2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC)

Format

The initial format was scheduled to begin in August 2011 at the 2011 Pacific Games in Noumea, New Caledonia, where the men's football tournament was to double as the first stage of the OFC World Cup qualifying competition.

However, in June 2011 the format was amended, and the Pacific Games were no longer part of the qualification process. The new structure saw the four lowest ranked entrants play a single round-robin tournament from 22 to 26 November 2011 in Samoa. The top team in this tournament then joined the other seven teams in the 2012 OFC Nations Cup, with the four semifinalists from that tournament advancing to the third round. This stage was originally scheduled to be held in Fiji in June 2012, but on 14 March 2012 the hosting rights were stripped from Fiji as a result of an ongoing legal dispute involving OFC general secretary Tai Nicholas and Fijian authorities. The loss of the finals was confirmed by the Fiji Football Association on 16 March.

The third round consisted of a double round-robin held on a home-and-away basis, scheduled to take place between 7 September 2012 and 26 March 2013. The third round winners competed in the intercontinental play-offs with CONCACAF's fourth-placed team, which was chosen through a random draw, rather than being decided by FIFA beforehand as in previous tournaments (e.g., 2010 against a team from AFC, 2006 against a team from CONMEBOL).

An early proposal to allow the qualifying winner to the final group stage of AFC qualification was submitted by New Zealand Football to FIFA. This proposal, supported by OFC, would have replaced the intercontinental play-off that had been used in recent qualification tournaments, but was not adopted.

Entrants

The July 2011 FIFA Ranking is shown in brackets.

First round

Main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification – OFC first round

Based on FIFA ranks and other sporting considerations, the first round featured American Samoa, Cook Islands, Samoa and Tonga and were played as a single round-robin tournament in Samoa from 22 to 26 November 2011. The winner of the group advanced to the second round.

The matches involving American Samoa are featured in the 2014 documentary Next Goal Wins and the 2023 dramatized film of the same name.

Second round

Main article: 2012 OFC Nations Cup

The winner of the first round joined the remaining seven OFC teams in the 2012 OFC Nations Cup. The four semifinalists (the top two teams from each group in the group stage) advanced to the third round. The groups were drawn at the World Cup Preliminary Draw at the Marina da Glória in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 30 July 2011.

The tournament was held in the Solomon Islands from 1 to 10 June 2012. Fiji had been the proposed host, but had their hosting rights revoked on 14 March 2012.

Seeding

The teams were seeded into two pots of 4 based on the July 2011 FIFA World Rankings, with the first round winner automatically seeded eighth. Each group consisted of two teams from each pot.

† First round winner whose identity was not known at the time of the draw.

Group stage

Group A

Group B

Knockout stage

The four semifinalists in the 2012 OFC Nations Cup advanced to the third round of World Cup qualifying, regardless of the outcome of the knockout rounds. The final results of the OFC Nations Cup knockout stage matches do count in other ways as part of the World Cup qualifying, with FIFA counting goalscorers in the qualifying statistics, and cards given contributing to suspensions in the third round of World Cup qualifying.

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Third round

Main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification – OFC third round

The four remaining teams played a double round-robin between 7 September 2012 and 26 March 2013, with the top team advancing to the intercontinental play-off.

Note that – unlike the previously announced format – this means the team that advances to the intercontinental play-off may be different from the team that wins the OFC Nations Cup, and represents the OFC at the 2013 Confederations Cup.

The draw for the fixtures was conducted at OFC Headquarters in Auckland, New Zealand, on 26 June 2012. The matches were scheduled to take place in the period from 7 September 2012 to 26 March 2013.

Inter-confederation play-offs

Main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF–OFC play-off)

The winner of the OFC qualification tournament, New Zealand, played against CONCACAF's fourth-placed team, Mexico, in a home-and-away play-off. Mexico, the winner of this play-off, qualified for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

The first leg was played on 13 November 2013, and the second leg was played on 20 November 2013.

Top goalscorers

• Georges Gope-Fenepej

• Jacques Haeko

• Chris Wood

• Bertrand Kaï

• Shane Smeltz

• Lorenzo Tehau

• Roy Kayara

• César Lolohea

• Benjamin Totori

• Alvin Tehau

• Jonathan Tehau

• Chris Killen

• Robert Tasso

Below are full goalscorer lists for each round:

• First round
• Second round
• Third round

References

References

1. [http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=2-2642-0-0-0&news_task=DETAIL&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=9508547&sectionID=24021 MoU agreement with OFC]
2. [http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc/News/ViewArticle/tabid/125/Article/40716472-3df5-447b-a4c8-b79fb22c0d90/language/en-US/Default.aspx Pacific Games no longer part of qualification] {{webarchive. link. (3 January 2012)
3. (14 March 2012). "OFC strip Fiji of Nation Cup hosting rights". FijiLive.com.
4. (17 January 2012). "OFC takes tournaments away from Fiji". FijiLive.com.
5. (16 March 2012). "Presidents Corner - Fiji Football Association President - Rajesh Patel". [[Fiji Football Association]].
6. (3 March 2011). "Financial report presented & decisions taken on competition hosts & Brazil 2014 slots". [[FIFA]].
7. Woodcock, Fred. (27 June 2010). "All Whites keen to mix it with Asia's best". [[Stuff.co.nz]].
8. (28 March 2012). "Honiara to host OFC Nations Cup". Oceania Football Confederation.
9. (26 June 2012). "World Cup trail laid out for Stage 3 sides". Oceania Football Confederation.
10. "2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil - Preliminary Competition Format and Draw Procedures - Oceanian Zone". FIFA.com.
11. "International Match Calendar 2013–2018". FIFA.com.
12. "Oceania Top Scorers". FIFA.com.