Soccer: Coach's belief in Young All Whites rewarded

Six months ago Steve Cain was handed the reins to coach the Young All Whites. Many saw it as a hospital pass, a disaster waiting to happen. Cain refused to accept that, saying at the time he thought the team could make a mark and might become the first New Zealand team to progress beyond the group phase at a Fifa tournament.

With five minutes of their last group D fixture at the Fifa Under-17 World Cup against leaders Turkey to play in Calabar yesterday, Cain for the first time started having doubts.

At 0-1 and with his young charges out on their feet it did not look great but then, a minute into the three added as injury time, Jack Hobson unleashed a shot which ripped high into the Turkish goal. Pandemonium engulfed the 42-year-old EJ Esuene Stadium. Not only had the Young All Whites given themselves a chance of reaching the last 16, their effort had almost certainly eliminated footballing heavyweights Brazil and Netherlands who, like the New Zealanders, were hoping to claim a spot in post-pool play as one of the four best third-placed teams.

"To be fair, I was reasonably happy," said an overwhelmed Cain in the understatement of the tournament. "Put it in perspective. Over 200 countries entered the 2009 Fifa Under-17 World Cup and we are now among the last 16.

"When I took over this team I did have that as my target. Now we have achieved that, it has fully justified the belief I have always had in this group of players.

"I find it very amusing that we have progressed and at the same time have put Brazil and the Netherlands out.

"All the credit must go to the players. They have stuck to their task in very difficult conditions magnificently. We have had great support from the African media and supporters. Unlike the big European and other nations we haven't come here to complain."

Not even about the sometimes dodgy artificial surface at the stadium in Enugu.

"We knew we were going to play there so we spent a lot of time practicing on the similar surface we have at North Harbour Stadium. It wasn't so much the surface which made it difficult but the heat which was almost unbearable in coming off that rubberised surface."

Against Turkey New Zealand began steadily. Both teams had early "goals" disallowed - Turk Ahmet Sari for a foul on brave New Zealand goalkeeper Coey Turipa and Young All Whites captain Gordon Murie who was adjudged to be offside in following up to net a parried shot from Andrew Milne.

Turkey went ahead in the 17th minute when stand-in captain Engin Bekdemir cannoned a shot off unlucky defender Adam Thomas to wrong-foot Turipa.

Turipa later kept the New Zealanders in the game with two superb second half saves.

Cain introduced attackers Tim Pilkington and Nikolai Molijn to form a three-strong strikeforce but it was midfielder Hobson who blasted home to earn the Young All Whites their third 1-1 draw of the tournament.

Interestingly, while the Turks were credited with a total of 22 scoring attempts, only six were on target whereas of their just seven attempts, five of the New Zealand shots were at the Turkish goal.

"I'm not too surprised at that," said Cain.

"In all the games here the opposition have fired in plenty of shots but they have been all over the place. I feel we have succeeded for two reasons. One, we have made very few mistakes and two, we have taken our chances when they have come."

Depending on results of the last pool matches New Zealand will play either Switzerland or hosts Nigeria with Cain's preference the Africans.

"I have seen elements of their game I think we can work on," said Cain. "And the atmosphere would be fantastic."