Passionate Blanco in All Whites corner

Twice Raul Blanco was at the heart of the Socceroos' unsuccessful efforts to qualify for the World Cup - now the former national coach is just two games away from making it third time lucky with one-time arch rivals New Zealand.

Having plotted against the All Whites during most of his 18 years with Australia's various national teams, Blanco has crossed the Tasman to assist coach Ricki Herbert through the playoffs against Bahrain.

It's a strange twist of fate for the Argentine-born Blanco, who migrated to Sydney 42 years ago and proudly calls Australia home.

Sacked after the Australian under-23s disappointing 2000 Olympic Games campaign, Blanco found himself frozen out by the game's new regime - and after several years in the coaching wilderness admits it's ''a huge honour'' to get another opportunity at the highest level.

''I've had a wonderful relationship with Ricki for many years but we never discussed anything like this,'' Blanco said. ''For someone like me who loves the game, to be back involved - I can't describe it. It was a huge shock when he asked me, I didn't see it coming.

"Ricki doesn't want to leave anything to the side, and he says to me if I can give him just one per cent that could make all the difference. For someone like him to say that is so refreshing.''

Blanco, 67, has been employed as technical advisor by New Zealand Football - partly in response to a disappointing Confederations Cup campaign in South Africa but mostly because the coming matches against Bahrain are the most significant the All Whites have played since they eliminated the Socceroos and qualified for their only World Cup in 1982.

Coincidentally, it was New Zealand's qualifying win over Australia at the SCG in 1981 which opened the door for Blanco to become part of the national team program. Socceroos coach Rudi Gutendorf was sacked in the dressing room after the match and his replacement, Les Scheinflug, bought Blanco on board as his assistant.

Blanco went on to become a regular Socceroos assistant under Eddie Thomson and Terry Venables before getting the top job in his own right during two spells as a caretaker coach between 1996-98. Losing to New Zealand in the final of the 1998 Oceania Nations Cup effectively ended his chances of coaching the national team on a permanent basis but there's no hard feelings.

''They [New Zealand] were always fantastic rivals but they're not any longer,'' he said. ''We [Australia] have changed confederations [to Asia] so it's a completely different scenario.

''I was very proud when we [Australia] qualified for the World Cup but now I want to help New Zealand. It won't be easy, Bahrain are a very good team and they're well coached. [Milan] Macala has so much experience, he knows everything about playing in the Middle East. But it can be done. I've been impressed with what I've seen of the team.''

Blanco has been less impressed with the treatment he and many of his peers have received since Football Federation Australia took control of the game in 2003, saying: ''There are thousands of people, not just me, who worked for the game for many years. To say we don't exist, nobody deserves that. We've been forgotten by the people in charge, and I wish I didn't have to say that.''

Nonetheless, Blanco will never lose his passion for the Socceroos, adding: ''I treasure every [green-and-gold] tracksuit - just come to my home and you can see that. Ricki keeps trying to get me photographed in an All Whites tracksuit but I keep running away.''

New Zealand travel to Manama for the first leg of the Oceania/Asia playoff on October 10, with the return leg on November 14 expected to draw a record crowd to Wellington's Westpac Stadium.

- © Fairfax NZ News