New Zealand have qualified for the FIFA U-17 World Cup – Korea 2007 with a match to spare after beating host nation Tahiti 2-1 at the Stade Pater, French Polynesia tonight.
New Zealand coach Colin Tuaa watched his side open the scoring after just five minutes through Japan-based striker Mario Hoffman. Tahiti drew level in the 18th minute when Stephane Faatiarau put himself on the scoresheet.
With Fiji and New Caledonia fighting out a 1-1 draw the door to Korea was blown wide open to New Zealand with neither nation able to leapfrog the Kiwis despite New Caledonia being unbeaten after two matches.
New Zealand’s World Cup dream became a reality when Team Wellington striker Costa Barbarouses fired the New Zealanders into the lead on 61 minutes and put them beyond the reach of New Caledonia rendering Match Day Three a purely academic exercise.