The All Whites approached last night's match against Honduras as a chance to thank fans for their support during the World Cup.
And for one fan it took a much more significant turn.
Bone cancer sufferer Pat Langridge, 74, has only weeks to live.
All Whites coaches Ricki Herbert and
Brian Turner wanted to say thank you for the dedication she has put into football during the past 35 years.
They invited Langridge as their special guest to North Harbour Stadium, presenting her with a signed All Whites shirt before kickoff.
"I went to the Bahrain game. That was fantastic," she said of the 1-0 win last November to qualify for the World Cup.
"This is probably the last game I'll be able to get to."
Langridge's association with Herbert and Turner goes back to the early 1970s when they were players at Mt Wellington.
Langridge is a life member of the club and served on nearly every committee over the years. She even knitted booties for the players' kids.
"She was at Ricki's mum's 80th birthday recently but she has been in a bad way," Turner said.
"I said to Ricki at the time that we should do something special for her when the All Whites next played at home.
"We were really happy she could make it to the game and saw it as our way to thank Pat for what she has done for us over the years," Turner said.
