Soccer: All Whites' last qualifier at home

Ricki Herbert. Photo / Greg Bowker

New Zealand's World Cup hopes received the boost coach Ricki Herbert wanted when they were handed home advantage for the crucial second leg of the Asia-Oceania play-offs.

The draw, made at the Fifa Congress in the Bahamas, has the fifth-placed Asian team at home for the first leg on October 10 and the All Whites at home for the return on November 14.

"It's great. In the context of World Cup play-offs, generally most coaches would accept playing away first," said Herbert from Tanzania on the eve of the All Whites tour opener match earlier this morning. "In that aspect, the dice have rolled favourably this time.

"It puts the ball firmly in our court for what is going to be a difficult away match but gives us the opportunity to come back home for the second leg with a good chance."

Asked what he would want from that away leg, he said: "If you can score away from home it is invaluable. Any goals scored away carry some weight."

To go into the second leg on the back of an away draw - especially if the All Whites can score in taking a point - would give their chances a tremendous boost and the impetus for a sellout crowd here.

The venue for that home game will be known by the end of the month.

North Harbour Stadium, Waikato Stadium and Wellington's Westpac Stadium have submitted proposals.

New Zealand Football has a board meeting on June 25 with the decision expected the following day.

New Zealand's likely opponent will be clearer by the middle of next week.

Asian qualifying resumes on Saturday with another round on Wednesday. The final round is scheduled for June 17 with the possibility that the second and third placings in grouptwo might be decided on that day.

On current standings, New Zealand are more likely to face a Middle East, rather than East Asian, team in the play-offs.

The play-offs between the third-placed teams are scheduled for September 5 and 9 with the group one team at home for the first leg.

The Asia-Oceania play-off here will not be the last of the World Cup qualifiers.

There will be play-offs on November 14 and 18 between the fourth-placed Concacaf (North/Central America) team (currently Mexico) and the fifth placed Conmebol (South America) country (currently Uruguay).

The European qualifiers will be decided with matches on November 14 and 18 when the eight best second-placed teams in the nine European groups will play off for four places to join the nine group winners as the 13 European teams in South Africa.

* The All Whites starting XI for the match against Tanzania was: Mark Paston, David Mulligan, Steven Old, Ivan Vicelich, Tony Lochhead, Jeremy Brockie, Jeremy Christie, Tim Brown, Leo Bertos, Shane Smeltz, Chris Wood.