June 3, 2009AUCKLAND – The All Whites will decide their 2010 FIFA World Cup destiny on home soil after the draw for intercontinental playoffs was made at FIFA Congress in the Bahamas on Wednesday morning (NZT).
ew Zealand will play the fifth best Asian qualifier away on Saturday October 10 then return home for the decisive second leg on Saturday November 14.
New Zealand Football CEO Michael Glading was present at the draw and was delighted the All Whites would now have support behind them in their most important match in almost 30 years.
“It’s a real positive for us,” Glading said.
“Knowing what you have to do going into the final match is always a preference. Certainly when you hear interviews from managers in the UEFA Champions League they always hope they get the home game second and there’s a reason for that.”
With the playoff date locked in, Glading said New Zealand Football would make a final decision on the host venue by June 26, and was confident tickets would be snapped up when they go on sale in mid July.
“It’s without a doubt the biggest game New Zealand’s played since 1981. It won’t get any bigger than this. I’m sure we’ll get a sell-out crowd.”
Football fans will also be marking September 5 and 9 in their calendars, as the two third placed teams in each of Asia’s two final qualifying groups square off over two legs to decide who will meet the All Whites in the Asia-Oceania playoff.
Other key playoff dates were also announced at FIFA Congress with the fourth-best team from North and Central America meeting the fifth-best South American qualifier home and away on November 14 and 18 and Europe’s eight best runners-up in pool play squaring off on the same dates for that continent’s final four places in South Africa.
The All Whites are currently in Tanzania preparing for the FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. They meet Tanzania early on Thursday morning (NZT) in the first of three pre-tournament warm-ups.
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