You can bet that the name New Zealand will be on everyone's lips when soccer bosses gather in Malaysia this Tuesday for the annual Asian Football Confederation awards.
And behind closed doors at Kuala Lumpur's posh Shangri-la Hotel, delegates could discuss the possibility of adding this unheralded soccer nation to the confederation in the wake of its qualification for next year's World Cup.
Asia's misfortune was Oceania's gain as the All Whites upset Bahrain to advance to South Africa 2010 after winning last weekend's second leg in Wellington. It means the AFC will have only four spots at the World Cup, and no teams from the influential Middle Eastern bloc.
Asian champions Iraq plus Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will all be missing, as Japan, South Korea, North Korea and Australia fly the flag for the region.
The Aussies left Oceania for Asia almost four years ago and haven't looked back, making the second round of Germany 2006, comfortably qualifying for South Africa and creating a successful professional championship, the A-League. It makes sense their Trans-Tasman neighbours, New Zealand, should join them in the soccer mainstream.
Already, the Wellington Phoenix are playing in the A-League with the same coach and many of the same players who took the national team to glory against Bahrain. And if results go their way this weekend, the Phoenix could move into the top four of the 10-team competition.
