New Zealand forward Chris Killen claims his country can no longer be treated as the laughing stock of world football.

The rank outsiders produced the greatest result in their history on Sunday as they defied the odds to hold champions Italy to a 1-1 draw at the World Cup in South Africa.

Middlesbrough striker Killen said: "We got laughed at before going on that pitch. I think most commentators, most pundits wrote us off. That gave us incentive to shove it back in their faces and I think we did. For New Zealand football this is a bit of history."