This is the final match of OFC World Cup qualifying.
The winners will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs where they’ll, probably, face Costa Rica on 13/14 June.
Solomon Islands vs New Zealand
As was the case five years ago, the OFC World Cup qualifying Final sees New Zealand take on the Solomon Islands.
Back then, New Zealand cruised through, winning 6-1 in Auckland before a 2-2 draw in Honiara four days later.
This time, in just a one-legged affair in Doha, will it go the same way?
So far at this competition, New Zealand have won all four matches, scoring 13 goals and conceding one.
Nevertheless, New Zealand have now won 24 of their last 30 World Cup qualifiers against fellow OFC members, losing none, scoring 71 goals in the process.
However, the Kiwis have only ever featured at two World Cup Finals, 1982 and most recently 2010.
That’s because only 0.5 places are on offer to teams from Oceania, with New Zealand falling in the play-offs to Mexico and Peru in the last two cycles.
A victory here would see the All Whites advance to this year’s inter-confederation play-off where they’ll probably be taking on Costa Rica.
Don’t count out the Solomon Islands though who are one win away from their best-ever run in World Cup qualifying.
So far in Qatar, the Bonitos have beaten the Cooks Islands 2-0, Tahiti 3-1 and then Papua New Guinea 3-2 in the semi-final at the weekend.
Alwin Hou with a brace before Raphael Lea’i, who’s now scored four times at this competition, scored the winner on Sunday.
New Zealand though remain Oceania’s dominant force, winning ten of 13 meetings with the Solomon Islands, drawing the other three.
So, anything other than a victory for the Kiwis at Al-Arabi Stadium would be a major surprise.
Over 2.5 goals is 4/11. New Zealand to win and both teams to score is 6/4.
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