These islands that look like a couple of nuts situated at the base of the earth (depending on which map you're looking at) barely have any football history to brag about. For so long it has been so easy for them to make it to the World Cup and all what they had to do is overcome Australia plus the the 5th best South American or 4th Caribbean or 5th Asian or whatever mediocre team they were about to face to make it to the World Cup.
They only made in 1982 and lost their 3 games. This time they qualified just because they defeated New Caledonia, Fiji, Vanutau and Bahrain, making them the least deserved team to qualify to the World Cup.
Two of their current players (Elliott, Mulligan) were kicked out of their clubs and are currently unattached. In other words, they are too bad to play with any club but they were good enough to play with New Zealand National team that will be playing in the World Cup along Italy, Paraguay and Slovakia.
But watch out, those team that have nothing to lose can surprise you, mostly because they have nothing to lose. Otherwise New Zealanders will have to keep watching rugby.
Clip For Memory
Zico scoring a spectacular goal against New Zealand in the 1982 World Cup. Brasil won 4-0.
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The Picture above: I really couldn't think of anything related to New Zealand other than their great beef.
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