New Zealand booked their spot in Mexico yesterday afternoon with a 2-0 win over Tahiti in the final of the Oceania qualifiers at North Harbour Stadium and Cain was delighted with the high work rate put in by his charges. But he is not about to give them much time to put their feet up and says the hard graft must begin immediately if New Zealand are to make any sort of impact in Mexico.
“We have an awful lot of work to do,” he says. “We will be training every night of the week and playing games as well. We’ve probably just got enough time to do what we need before the World Cup.”
Many of the squad are already based in New Zealand’s largest city but Cain says those from other parts of the country will now have to make Auckland their temporary home to ensure they book a ticket on the plane to Mexico.
“If they are not training with us then, realistically, they are not going to be in the reckoning,” he says. “They knew that before we started. They will all come into camp in Auckland for the start of the school year in early February.”
The players will at least get a couple of weeks off following their heroics at the OFC U-17 Championship – which they went through undefeated from their five matches, conceding just one goal and scoring 15 – but Cain says the coaches will have no such luxury.
He and assistant Darren Bazeley, along with goalkeeping coach George Smith, sports science expert Andrew Foskett and manager Dale Webster, will plot their path to Mexico from tomorrow.
Cain was in charge of the previous New Zealand U-17 side – who made history by becoming the first Pacific nation from outside Australia to progress past the group stages of a FIFA tournament at the 2009 U-17 World Cup – and is determined to make sure the current crop follow in those sizeable footsteps.
“The World Cup was in October two years ago so we’ve got less time than we had with the last group, that’s why we need to start right now,” he says. “But we had a lot of work to do last time and managed it so there’s no reason why we can’t do that again.”
The 2009 Young All Whites posted 1-1 draws against Costa Rica, Burkina Faso and Turkey at the World Cup before being knocked out by hosts Nigeria in the Round of 16. The memories of that tournament are still vivid for Cain and he says competing at such a prestigious event is something that will stay with the players for the rest of their lives.
“It will be a life-changing experience for some of them. Several of the boys from the last team have made careers out of it and it could happen for these ones as well. To be at the centre of the world’s football attention for a couple of weeks is marvelous for anybody and it’s even better when you’re 16 or 17.”
The class of 2009 has laid down a large gauntlet for their successors but Cain feels his 2011 squad, lead by inspirational captain Luke Adams, is up to the task.
“I told the last lot they would have to make the last 16 and they did so I’ve told this lot they need to make the last eight. I think we can do it – what’s the point of going if you’re not going to aim for these things? It will take a lot of work but there is certainly enough talent in the team to do it.”