Something big is coming: New Zealand vs. Bahrain
If I were to ask the majority of New Zealanders what the most important sporting event that will be hosted on these shores in the next couple of years will be, I’m fairly confident that most would reply: the 2011 Rugby World Cup. However, I’m also fairly confident that all those who gave that reply would be wrong.
No, in fact the most important sporting event that will take place on these shores in the next few years will actually occur in November, on the 14th to be precise, and it will take place at the Westpac Stadium. I’m talking, of course, about the All Whites’ World Cup Qualifying match, which will be played over two legs against Bahrain, with the decisive second match taking place right here in Wellington.
This means then on 14 November New Zealand may finally qualify for what is arguably the biggest sporting occasion on the calendar, though it probably sneaks in second behind the Olympics. The FIFA World Cup is a big deal, 32 nations will descend upon South Africa with the dream of claiming the ultimate prize from the most popular sport in the world.
Naturally though, some will argue that here in New Zealand, football isn’t a big deal. Some will even call it by the wrong name. They will tell me that I’m a buffoon for suggesting that a measly qualifying match could be more important that the Rugby World Cup. But when you really think about it, this is a match that has an enormous amount riding on it.
Rugby is New Zealand’s number one sport, I’m not contesting that. The All Blacks are a national treasure (when they’re winning at least) and nothing and no All Whites are going to change that. But football is popular here; in fact more Kiwis play football at some level than any other sport. And yet New Zealand have only ever qualified for the World Cup once, way back in 1982, when ‘Retro Ricki’ was just, well, ‘Ricki’.
Of course, there’s a reason for that. Up until recently, the prospects for a career in football in New Zealand were exceedingly limited. If you were good at football as a kid, so what? No one was going to pay you to play; you had to get a real job like everyone else—unless you were also good at rugby. But that’s now starting to change. We now have a professional side, our very own Wellington Phoenix, and football in this part of the world is booming.
After Australia qualified for the last FIFA World Cup, the game experienced a huge surge in popularity. They realised that they could tap into the global football market, their A-League grew from strength to strength and is now attracting some very high-profile players, and now they’ve qualified again. While it isn’t competing with their powerhouse sports like Aussie Rules and cricket, people are beginning to realise that football can be more than just a social sport.
If the All Whites can win their qualifier against Bahrain, a similar thing will happen here. Football fever will spread through the nation and we’ll start to believe that football is something that we can be good at. There’ll be greater incentive to invest in developing young talent, and with the continued expansion of the A-League, aspiring footballers will have a realisable dream of playing professionally.
Such a thing would completely change the sporting landscape of New Zealand, and that’s why this qualifier could be more important than the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Of course rugby will always be number one in this country, but if the football bug takes hold then New Zealand will truly be able to feel a part of the massive global football community. No game in the world is so widely loved, and no game brings nations and people together quite like football.
So forget the Rugby World Cup, that’ll come around soon enough. But for now, let’s focus on November 14th at Westpac Stadium. Tickets are on sale now, so get your mates together and get down there, give the lads your support and let’s hope we can get New Zealand on the footballing map.
80 Comments
9 Oct, 2009 at 1:37 pm
thanx john, if anyone knows where to listen on radio that would be a help for me as i may still be at work
10 Oct, 2009 at 11:38 am
what time is the game on?
10 Oct, 2009 at 11:51 am
4.30am NZ time on Sunday morning.
10 Oct, 2009 at 12:38 pm
the game is 3.30 GMT ; BAHRAIN TO SOUTH AFRICA! :D
10 Oct, 2009 at 5:53 pm
I agree!
Qualifiying for the Fifa World Cup is in itself a bigger thing than the Rugby World Cup!
Hope NZ can pull it off!
10 Oct, 2009 at 11:26 pm
As an aussie, I stumbled across this article while searching for info on the upcoming qualification game. Good luck NZ, believe it or not but I think most aussies are hoping you guys get through. What a great thing for football in this part of the world if both Australia and NZ made the world cup! Could you imagine how exciting for cross-tasman rivalries if we ended up in the same group in South Africa! Bring it!
11 Oct, 2009 at 10:50 pm
already got tickets to the game in nov 14, in the white noise zone. i haven’t been this excited about a game of football before! ITS GOING TO BE EPIC!
12 Oct, 2009 at 3:49 am
omg i was trying to look for even radio coverage of the game and there was nothing the one place that remotely covered it was “sports radio” and it was b.s the guy must have brought it up 3 times total for updates. and the guy had no idea someone asked him what happens if nz lose and he said i guess they will be out only for his producer to have to spoon feed the guy how the home and away legs work and even when he finish repeating what the producer was trying to tell him he still didnt say have it right
look i thought the disinterest in soccer/football in australia was bad pre-2006 but now i can see why you guys could never beat us if someone that ment to be in sports radio has no idea then you cant really expect the general public to care
i hope with the result yesterday the people covering the game next month have a better idea and actually put in a effort because from what i listened to i dont really want nz to win now cause the world cup is a big deal and i would rather a team like bahrain get in that will go crazy then nz’s “isnt that nice we made it, now lets watch rugby” additude
if you wanna see what im talking about watch the australia uruguay shoot out. if you dont get a reaction like that i wouldnt bother sending them to south africa
12 Oct, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Does anybody know how to buy tickets?
12 Oct, 2009 at 7:01 pm
hey it’s bahraining goals as the all whites walk into the world cup after bahrain struggle to come to grips with conditions that arent a million degrees
13 Oct, 2009 at 9:34 pm
I was going to add, that I didnt hear much about the game, previous to it and afterwards in New Zealand Media.
Not much on the National News, nothing on radio.
The internet… nothing much.
Its obvious how New Zealand Media is trying to downplay Soccer in this country. Not even the Wellington Phoenix games are shown on Tv, even though they attract a fair amount of spectators.
More KiwiKids are playing Soccer than Rugby, when David Beckham visited with the LA Galaxy, they attracted a huge crowd both times.
The U17 Womens World Cup, a couple of months ago, saw an average crowd of 5000 people. And thats watching 16, 17 year old girls kicking a soccer ball. When the Soccerferns played, they set an all time spectator record for a womens sport event in New Zealand.
Fact is, Soccer is more popular here than people may think.
New Zealand Media and News (which are rather unprofessional anyway, judging by their coverage of international events) is trying to keep it low however.
Poor and Pitiful.
14 Oct, 2009 at 10:19 am
The Dom post has had a fair bit of coverage. The phoenix games are aired on Sky.
14 Oct, 2009 at 10:19 am
Hey Ed,
Ticketek has the tickets.
14 Oct, 2009 at 12:56 pm
bahrain will qualify to the 2010 world cup ..cuz they play good in bahrain new zealand team is very week they cant even catch a ball that can be dangerous for bahrain..i dont support bahrain or new zealan im turkish football fan but i say what i can see on my eye good luck both teams
14 Oct, 2009 at 7:03 pm
it will be 0:0 again. who is going to win the penalty shoot. I have no idea. what i am sure is that both team will not get through 2nd round in South Africa.
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15 Oct, 2009 at 1:11 am
I am from Bulgaria but I love New Zealand and I hope they qualify!!!!!!!!1
15 Oct, 2009 at 5:13 am
Even here, in the country devoleped modern football there is some news about this game. I hope that the All Whites are going to win. But I think the All Whites has a advantage to play at home. Lets meet in South Africa!!
15 Oct, 2009 at 9:19 am
Hey guys! I from Mexico, and I can tell you that people in my country that loves football are also waiting for this game.
Bahrain is a dangerous team, but if Trinidad and Tobago could won last WCup qualification round against them, you also can win this one.
Good Luck, and I hope to see this game!
See you at the World Cup!
Ps: All Blacks rules!
Ps2: Who is “Retro Ricki”?
15 Oct, 2009 at 11:37 pm
Im Aussie.. Flight of the Conchords! Go NZ! It would be special to see NZ and AUS in the World Cup! Amazing… And possibly in the same group… Amazing.
16 Oct, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Rory flicked me an email yesterday to say the top three searches leading to the Salient website at the moment are “New Zealand vs Bahrain” “Bahrain vs New Zealand” and “nz vs bahrain”
Kia ora, Adam Howard, internet sensation in Bahrain, kia ora.
16 Oct, 2009 at 6:26 pm
Good luck to the All Whites!
As Conaldinho said, it would be awesome if your guys can make it too, but I don’t want to see us in the same group.
Would rather both of us be playing teams that the rest of the world will be watching (they’re not going to be interested in NZ vs AU)
16 Oct, 2009 at 6:42 pm
when? what time and where will be the game?
19 Oct, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Although Bahrain dominated the first leg and deserved to take a lead to Wellington, the Kiwis will be crapping themselves at home about letting in an away goal.
It’s very much up for grabs, and if Bahrain can get a result in Saudi Arabia, then they can get a result in Wellington.
25 Oct, 2009 at 4:20 pm
New Zealand just have to win at home now .. forget a penalty shootout another 4 years is too long too wait .. just play to win … and with that attitude I think they will
26 Oct, 2009 at 7:31 am
Did I read that right? Game time is 4.30 am NZ time? Just trying to figure it out as I live in England
30 Oct, 2009 at 8:03 pm
The FIFA world cup IS the biggest sporting event of the world, with a bigger audience than the olympics, with 2006 world cup garnering an estimated 26.29 billion non-unique viewers, compiled over the course of the tournament. The final attracted an estimated audience of 715.1 million people. The 2006 World Cup ranks fourth in non-unique viewers, behind the 1994, the 2002, and the 1990 FIFA World Cups. Forget about the Olympics…
If New Zealand make it that would be so so good for Football over there… Would be very interesting should you group in with Australia… let the rivalry continue huh? I’m picking an Australia NZ final though… You heard it first here…
8 Nov, 2009 at 9:51 am
I FUCKING LOVE FOOTBALL!
14 Nov, 2009 at 7:19 am
All Whites? What a racist name for an International Team!!!
16 Nov, 2009 at 4:10 pm
ba ba ba ba ba bahrain
ba ba ba ba ba bahrain
16 Nov, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Commenting has been turned off on this post and many comments deleted because of racism and general fucking stupidity. Apologies to the many people who were not being racist etc it was just easier to delete a swathe of comments than read every single one.
If you want to be racist please start your own blog.
JJW – Editor