27 Mar 2013

Sport: All Whites finish latest Oceania qualifying stage unbeaten

9:22 am on 27 March 2013

New Zealand have completed their Oceania World Cup football qualifying campaign unbeaten after a 2-nil win over the Solomon Islands in Honiara.

Blackburn Rovers utility Tim Payne scored both goals to give the All Whites six wins from six starts.

They will next meet the as-yet unknown fourth-ranked team from the CONCACAF confederation in a home and away playoff in November.

The winner of that tie will qualify for the 2014 Football World Cup in Brazil.

Meanwhile New Caledonia bounced back from Friday's stoppage-time defeat in Dunedin to edge Nations Cup champions Tahiti 1-0 in Noumea.

Cesar Lolohea made it two goals in the space of a week, volleying home the winning strike in the 85th minute.