Tomorrow, Friday 21 March, two teams will remain and advance to the final in Auckland on on Monday. Photo: Oceania Football Confederation
Four teams, one mission: winning a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Eight teams battled it out in the OFC World Cup qualifier play-offs in 2024.
Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, and Tahiti are the survivors.
Tomorrow, Friday 21 March, two teams will remain and advance to the final in Auckland on on Monday.
To get to the World Cup, New Caledonia and Tahiti will battle first for the right to be on show again at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland.
They will clash at 3pm at the Sky Stadium in Wellington.
Fiji and New Zealand will then battle in the second semifinal at 7pm.
The team coaches and captains appeared before the media at the Sky Stadium on Wednesday morning to share how they were preparing for their respective matches.
French territories to battle
New Caledonia's coach Johan Sidaner said political unrest back home last year was a struggle for the side.
But the civil unrest was also a driving factor for the side during last year's group matches, where they finished on top, ahead of Fiji.
He told reporters that the journey to the semifinals is already a triumph for his team.
This is because, since the deadly riots, local players have struggled to play competitive football, forcing the coaches to look overseas, especially to France, for players.
"We are very delighted to be here," Sidaner said. "The group, the team, the selection is already very satisfied."
Tahiti head coach Samuel Garcia said it will be a tough clash, not wanting to be drawn into sharing too much as he kept his cards close to his chest.
"I am very pleased to be here and to meet our Caledonian brothers," Garcia said.
"We are very focused on what we are doing at the moment. Obviously, very excited about the game, the training, and preparation went really well. We are ready a big game.
"It is our priority, and after Friday, based on the outcome, we will start to focus on the next step."
One player who is excited to be back at the Sky Stadium is New Caledonia's Jaushua Sotirio.
The former Wellington Phoenix rep makes a return to the ground he called home between 2019 and 2022, looking forward to representing his heritage and family against Tahiti.
"Good memories being back here and I am also very proud to be part of this team," he said.
"My great-grandfather played for New Caledonia national team back in the '60s. A lot of proudness to be here and looking forward to the game against Tahiti.
"I have watched their games, they are very fast and physical, but we also have our strengths."
He said the opportunity to compete for a spot at the World Cup is massive for him and the country.
"Especially coming from a small nation. I think we ae 150 in the FIFA rankings," Sotirio, who currently plays for Sydney FC in the Men's A-League, said.
"Obviously, for every player, it is a dream to be involved in a World Cup. All the boys know what is at stake, and we are all looking forward to the challenge and the opportunity to be involved in the World Cup."
Both teams have players from mainland France playing for them.
David v Goliath
The match everyone has been talking about is the second semifinal between Fiji and the All Whites.
It is a game Fiji head coach Rob Sherman has likened to the Biblical story of David and Goliath.
Sherman said they know the odds they will face against the hosts, but a win is something he knows will be a big boost for the Pacific region.
He is confident his players will give their best against a team full of professionals.
"We believe we can win. It's about executing our game plan and believing in ourselves," he said.
"The boys are genuinely excited. And they adapting a sort of stance of belief, so they know it's a challenge without any shadow of a doubt but it's a great opportunity for them, and they're looking forward to the game.
"I think for Fiji and the region as a whole, it would be a massive step. And so, you know, that is obviously the goal."
Captain Filipe Baravilala said the weather would be the major challenge for them, as he and the players have witnessed over the week they have been in the capital city.
"The weather is different and something that we know is a big challenge for us," he said.
"It is cold and if it rains then it makes the challenge tougher."
He, however stated, they will focus on the job at hand and give it their best shot, acknowledging the All Whites have the upper hand as professional players.
"We are amateurs compared to them. They are all professionals," Baravilala acknowledged.
"But we are here, through the sacrifice that we have made, leaving our families behind and then coming up into camp and made our commitment."
He said playing at the world cup qualification is a major achievement for him personally, as he had grown up watching football on television.
He played for Fiji at the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil, when the country's Under-20 team qualified for that event.
All Whites coach Darren Bazeley said they are the favourites to win and claim the Oceania slot at the World Cup.
But he also reckons the Fijians will be tough customers on the day.
"We know we ae the favourites with the squad we have, but we also know that it is a game of football," Bazeley warned.
"Fiji will bring some challenges for us, and we have to be ready."
He said the challenge for them is not to get carried away with their favourites tag.
English Premier League striker with Nottingham Forest, and New Zealand captain, Chris Wood knows the challenge his team faces.
And the importance for them to be focused on their mission.
"These two games, starting on Friday, is massive for us as a nation," Wood said.
Wood said having a direct entry for Oceania to the World Cup is massive for the region and he and his mates are focused on getting the job done for New Zealand.
"I think it's truly a fair way of doing it and I do think our confederation should be represented in some sort of way."
The winner of the Oceania qualifier goes straight to the 2026 FIFA World Cup which will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The runner-up will then go through the repecharge against teams from the other FIFA confederacies.
