That special magic
On paper, the odds look stacked against New Zealand to reach the Football World Cup in Russia next year.
To advance, the All Whites must beat Peru, the 10th-best team in the world under current international rankings, in home-and-away matches this week.
With New Zealand ranked at a lowly 122 in the world this seems a daunting task.
The first match is at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium this Saturday followed by a game in Lima, Peru on Thursday.
Fortunately, for the All Whites, football is a sport where upsets do occur. Plenty of All Whites fans seem to be hoping for a big result with Westpac Stadium a near sellout with a capacity of 38,500.
New Zealand Football chief executive Andy Martin said the demand for tickets was the highest he had ever seen for an All Whites’ match in this country.
“We can’t wait for November 11,” says