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Although the Rugby Union is by far the most popular sport in New
Zealand, the Antipodean nation does boast a national football squad
which competes in international football competitions. While the New
Zealand national rugby team is known as the 'All Blacks', in contrast
(literally) the New Zealand national football team is known as
the 'All Whites', and is controlled by New Zealand Football (NZF), the
country's official football governing body.
Because interest in football is relatively small in New Zealand, most
talented players seek out positions in English, European and American
football leagues and clubs. That said, over the years the squad has
competed against Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Fiji as well as various other
island nations in the Oceania
Football Confederation (OFC). In fact, the New Zealand national
football team won the OFC Nations
Cup in 1973, 1998, 2002 and most recently in 2008.
In terms of the FIFA World Cup, the team's record is sparse. In 1982
the New Zealand national football team qualified for the FIFA World Cup
in Spain. But unfortunately the team lost all three of its Group
matches against Brazil, the Soviet Union and Scotland, ending its World
Cup hopes. And that was the last World Cup the New Zealand national
football team qualified for until 2009, when it qualified for the 2010
World Cup in South Africa.
The New Zealand national football squad is currently coached by Richard
'Ricki' Lloyd Herbert, himself a former footballer who played for New
Zealand in the 1982 World Cup. He has coached the team since 2005.
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