The 23-year-old rising star of New Zealand football has scored 23 goals in the Welsh Premier League, where he plays for The New Saints, and represented New Zealand at the Beijing Olympics and the Under-20 World Cup.

But Draper, who has appeared for the All Whites national side as well as the Olympic Under-23 team, dubbed the Oly-Whites, said his 17th-minute penalty against Fiji trumped everything.

The goal secured a 1-0 victory in the Oceania zone Olympic qualifying final.

"It's the highlight of my life to be honest, scoring the goal to get New Zealand to the Olympics," he said as New Zealand become the 13th team to qualify for the 16-nation tournament.

New Zealand Football officials were on Tuesday seeking quick confirmation from the country's Olympic committee that the team will travel to London so it can begin planning its pre-Games preparation.

In Sunday's final in New Zealand, a handball by Fiji's Ilisoni Tuinawaivuvu gave Draper the early chance to put New Zealand ahead and the Oly-Whites defended from there.

"We put our bodies on the line and defended like our lives depended on it, for the whole second half to be honest," Draper said.

New Zealand captain Adam McGeorge praised his side's defensive effort.

"It's finals football. It doesn't have to be pretty. Fiji threw everything at us. They definitely gave us a few wake-up calls but that just showed the resolves of the boys to get the result," he said.

Rojas suffered the injury early in Victory's 3-0 home win over Wellington Phoenix on Friday night.

The 20-year-old All White got a knock to his head in a clash with opposition defender Manny Muscat, left the field and was taken for assessment to hospital, where he spent the night.

He had been due to join the New Zealand Under-23 side in Taupo on Saturday for the remainder of the Oceania qualifying tournament.

"He's an important part of our squad so it's sad that we've not been able to bring him in," coach Neil Emblen said.

"We're gutted for Marco as we know how much he was looking forward to helping us reach the Olympics."

Under tournament rules, a replacement player cannot be called in.

New Zealand began its campaign with a 1-0 win over Papua New Guinea on Friday.

It has a bye on Sunday and plays its last pool match on Tuesday against Tonga.

The winner of the seven-nation tournament will qualify for the Olympics.

New Zealand's Olympic football dreams were once routinely crushed by Australia, at least before Australia's move from Oceania into FIFA's Asian Football Confederation.

Now it's New Zealand's Under-23 side that will be firm favourite when a nine-day Oceania qualifying tournament starts in Taupo on Friday.

The Kiwis should not have too much trouble against Papua New Guinea and Tonga in group matches before a likely semi-final and final next week.

Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and American Samoa are the teams on the other side of the draw.

New Zealand coach Neil Emblen maintains there's no easy road to London and no chance the host will be taking the qualifying tournament lightly.

But the path has certainly become a lot easier since Australia joined the AFC.

If Australia's participation in the 2010 FIFA World Cup underlined the reward of joining the AFC, the Olyroos' inability to qualify for the Olympics has highlighted the flipside.

On balance, it adds up favourably - gone are the days of a woefully under-prepared side facing a sudden-death World Cup qualifier.

But no longer can Australia access the Oceania Football Confederation's one golden ticket to the Olympics.

That's waiting on a silver platter for New Zealand.

Sixteen nations will contest the London Olympics football tournament and, for the first time since 1984, Australia won't be one of them.

While Olyroos coach Aurelio Vidmar turns his focus to the inaugural AFC Under-22 Asian championship, one suspects his players won't see it in the same vein as the carrot on offer to Emblen's charges.

The New Zealand side was under pressure from the off against the side representing the host nation, but managed to hold firm until late in the first-half, when a quick-fire double ended the game as a contest.

Kashiwa, which claimed the J-League title at the weekend, will take CONCACAF champion Monterrey on Sunday, again at the impressive 36,000 Toyota Stadium, which had rows of empty seats on Thursday night for the tournament opener.

The Japanese side will expect a far sterner test than that offered by Auckland City, which was representing Oceania at the annual tournament of continental champions.

The plucky Kiwi side provided the shock of the 2009 CWC, unexpectedly winning two games. But there was to be no fairytale this time.

Kashiwa, which made history by winning the J-League after only being promoted the season before, continued its hot streak and might have been ahead within just five minutes, but Tatsuya Masushima's snap shot was blocked on the line.

Englishman Adam Dickinson offered a muscular outlet in attack for an Auckland side made up of office workers, students and even a former backpacker, but his team was encamped in their own half for much of the first period.

And just when it looked like they might hang on for half-time, Junya Tanaka turned neatly in the box and fired the ball past an exposed Jacob Spoonley in the Auckland goal.

That was on 37 minutes and just three minutes later it was 2-0 when Masato Kudo fired in from close range after the ball had rebounded off the post.

The Kiwi outfit was denied late on when Takanori Sugeno made a flying one-handed save to keep a clean sheet.

Buzzetti coached Fiji for three years until 2009.

The team has since been coached by Yogen Dutt until 2010, and most recently, Gurjit Singh.

Fiji Football Association president Rajesh Patel said Fiji reappointed Buzzetti because "we need a man of his calibre back to steer us in the right direction."

Patel said "we have reached an understanding with him and he is ready to come back. It is now just up to us to get the logistics right before he makes his return."

After Tuesday's 2-1 win over Tonga, American Samoa earned a 1-1 draw with Cook Islands on Thursday.

Another win against rival Samoa on Saturday will put the US protectorate into the second round of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying in the Oceania region.

Auckland's amateurs will open the competition against the still-undecided J-League champion on December 8 and following Thursday's draw, the winner faces Monterrey three days later.

And Tribulietx revealed his team had been hoping to avoid the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) champions after it's 3-0 mauling by Mexico's Atlante in 2009.

Its other possible opponent had been Asian champions Al Sadd or Africa's Esperance, who will play the other second-round match on December 11.

"CF Monterrey is a fantastic team but we want to focus on the first game. Any of the teams would have been difficult but Monterrey is the best of that trio," Tribulietx told the club website, www.aucklandcityfc.com.

"Two years ago we played Atlante and they were top-class."

Auckland is still waiting to find out its first opponent in the world club championship as the J-League goes down to the wire with Kashiwa Reysol, Gamba Osaka and Nagoya Grampus all in the running.

But Barcelona-born Tribulietx said he would focus on Auckland's remaining domestic and Oceania league games before sizing up the Club World Cup and naming his squad next Thursday.

"We have domestic and Oceania matches to play yet so our focus remains on Hekari United and Manawatu - and then we will worry about the J-League champions," he said.

"There will be some tough decisions to make before we leave and one of those will be naming the squad," the coach added.

"We've won five games since the season started and the competition for places has been intense. But I think we will be in a strong position to name our group by the end of next week."

Victory over the J-League winner and a shock win over Monterrey would put Auckland through to a semi-final against Brazil's South American champion, Santos, who has a bye.

But Tribulietx said his hometown club, European title-holder Barcelona, was a hot favourite to defend the intercontinental club crown.

"Barcelona must be favourites to retain the trophy - Xavi, Iniesta and Lionel Messi are three of the best players on Earth. They are phenomenal," Tribulietx said.

Fusimalohi appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to annul the sanction imposed by FIFA that expires in October 2012.

The Tongan official was caught in a British newspaper's sting during bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Fusimalohi and other former FIFA officials reportedly advised The Sunday Times's undercover reporters how to bribe their former colleagues.

Fusimalohi's ban cost him his job as Tonga Football Association general secretary, and his seat on the Oceania confederation's executive committee.

He now works as an adviser to Tongan Prime Minister Lord Tu'ivakano.

Fusimalohi was a member of FIFA's ruling body from 2002-06 and took part in the election of South Africa as the 2010 World Cup host.

He is the last of three officials to appear at CAS among six banned by FIFA last year based on the newspaper's evidence.

Amos Adamu of Nigeria, who FIFA ruled had asked for bribes, challenged his three-year ban from all football duties last month.

Adamu was barred from voting when FIFA's high command chose World Cup hosts Russia and Qatar last December.

Amadou Diakite of Mali faced the same FIFA charges as Fusimalohi. He appealed his two-year ban last month.

Diakite had been a member of FIFA's refereeing committee.

The CAS panels are scheduled to give their three verdicts within several weeks.

Auckland took a 2-1 advantage into the second leg at its home ground at Kiwitea Street and went to the break 1-0 up before adding three second-half goals to complete a 6-1 aggregate win.

The visitor took the game to Auckland in the first half and dominated the opening 25 minutes but failed to make the most of its opportunities.

It was made to pay when midfielder Alex Feneridis rifled a spectacular volley past goalkeeper Chikau Mansale after 27 minutes.

Any hopes Amicale had of an unlikely comeback were scuppered 17 minutes into the second half when Auckland fullback Ian Hogg was brought down just inside the box and Tahitian referee Norbert Hauata pointed to the spot.

Daniel Koprivcic converted the penalty and 10 minutes later Spanish striker Manel Exposito beat Mansale with a powerful left-foot shot before substitute Adam McGeorge netted with his first touch, a header, to round off the scoring.

The 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Christchurch during their lunchtime, hours after West Ham had booked its place in the last eight of the FA Cup with a 5-1 win over Burnley.

Reid headed home his first goal for the club in a morale-boosting win for the Hammers, but delight turned to despair for the Kiwi after news of the earthquake broke.

"It was a fantastic night for me and for the team, but obviously a thing like this happening puts it all into perspective," Reid told West Ham's website.

"I heard about the earthquake and then saw the pictures of it all on the news. It is devastating and my heart goes out to everyone back home.

"I would just like to say that I am thinking of everyone back home, especially those who have lost loved ones and have had their lives changed because of this.

"It is not a large country, but the spirit among the people there will be what gets them through. They will all help each other out and will help each other to recover from what has happened. My thoughts are with everyone."

The earthquake is thought to have killed over 65 people and left countless others trapped underneath the rubble.

Reid, 22, was born in Auckland but moved to Denmark with his mum aged 10 but still has many family and friends in New Zealand.

The young defender desperately tried to get through to his loved ones once he first heard of the quake and was relieved to find out that they were all okay.

"My immediate reaction was to call home to my family and friends - the problem was that because of the quake, the phone lines were all down as you would expect, so it took a bit of time to get through, which was worrying," he said.

"I had to get messages through and then get them sent on to others and do it like that, but my family and friends are okay.

"Obviously everything is turned upside down, but they are all feeling so fortunate, and so am I, that they are all alive that is the main thing because people have lost their lives and that is the most tragic thing.

"While there are many buildings and houses that have been destroyed, many of the buildings are built strongly and so would have survived, so hopefully many people are also okay.

"It is a very sad time because they have lost loved ones. I have also seen pictures on the news of people on buses with their belongings of what has survived.

"I have not experienced an earthquake myself back home, but I know a few months ago there was a small tremor, so it looks like a bigger one had been building up - there is nothing you can do.

"Even if you live in a country where earthquakes happen, I don't think you are ever fully prepared for it. It is still a shock when it happens as you simply can't stop it or stop what it does."

Farina, who has not coached since A-League club Brisbane Roar sacked him in October 2009 following a drink-driving offence, will lead Papua New Guinea at the South Pacific Games in Noumea in September.

He has signed up for a segmented 12-week contract that ends after the Games, with PNG chasing a top three finish to advance to the next stage of 2014 World Cup qualifying.

PNG is ranked equal 203rd in FIFA's world rankings with four others among the 207 nations who play international football.

Farina, in Port Moresby over the weekend for the announcement, said he was brought up in PNG when his father worked for the Australian administration before PNG's independence.

"My focus now is the PNG men's team," the 46-year-old said.

"I think my knowledge and experience of the teams in Oceania will put me in good stead to help PNG realise its dream - a spot at the World Cup qualifying tournament.

"It's a good fit for me in that I can still live in Brisbane but get my hand back into coaching.

"PNG has the talent and the mental game to prove themselves in the region, especially at the Pacific Games level."

Farina coached Australia from 1999 to 2005 while the Socceroos were in the Oceania Football Confederation.

But he was sacked following the failed Confederations Cup campaign and replaced by Dutchman Guus Hiddink.

PNG-based Hekari United made history when it qualified for the Club World Cup last year in Abu Dhabi by winning the Oceania regional competition.

Coach Ricky Herbert said on Friday New Zealand will play China in the southern city of Nanning on March 25 and Japan, probably in Tokyo, on March 29.

Herbert said the matches were "really important" because the winner of the next Oceania World Cup qualifying series will face home-and-away matches against the fifth-ranked Asian nation in the second stage of qualifying, as it had for this year's World Cup in South Africa.

Both sides knew defeat would send them home without an opportunity to take on any of the tournament's big guns.

And it was Al Wahda which prevailed, with goals by Brazilians Hugo and Fernando Baiano before Abdulrahim Jumaa added the gloss late on.

Early chances were few and far between as the sides sized each other up, though it was the United Arab Emirates outfit which made the more positive forays.

In the 40th minute it was rewarded when Hugo capitalised on a free-kick awarded for a needless foul.

Four minutes later the lead was extended by Baiano, leaving the South Pacific side struggling and staring at defeat.

A fightback was not forthcoming and when Abdulrahim wrapped up the scoring 19 minutes from time, its adventure was over.

The last-minute legal move requires Tahitian official Reynald Temarii to stand aside, even though a FIFA probe cleared him of corruption charges and he is suing the British Sunday Times newspaper for defamation.

One face-saving solution to be discussed at an OFC executive meeting on Saturday would allow Temarii to keep his presidency by delaying an election scheduled in 2011 until his one-year FIFA ban expires in October.

"All the latest developments will be discussed in the meeting," Oceania spokeswoman Priscilla Duncan told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Temarii did not reply to a request seeking comment.

However, his French-based lawyer Geraldine Lesieur said Temarii needed FIFA to provide a written explanation laying out the precise reasons for his suspension. FIFA's ethics committee said he breached "loyalty and confidentiality" rules.

"As long as the decision has not been explained, he is not renouncing anything," Lesieur told The AP in a telephone interview. "It's an impasse."

FIFA said it had no official information on a possible Oceania request to vote on December 2.

The OFC executive body will gather in Auckland, New Zealand, to explore all its options to send acting president David Chung to Zurich next week as the 23rd voting member of FIFA's ruling panel.

FIFA previously said Temarii cannot be replaced while he's appealing the suspension imposed following an ethics probe prompted by an undercover newspaper sting which alleged bribe-taking and vote-rigging in the World Cup bidding process.

FIFA said 43-year-old Temarii was sanctioned for breaching three principles in its ethics code relating to loyalty and confidentiality by speaking with reporters posing as lobbyists looking to buy votes.

Football protocol normally requires FIFA's six confederations to hold a full congress of member nations to choose its delegates to the world governing body.

However, Oceania believes it can install Chung as a FIFA voting member when its 11 countries are represented on Saturday. The meeting will also consider the case of executive member Ahongalu Fusimalohi from Tonga, who got a three-year FIFA ban.

"The suspensions that were handed down by the FIFA ethics committee will have implications on the OFC," Duncan said. "That is why we have arranged for this meeting to take place."

Oceania promoted Chung from his vice president role when Temarii was provisionally suspended by FIFA on Oct. 20.

The Papua New Guinean official said last week he was satisfied that FIFA found Temarii breached only "minor clauses" in the ethics code, and that Oceania would support his appeal.

If cleared to vote, Chung would likely be mandated to support Australia in the 2022 vote which includes the United States, Japan, South Korea and Qatar.

The Sunday Times reported that Temarii was backing the Spain-Portugal bid in the 2018 World Cup race against England, Russia and Belgium-Netherlands.

Spain-Portugal is assured of three votes from South America after its confederation, known as CONMEBOL, voted Wednesday to back the Iberian bid.

The 24th seat on FIFA's ruling panel will remain empty next week. The Confederation of African Football is not seeking to replace Nigerian official Amos Adamu, who was banned for three years. Adamu has said he will appeal to FIFA.

Oceania’s qualifying path to the World Cup has changed many times over the years, especially when Australia used to form part of FIFA’s smallest confederation.

At the moment the champion team of Oceania plays off with the fifth-placed Asian team for a place in the World Cup finals but this might change when the governing body’s ex-co meets again next year.

New Zealand Football president Frank Van Hattum, who kept goal for the All Whites in the 1982 World Cup in Spain, said that the region has not given up hope of being included in Asia’s final 10 for a place in the next finals in Brazil.

"FIFA has other pressing priorities at the moment,” Van Hattum told The World Game.

"But once the World Cup bidding process is over we will make further representations to FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation about the qualifying path for Brazil.

"We are resigned to the fact that Asia does not want Oceania or New Zealand to be part of the AFC.

"It’s not because they don’t like us but because of the logistics involved.

"New Zealand is a very long way to come for a football match. It’s a 20-hour flight to the Middle East, for example. So we don’t get a choice.

"But we maintain that we want to play in that final two-group format involving 10 teams.

"If we could do that it would help our football at senior and local level.

"The costs of joining the AFC full-on would be prohibitive and the OFC simply would not afford all the away trips for all its age groups.

"But there are ways of looking at this (plan to join Asia’s final 10 for 2014) and in the fullness of time who knows how it will develop?"

Van Hattum said he was keeping his fingers crossed that Australia succeeds in its bid to land the 2022 event.

"Football in the whole region would be boosted if the World Cup were to come to Australia,” he said.

"It would be fantastic and Oceania would be more than happy to help out and be involved in any way.”

The All Whites reached the finals in South Africa by beating Asia's fifth team Bahrain 1-0 over two legs late last year.

Temarii and Nigeria's Amos Adamu, who are both on FIFA's executive committee that will decide the World Cup hosts on December 2, are under investigation and temporarily suspended for allegedly being prepared to sell their votes for cash inducements.

A final hearing takes place next month.

Oceania Football Confederation president Temarii, who reportedly asked for $2.3 million for a sports academy in the region, has strongly denied any wrong-doing.

The two officials were captured on video by under-cover journalists working for London's The Sunday Times posing as lobbyists and said that they could by swayed towards one country or another.

Temarii is believed to be a staunch supporter of Australia's bid but the OFC is confident that the Tahitian advisor to the French Polynesia Government will be at the voting table at FIFA House in Zurich come December 2.

"We believe that at most Temarii will be reprimanded" was how an OFC source put it in explaining why no replacement for the exco position has been named.

The OFC has appointed David Chung as acting president after Temarii's suspension but this position is independent of Oceania's seat on FIFA's executive committee.

So there appears to be no cause for concern for Australia, which has nothing to do with the allegations and has behaved beyond reproach throughout the whole bidding process.

There is another reason the Australians should not lose too much sleep over the FIFA inquiry into the scandal that has rocked the bidding process.

The FIFA statutes say that any person on the executive committee who "no longer exercises his official function shall be immediately replaced by the Confederation or Associations which appointed him for the remaining period of office".

But since this is a rare case that has caught FIFA by surprise and has caused the game plenty of embarrassment worldwide, football's governing body might determine that, if found guilty, the two men representing Nigeria and Oceania be banned and not replaced for the all-important vote on December 2.

The vote therefore would become between 22 members of the executive committee not 24 as it stands now.

Australia certainly would miss out on Temarii's vote but by the same token it would still need only one more than half the votes - in this case 12 from 22 instead of 13 from 24 - to get the nod for 2022.

So Temarii's or Oceania's fate would change nothing for Australia in that regard.

FIFA is also dealing with allegations that bidding nations Spain/Portugal (2018) and Qatar (2022) have illegally agreed to swap votes.

The three bidding nations are under investigation.

A FIFA spokesman refused to comment on what sanctions the governing body might impose on all those found guilty.

The sanction was imposed on the Tahitian, along with fellow FIFA executive committee member Amos Adamu, after they were the subjects of an undercover investigation by the Sunday Times, which alleges the pair asked for cash in return for votes in the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bidding process due to take place on December 2.

A statement released by the OFC read: "Following the decision made by the FIFA ethics committee on October 20 to temporarily suspend OFC president Reynald Temarii, OFC welcomes the opportunity for Mr Temarii to be able to present his case to the FIFA ethics committee in respect to the alleged breach of the FIFA code of ethics. OFC will continue to co-operate fully with the proceedings if required.

"In accordance with the OFC statutes, senior vice-president David Chung is the acting OFC president.

"It is business as usual for OFC and no further comments will be made until the FIFA ethics committee has dealt with this matter."

Nigerian official Adamu protested his innocence in a statement which read: "Allegations were made against me by a British newspaper on October 17, 2010 which prompted a FIFA ethics committee meeting which concluded I should be provisionally suspended from my FIFA duties.

"Whilst I wholly refute all allegations made, I fully support the inquiry since it is important that these claims are thoroughly investigated.

"Only by doing this will FIFA - and the wider football community - be able to trust that its appointed representatives are beyond reproach."

World football's governing body on Wednesday provisionally suspended OFC president Reynald Temarii and Tonga Football Association general secretary Ahongalu Fusimalohi following an expose in a British newspaper.

The pair were among six officials suspended after FIFA's ethics committee in Zurich viewed more than 90 minutes of video recordings obtained by undercover Sunday Times journalists posing as bid lobbyists.

They are both members of the OFC's eight-member executive committee, which oversees football in the region.

The Auckland-based OFC - which consists mainly of Pacific island nations - was tight-lipped about the suspensions as it came to terms with the officials' alleged involvement in a scandal that has rocked world football.

"In alignment with the provisional decisions taken by the FIFA ethics committee today in Zurich, Switzerland, OFC will take time to absorb the information and make no comment until further notice," it said.

The 11-nation OFC is the poorest and weakest of FIFA's six global confederations.

It is not allocated an automatic place in the World Cup, meaning its strongest team, usually New Zealand, must qualify through a play-off with a team from another confederation.

However, as OFC president, Temarii sits on the FIFA executive committee and has a vote in determining which country hosts the showcase tournament.

The Sunday Times alleged it covertly filmed Temarii demanding $NZ3 million ($A2.3 million) to set up a sports academy in Auckland in return for his support.

Temarii, a Tahitian who once played for French club FC Nantes, denied any wrongdoing ahead of the FIFA suspension.

Fusimalohi, a former journalist, said earlier this week that undercover reporters posing as lobbyists targeted him at a meeting in an Auckland hotel four weeks ago but he soon realised they were fake.

Fusimalohi said he played along with the reporters, discussing receiving a $US100,000 ($A101,500) board membership to support one country's bid, in an attempt to discover what they were up to.

"I found it like a joke, enjoying lying to them, because they were lying to me as well," he told Radio NZ.

Australia, an OFC member until it switched to the Asian confederation in 2006, agreed to provide four million dollars in development funding to the OFC last year.

Football Federation Australia said the suspensions had not affected the development program and it was "confident FIFA will come up with the right actions".

A spokeswoman for Australian Sports Minister Mark Arbib said FIFA had taken decisive action and the government was awaiting the final findings of the organisation's investigation.

Former New Zealand striker Wynton Rufer, voted Oceania's player of the 20th Century, said the scandal was damaging for football in the region and across the globe.

"It's just shocking," he told Fairfax New Zealand. "I just think for world football this is very bad news.

"I'm thinking on a world scale because you've got December's decisions on the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, so FIFA, I can imagine, would be freaking out completely."

Croatia and Russia return to the top 10 using victories in 2012 European Championship qualifiers as Italy slumped to 16th, a drop from 13th last month.

France has bounced back into the top 20 after its historic low last month, and the United States dropped to No.25 having played only friendlies since the World Cup.

Spain leads the Netherlands in second, and Brazil rises to No.3 in a swap with fourth-ranked Germany. Argentina is fifth, then England.

Russia's wins over Ireland and FYR Macedonia liftS it 15 spots to No.10, edging African champion Egypt into 11th place.

Slovenia is at a best-ever No.15, and 26th-place Montenegro continued its recent surge.

FIFA world ranking top 20 (last month's ranking in brackets)

1. Spain (1)

2. Netherlands (2)

3. Brazil (4)

4. Germany (3)

5. Argentina (5)

6. England (6)

7. Uruguay (7)

8. Portugal (8)

9. Croatia (11)

10. Russia (25)

11. Egypt (9)

12. Greece (12)

13. Norway (14)

14. Chile (10)

15. Slovenia (19)

16. Italy (13)

17. Ghana (20)

18. France (27)

19. Cote d"ivoire (23)

20. Slovakia (16)

Adds:

21. Australia (24)

Every vote is precious when just 13 are needed in Zurich on December 2 when FIFA's 24-man executive committee decides the venues for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Temarii has made it clear he supports Australia's bid from the moment it was announced two years ago.

That stands to reason.

Australia was a member of Oceania until joining the Asian confederation in 2006, and still finances grassroots football programs in many countries across the South Pacific.

As much as any vote can be in the bag, his is regarded as the first Australia can count on.

That's no more surprising than if Asian confederation boss, Qatari-born Mohammed Bin Hammam, voted for Qatar.

It's worth stressing that no bidding country, not Australia or anyone else, has had anything to do with this row.

It involved undercover reporters from London's Sunday Times posing as US businessmen trying to swing the 2018 World Cup America's way.

Ironically, the US has just withdrawn its 2018 bid, like Australia before it, to concentrate on the 2022 contest against Australia, Qatar, Japan and South Korea.

But it was still in the race for 2018 at the time the reporters secretly filmed conversations with Temarii and African FIFA member Amos Adamu.

The 2018 contest is now an all-European affair between England, Russia, Belgium/Netherlands and Portugal/Spain.

Temarii, 43, from Tahiti, made no specific vote-for-money promises but allegedly did raise the possibility of $2.8 million in funding for an academy in Auckland.

He also claimed that backers from two unnamed bidding nations had already offered millions of dollars to Oceania to swing his vote.

He has acknowledged he made a mistake talking with the undercover reporters but defended his own integrity.

Temarii asked FIFA president Sepp Blatter to launch an ethics investigation.

FIFA's independent ethics panel is scheduled to discuss his case on Wednesday.

Adamu, 57, from Nigeria, reportedly sought $800,000 paid directly to him to fund artificial pitches in his country.

Another twist to the tale is that Adamu joined the FIFA executive committee as a replacement for Botswana's Ismail Bhamjee, who resigned over a ticket scalping scandal at Germany's World Cup in 2006.

Blatter has promised an in-depth investigation into the Sunday Times allegation, saying it has had "a very negative impact" on FIFA and its bidding process.

It certainly has.

But it is no reflection whatsoever on Australia's bid, or America's, or anyone else's.

An undercover investigation by Britain's Sunday Times newspaper alleged OFC president Reynald Temarii sought three million New Zealand dollars ($A2.29 million) for a sports academy from undercover journalists posing as lobbyists.

"Reynald Temarii welcomes a full and thorough investigation so that all the facts can be heard," the OFC said in statement.

The newspaper also alleged that Amos Adamu, a Nigerian member of the world football governing body's executive committee, asked for $US800,000 to endorse one of the bid candidates.

Herbert has been New Zealand coach since 2005 and guided its first successful World Cup qualifying campaign since 1982.

New Zealand was unbeaten in South Africa - drawing with Slovakia, Paraguay and Italy - but failed to progress to the tournament's second round.

Herbert signed a new contract with Football New Zealand in Wellington on Monday, ensuring he stays in charge of the New Zealand team through qualifying for the 2013 Confederations Cup.

He said he hoped to coach New Zealand through to the next World Cup in Brazil in 2014.

Chairman Frank van Hattum said Football New Zealand would have to take into account Herbert's other role as coach of the Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand's only professional football club.

"Both parties will be reassessing what the requirements of the role are in years three and four. Clearly we've got to look at all the requirements, his Phoenix commitments and what the job might entail leading into the World Cup," van Hattum said.

Herbert said he had already produced a draft plan for the New Zealand team for the next four years.

"I think it would be unfair not to look past the two years, albeit the contract says two," Herbert said.

"I think to get some certainty around the long-term future, no matter what decisions are made, is important."

New Zealand's World Cup dream ended after a 0-0 draw with Paraguay but it leaves the competition unbeaten, having drawn in all three of its group matches.

Mr Key told Radio New Zealand he was proud of the team.

"They are a team that are going to come back to New Zealand as heroes in my view, it was always going to be a Herculean task to get through, in the end they didn't quite make it on points but a result nevertheless that we can all be proud of."

No one expected a team ranked so low to perform so strongly.

"They threw everything at it. They were a side that was up against a very good side in Paraguay but equally they have been against Slovakia and Italy and they showed they are a team with a lot of courage, they believe in each other, they're disciplined.

"And at the end of the day if one was to look back on their campaign you would have to say it would have been the bravest of souls that would have predicted that they would get a draw in every game, that they would get a point in every game and that they would end the table ahead of Italy."

Mr Key has ruled out a holiday in the team's honour but said a parade would be a good idea.

"It would be nice to see their result celebrated... they'll come back as champions."

Asked if team members may get more formal recognition Mr Key said the selection process for next year's honours had not started yet; "but there were one or two people you would have thought would at least be worthy of consideration".

Like any fan Mr Key was still rueful about a refereeing decision in the game against Italy.

"In the end I think New Zealanders will look back on that game against Italy where, albeit for a penalty that really went against them, they would have beaten the 2006 world champions and even without that held out Italy to a draw when I don't think anyone in the world would have predicted they could have done that before they got to South Africa."

Although teams representing Oceania have now qualified for two successive World Cups – Australia in 2006 and the Kiwis in 2010 – the Blackburn Rovers defender said New Zealand would benefit from joining the Asian Football Confederation.

Asked by The World Game if the OFC should have direct qualification, Nelsen said: “I don’t think so. I would like New Zealand to join Asia or for Oceania to get a direct spot into the last qualifying stage in Asia.

“People said, ‘New Zealand won [a place in South Africa] playing the fifth team from Asia’ and people said that was an easy way to get in but I disagree. That was harder.

“Bahrain had played so many games before it came to play us. They were hardened, they had travelled, they were funded well, and they had so much experience. We were very wet behind the ears when we were playing them, we didn’t know anything about them. We hadn’t played much together and it was difficult."

Nelsen echoed common Australian sentiment from the 1990s and early 2000s before Football Federation Australia joined the AFC.

“We want to play qualifying games more regularly and if we stay in Oceania we won’t get it,” he said. “In some way, we have to join Asia. That will benefit the game in a long run. Instead of having one night like that in Wellington [against Bahrain last year] we might get four or five nights and that will be something special.

“It is very realistic for New Zealand to join Asia. Our qualification has opened FIFA’s eyes, actually. They might have underestimated our team as well, when they drew their [play-off] plan. They probably didn’t think both Australia and New Zealand would be playing in the 2010 World Cup – so they might want to rethink things.”

Nelsen said he had followed the fortunes of A-League side Wellington Phoenix, coached by Ricky Herbert who also leads the All-Whites.

“They have continued what the New Zealand team has started,” Nelsen said. “I was really hoping they would beat Sydney in the semi-finals. It is always good to rumble a few Aussies.”

The decision to approve the French Pacific Ocean territory's bid was taken at a meeting of FIFA's executive committee, the governing body added in a statement.

FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke said a decision to appoint Italy as host of the event in 2011 was only being held up by some missing paperwork.

Thailand will host the indoor Futsal World Cup in 2012, FIFA said.