Just 11 days out from the All Whites' most important game in four years, NZ Football and the Phoenix are embroiled in a Mexican standoff.

The All Whites have never won on Mexican soil but they at least have a pedigree of solid performances in the country, which will need to be emulated in November.

Qualifying for the World Cup through Asia has been the traditional route for Oceania teams.

New Zealand and Oceania Football see their World Cup qualifying future within the Asian Confederation - despite the current machinations playing out within Fifa.

You do wonder at times about the brains trust running New Zealand football.

From her office in a painted shipping container high up in Rio de Janeiro's biggest favela, the woman with the toughest police job in the city has a definitive view of the divided landscape.