Saudi Arabia must face Korea Rep, Korea DPR, and Iran in Group B. Two from each group qualify directly, whilst the third placed teams play off for the right to face the OFC final round winner. more...

The footballing world is descending upon Durban, South Africa for the draw for the 2010 Men’s World Cup qualifiers. Five Asian, twelve North American, nine European, and twelve African groups will be drawn in the festivities, which start at 15:00 UTC on SUN 25 NOV 2007. The CONMEBOL group phase and OFC final round are already underway and do not require draws. Below are listed the top seeded teams in each of the other confederations. more...

A quick summary of action around the OFC final round on SAT 17-WED 21 NOV 2007. more...

The first match of the OFC final round, in which New Zealand were to host Fiji on SAT 13 OCT 2007, was postponed after Fiji’s Simione TAMANISAU was denied a New Zealand entry visa. Goalkeeper Tamanisau was caught by a New Zealand law that bans entry to members of the Fijian military and their families; the father of Tamanisau’s fiancé serves in a Fijian uniform. Considering the matter as a case of political involvement in sport, FIFA decided to prevent the match from going ahead. The return match, on WED 17 OCT 2007 in Lautoka, is unaffected.

Vanuatu earned their place in the OFC final round with a 2-0 upset win over the Solomon Is, who had been second in OFC qualifying for the 2006 Men’s World Cup. Seule SOROMON and Francois SAKAMA scored on either side of halftime, and shortly after the second goal, the Solomons were awarded a penalty that would have put them back in the game. But Chikau MANSALE saved Commins MENAPI’s attempt, and Vanuatu held on to take bronze at the South Pacific Games and move through. In the gold medal match, New Caledonia edged Fiji 1-0. The two teams will face off again to start the final round on SAT 13 OCT 2007, and Vanuatu will host New Zealand.

Few surprises cropped up in the group phase of the OFC South Pacific Games as the Solomon Is and Fiji won their respective groups. The Solomons won all four matches, conceding only one goal in the process, whilst Fiji took their group on goal difference after drawing their final match against New Caledonia, who also move through to face the Solomon Is in the semifinals. Fiji will meet Vanuatu. Both semifinal winners, plus the bronze medal winners, will advance to the OFC final round with a place at South Africa 2010 the ultimate prize.

The long road to South Africa 2010 has already begun, and the fastest starters so far are Fiji and the Solomon Is. At the South Pacific Games, Fiji got six goals from Osea VAKATALESAU on their way to a 16-0 win over Tuvalu. The Solomon Is won 12-1 over American Samoa, though Ramin OTT saved face for Amer Samoa by scoring their first-ever goal in a Men’s World Cup qualifier. New Caledonia defeated Tahiti 1-0, and Vanuatu earned a 4-0 win over hosts Samoa.

Nearly three years out, qualifiers for the 2010 Men’s World Cup are set to begin with the football tournament at the South Pacific Games, which will also serve as the first round of OFC qualifiers. Three teams will advance to the OFC final round and face New Zealand. Nine of the ten teams in the South Pacific Games are full FIFA members; only Tuvalu are associate members of the OFC. more...