World Cup dream come true

Photo: JASON OXENHAM

FOOTBALL FEVER: All Whites midfielder Ivan Vicelich is excited about the team’s prospects after qualifying for the football World Cup in South Africa next year.

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A trip to the football World Cup in South Africa wasn’t on All White Ivan Vicelich’s mind until just a few months ago.

Vicelich retired from international football last year, returning to captain Auckland City in the New Zealand Football Championship after completing a successful professional career in Europe.

But a phone call from All Whites coach Ricki Herbert in May changed all that when the defender was drafted into the national squad as cover for captain Ryan Nelsen at the Confederations Cup.

Now the 33-year-old is hoping to make the trip to South Africa in June next year after being part of the All Whites’ World Cup qualifying win against Bahrain.

"Retiring was a good decision for me at the time," he says. "Then the opportunity came up when Ryan got injured, I became involved and began to enjoy it as well. Now we’re in the World Cup – it all seems to be a pathway, like it’s meant to be."

The former Henderson resident is excited about the possibility of taking part in a tournament he used to skip classes at Rutherford College to watch on TV.

"It’s a dream come true for me. I’m pretty happy with the way my career has gone and this is the icing on the cake near the end."

He says the key to victory over Bahrain was simply following the game plan.

"We didn’t get too overawed by the situation. There was a lot of responsibility on our backs with the future of football getting a kickstart by us qualifying. The major factor was everyone doing their job. Collectively it was a really good performance."

The All Whites won’t know which pool they’re in until the World Cup draw is made on December 4 but Vicelich is excited about coming up against some of the best footballers on the planet.

"We’ll be the underdogs but we’ve got nothing to lose. Anything from now on is a bonus."

The victory over Bahrain began a massive month of football for Vicelich.

His Auckland City side beat arch rivals Waitakere United 2-1 last Sunday and the two sides have a rematch this Saturday at Fred Taylor Park in Whenuapai in the O-League.

City is then off to Abu Dhabi to face Al Ahli in the World Club Cup.

Coach Paul Posa says Vicelich has a huge part to play in all of the team’s upcoming contests, despite taking a knock in the match against Bahrain.

"He’s pretty resilient. Ivan didn’t miss a minute for us last season. As our captain, he’s a really important player for us."

Posa says Vicelich’s selection is proof players in the national league can be good enough to compete at international level.

"The best players in the NZFC are probably not far off A-League standard, so it’s a good stepping stone for them."