$10m is All White

THE All Whites are playing for a $10m World Cup payout that will secure the future of football in New Zealand.

New Zealand Football boss Michael Glading has revealed the enormity of what’s at stake against Bahrain in Wellington next Saturday night.

It’s far more than the honour of being just the second New Zealand side to make the World Cup finals.

Ryan Nelsen’s side are playing for a golden pot in Fifa’s 32-country rainbow event next year where just making it to South Africa is worth a fortune.

“The figures will only get finalised once the Fifa deals are done but it will generate in gross terms certainly between $8m and $10m,” Glading told the Sunday News.

Glading was more guarded on what Nelsen and his fellow players would be paid for success. There is no special bonus deal, although victory in the Asia-Oceania qualifier would see the players handsomely rewarded.

“The players will get their share,” promised Glading. “But that’s a lot of money in terms of providing the financial stability that we have craved.”

“The most important thing for the game if we do get in that position is that the money is used over a long period of time to allow us to put in place all the development plans and also action a lot of other things.

“The sport is right now on the verge of a lot of things. Win or lose we have some exciting plans for how we will deliver the game at grass roots level.

“I’m confident they will happen anyway ... but this money would certainly help speed things up.”

Bahrain are favoured to win the return leg and arrive on Thursday with the luxury of a warmup match, having thrashed Togo 5-1 overnight.

- © Fairfax NZ News