All white now: Rory Fallon celebrates after scoring the play-off goal against Bahrain that took New Zealand to World Cup 2010 in South Africa

The Coach: Rickie Herbert (New Zealander, 48. Appointed: Feb 2005. WC experience: Player: 1982. Coach: None.

Herbert spent most of his playing career in New Zealand and Australia apart from a spell at Wolves, where he played under Tommy Docherty.

The Country: The All Whites used to battle with Australia for top honours in the Oceania Football Confederation. But with the Socceroos switching the Asia for World Cup qualification, the Kiwis faced less formidable opposition in an attempt to reach the finals for the first time since 1982.

Their white strip, incidentally, was originally based on the colour of England's shirts and name is in contrast with the rugby union team, the All Blacks. New Zealand confirmed qualification with a 1-0 aggregate play-off victory over Bahrain, winning the second game in Wellington in front of a New Zealand record football crowd of 35,100 thanks to a header from Plymouth striker Rory Fallon.

But it also needed a penalty save from goalkeeper Mark Paston, who denied Sayed Mohamed five minutes after the interval in the return leg, to confirm the Kiwi’s passage.

Telegraph verdict: Only their second World Cup Finals, they will struggle to gain a point in South Africa and would appear to be the whipping boys of any group with their collection of journeymen and lower league players. Still, plucky opponents can be a threat.