Yep I agree friendlies before the intercontinental playoff will be crucial. It's a fine balance though because you obviously need opposition that will be well drilled and provide a challenge but you don't want to get walked over and demoralise the boys before the big game. If its only South American teams and Asian teams available would a run of Bolivia and Oman or Vietnam be a good trial run for the lads? Tough enough opposition while still a chance of being able to have the edge over the opposition. Otherwise maybe it would be more feasible in the current climate to organise friendlies against whoever the other nations are in the second intercontinental playoff bracket. Hypothetically Australia and Peru, and those two sides also have a friendly against Costa Rica/Panama in the same window.
I think a pre Intercontinental playoff friendly, against the 5th CONEMBOL side would be a great idea.
Tough game, but unlikely to get thrashed against a Colombia, Peru or Uruguay with a full strength AWs side. They are not Brazil or Argentina. Plus AWs will genuinely need a tough game to prepare them for the CONCACAF side, if as expected they win the OFC tourney pretty easily.
Minor thing maybe but they will have simulation of an opponent yabbering in Spanish on the field. That's useful stuff heading into a likely game against Panama or Costa Rica.
Also could market the fixture to the 5th CONEMBOL team, that AWs are a close simulation of the Socceroos. There is I'd say almost a 50% chance now that Australia will be the 5th AFC team, and into the playoff against CONEMBOL side.
Of course Arnold & the FFA may not be best pleased if NZF were seen as helping the 5th Sth American team in any way prepare for that AFC/CONEMBOL playoff scenario. But not sure with international men's football NZF owes the FFA much. After all the FFA haven't found time to play the AWs once in 11 years now. Even with a congested international calendar for AFC teams like Australia, that's pretty criminal.