This format for the qualifiers is obviously creates issues with Covid, but the reality is there was no other option. The next window has the playoff, so it was literally now or never, and if the format negatively affects us more than the others, then the onus is on NZF to propose a better solution.
If OFC works as a democracy, then the members will vote for what they consider best, and majority wins. That in reality means do whatever it takes to detriment New Zealand, so long as you don’t shoot yourself too badly in the foot at the same time. This format is essentially that, weaken New Zealand and ensure one-off semi/final, whilst guaranteeing you don’t go all the way for only one game.
As for AFC, it’s an argument done to death, but it’s fun. New Zealand won’t go to AFC because it’ll kill OFC, which is barely alive as is, as you can’t have a 10 team confederation with the biggest players being PNG, Solomons or New Caledonia. In that case they’d get dragged with us, and why would AFC want 11 new members that offer nothing competitively or financially (except maybe New Zealand, though even then) and considerable extra costs and inconvenience. As it is Sydney to Papeete is a 13 hour flight, let alone anywhere further west.
Those reasons are why we also won’t be in any AFC Nations League, plus they already have 47 members, so have plenty of variety as is.
The East/West split could work done about India or so, but you’d still have massive travel times to deal with. But for FIFA to dissolve two confederations and form two new ones would be a massive change to undertake, and would all the effort really be worth it just for New Zealand and a dozen island nations, so also unforeseeable.
I worry the AWs dystopian future plays out similar to this cycle, playing equally relevant teams to Bahrain, Curacao, Gambia etc in friendlies away from home at 4am. Games against OFC teams will be seen as ‘obligatory’ formalities, and you’d likelier see A League and National League guys play them than any ‘conveniently injured’ valuable European star. It seems hyperbolic, but the AWs weren’t even planning to play in the OFC Nations Cup in 2020, despite it being in New Zealand, so I doubt they’d entertain one held in Fiji/New Caledonia etc. It’s been said before, but Peru was probably the last ever big game to be held in New Zealand.