TBT #01 – The long wait is over!

Throwback Thursday (also known as TBT) is a popular internet trend used among social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Users will often post nostalgic pictures of their past accompanied by the hashtag #TBT or #ThrowbackThursday. It is used by people all over the world to share and relive their past experiences with anyone they want. The term throwback can be attributed to anything in the past.

Oceania Football Center also joined this trend and that is the first article of a series. These articles will be published on Thursdays remembering memorable moments in Oceanian Football. Scroll down and check the first story of the series.

After Australia’s exit from Oceania Football Confederation, there was a clear way for New Zealand to become the new Football Kings in the OFC region. These expectations really came true once All Whites win almost every 11-a-side football tournament in Oceania since then. It also increased the All Whites’ possibility to qualify for World Cups once they had played only one in 1982.

New Zealand did not last to show to the whole continent who is the new ruler of the rooster. They won 2008 OFC Nations Cup and qualified for 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. This title also gave All Whites the opportunity of playing 2010 FIFA World Cup Inter-Continental Play-offs against an Asian team because by that time OFC Nations Cup champion advanced directly to the World Cup play-offs.

And there they were! New Zealand was two matches away from coming back to the world stage at senior level. Their opponent was Baharin, an asian country that never played a World Cup. So the All Whites were in a historical advantage because they played FIFA World Cup once.

After a 0-0 draw in Bahrain, the All Whites would decide the 2010 FIFA World Cup spot at home. More than 36 thousand people went to Westpac Stadium in Wellington to support the New Zealand’s squad.

Jorge Larrionda from Uruguay was the referee in a match that really promised to be exciting. And it really was!

New Zealand scored with forward Rory Fallon in the end of the first half and they managed to hold this score to clinch their spot in 2010 World Cup.

You can check the full highlights in the videos below:

It was in 2009… 14th November. Today this memorable day for New Zealanders makes its 10th birthday. It was the last time that All Whites qualified for a FIFA World Cup. Will they qualify for 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar? We will find it out soon.