Yipe well off topic, but OFC somehow joining an AFC-OFC Nations League, played in the early years of a WC Cycle would be a good outcome.
I see Asian Cup will actually be played June-July next year (2023). That's quite early in the 2026 WC cycle. So maybe just maybe, AFC are finally planning to start a Nations League type event (like UEFA, CONCACAF & CAF now have) 2nd half of 2023 & into 2024.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_AFC_Asian_Cup
Then their 2026 WC qualifying to begin later half 2024 & into 2025.
Certainly Infantino wants all the Confederations to have their own Nations League, and world football minnows (like NZ) to be playing more often.
More on topic re this Qatar tourney. In OFC's defence, I don't think they really had too many options, with Covid re sorting out a WC qualifying event or window. NZ's border basically being closed for 2 years has been their biggest problem. Because holding a qualifying event in NZ in late 2021/early 2022 was probably their preferred option, once a full qualifying round of H&A ties became impossible.
But all the Island Nations have had closed borders for long periods, as they have battled Covid. That's been the main problem, not any real incompetence from OFC.
Socceroos had to play a 4 game mini tourney in Kuwait mid last year to complete 2nd round AFC WC qualifying. If Omicron had been around then, there would highly likely have been issues with players being Covid positive.
I see Asian Cup will actually be played June-July next year (2023). That's quite early in the 2026 WC cycle. So maybe just maybe, AFC are finally planning to start a Nations League type event (like UEFA, CONCACAF & CAF now have) 2nd half of 2023 & into 2024.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_AFC_Asian_Cup
Then their 2026 WC qualifying to begin later half 2024 & into 2025.
Certainly Infantino wants all the Confederations to have their own Nations League, and world football minnows (like NZ) to be playing more often.
More on topic re this Qatar tourney. In OFC's defence, I don't think they really had too many options, with Covid re sorting out a WC qualifying event or window. NZ's border basically being closed for 2 years has been their biggest problem. Because holding a qualifying event in NZ in late 2021/early 2022 was probably their preferred option, once a full qualifying round of H&A ties became impossible.
But all the Island Nations have had closed borders for long periods, as they have battled Covid. That's been the main problem, not any real incompetence from OFC.
Socceroos had to play a 4 game mini tourney in Kuwait mid last year to complete 2nd round AFC WC qualifying. If Omicron had been around then, there would highly likely have been issues with players being Covid positive.