New coach Anthony Hudson wants the All Whites to play like Chile. It doesn't mean they will turn into La Roja overnight but Hudson is confident that, in six months, fans will notice similarities between the two.
It's an ambitious claim, as the South Americans were one of the best teams at the World Cup, with an unlucky defeat to Brazil ending their tournament in the last 16.
Former coach Marcelo Bielsa took the Chileans to a new level leading up to the 2010 World Cup after years of relative underachievement.
Current manager Jorge Sampaoli has continued the development, and the Andean nation have mastered a high-energy attacking game that blends the best of European pragmatism and Latin flair.
Hudson is a big fan and recently visited Bielsa at his Rosario home to learn more from the Argentine.
"I think when you see us play after six months, you'll see a lot of elements very similar to Chile," Hudson told the Herald on Sunday. "There are key elements of Chile's style of play that [fit] closely with what I believe in."
Hudson's 'cloning' of Los Chileanos began when he started working with the Bahrain under-23 team in 2011. Soon after he arrived in the Gulf state, his players were shown videos of Chile in action, as well as on the training ground.
"I always used to show them Chile with Marcelo Bielsa," Hudson said. "It's how they approach games, always trying to win, pressing high up the pitch, winning the ball close to the opposition's goal [and] being incredibly organised on and off the ball. In terms of how we train, we will be very similar to how they train."
Hudson knows his team can't be Chile - they have stars littered across the top European leagues - but it won't stop him trying to get as close as possible.
"Chile and, to a lesser degree, Mexico are the teams that would be the most similar to how we want to play. They have different qualities to us but what we can do and what you will see are key characteristics of those types of teams. That will be implemented with what we do."
It's a refreshing approach. For years, various All Whites coaches used England as the benchmark and major influence (and generally more Graham Taylor than Sir Bobby Robson), although under interim coach Neil Emblen, New Zealand's style changed markedly.
But can it be a winning, successful style in the white-hot pressure of international games?
Only time will tell but the willingness to set such a high benchmark reflects Hudson's confidence.
There are clear holes in his CV. The 33-year-old has coached just 12 senior international games and was dismissed from English Conference side Newport County after just a few months in 2011. But he has no doubts he has enough experience and wherewithal to take the All Whites to the promised land, in conjunction with overseeing the entire national teams programme.
"I don't come into this job with any fears of being out of my depth," Hudson said. "You wouldn't believe what I have done to get here. I've not had a holiday in 10 years.
"I feel well and truly I've paid the price. I've studied, I've travelled all over the world, I've done whatever I've needed to prepare myself for situations for this.
"I know the level of the players, I know the qualities we have, I know what I bring to the table. Putting all of that together, we have a great chance [of qualifying for the World Cup] - absolutely."