Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) made the draw for Oceania’s Stage Two FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign at its `Football for Life’ Press Conference today at Post Fiji Stadium in Suva,
Fiji.
The draw – conducted by OFC General Secretary Tai Nicholas with the assistance of Fiji national team captain Peni Finau and his New Zealand XI counterpart Andy Barron before a packed media gathering
– produced a host of intriguing possibilities ahead of the XIII South Pacific Games Men’s Football Tournament – Samoa 2007.
With Oceania’s Stage One FIFA World Cup qualifiers doubling as the XIII South Pacific Games Men’s Football Tournament all eyes will turn to Samoa on 25th August as nine eligible member associations
battle it out for the gold, silver and bronze medals that will hand them a berth in a Stage Two round robin home and away playoff with New Zealand.
There will be much at stake with the winner of Stage Two crowned OFC Nations Cup winners and earning qualification for the FIFA Confederations Cup – South Africa 2009.
The winners of Stage Two will also qualify for a Stage Three home and away playoff against the 5th placed team in Asia Football Confederation (AFC) for a berth at FIFA World Cup – South Africa
2010.
New Zealand – seeded first – will begin their campaign away from home against the South Pacific Games bronze medallists on 13th October, 2007.
The silver medallists will host the gold medallists on the same day in a mouth-watering rematch of the XIII South Pacific Games Men’s Football Tournament Final.
The full draw is as follows:
Match Day 1
October 13th, 2007
SPG Bronze Medal vs. New Zealand
SPG Silver Medal vs. SPG Gold Medal
Match Day 2
October 17th, 2007
SPG Silver Medal vs. SPG Gold Medal
New Zealand vs. SPG Bronze Medal
Match Day 3
November 17th, 2007
New Zealand vs. SPG Silver Medal
SPG Bronze Medal vs. SPG Gold Medal
Match Day 4
November 21st, 2007
SPG Silver Medal vs. New Zealand
SPG Gold Medal vs. SPG Bronze Medal
Match Day 5
September 6th, 2008
SPG Gold Medal vs. New Zealand
SPG Silver Medal vs. SPG Bronze Medal
Match Day 6
September 10th, 2008
New Zealand vs. SPG Gold Medal
SPG Bronze Medal vs. SPG Silver Medal