News of the All Whites' shock qualification for next year's World Cup Finals reverberated around the globe today while Bahrain fans let rip after their side fell at the final hurdle yet again.
New Zealand defeated Bahrain 1-0 in Wellington last night to secure just their second trip to the finals and first in 27 years.
Striker Rory Fallon put the All Whites in front with a first-half header and goalkeeper Mark Paston preserved the lead in the second, pulling off a remarkable save from a Bahrain penalty.
"Fallon, a journeyman Plymouth striker who has never even kicked a ball in the Premier League, became the hero of New Zealand yesterday when he headed them into the World Cup finals," said Britain's Times Online.
"Now the 27-year-old son of Kevin Fallon, assistant coach in New Zealand's only other World Cup finals campaign in Spain 1982, can look forward to showing what he can do on the game's biggest stage."
Images of Fallon celebrating his goal were draped across websites around the world, including CNN where it ran as the leading picture on their sports page, while a BBC forum had generated more than 180 comments on the All Whites' historic victory.
Most of the comments were congratulatory, with one punter outlining his dream draw.
""Lets hope we get a group now of Australia, England, South Africa and New Zealand. Wouldn't that make things interesting," said Eothain.
But others weren't so welcoming.
"NZ are a terrible team, boring to watch, a team full of unskilful players, each of the three world cup games they play in will be devaluing the competition slightly," said yetimagic.
"I'd rather have an extra European or South American team then an Australasian team who will add nothing to the competition."
One place where they weren't celebrating was Bahrain, with the tiny Arab nation ruing yet another qualifying disaster.
"It was supposed to be the dawn of a new era but it turned out to be darkness at noon yesterday for Bahrain," said Vijay Mruthyunjaya in
the Gulf Daily News.
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