The OFC

qualification Qualification is either the process of qualifying for an achievement, or a credential attesting to that achievement, and may refer to: * Professional qualification, attributes developed by obtaining academic degrees or through professional exper ...

for the 2014 FIFA World Cup saw teams of the Oceania Football Confederation competing for a place in the finals held in

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

Format

The initial format was scheduled to begin in August 2011 at the 2011

Pacific Games The Pacific Games (French: Jeux du Pacifique), is a continental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from Oceania. The inaugural Games took place in 1963 in Suva, Fiji, and most recently in 2019 in Apia, Samoa. The Games wer ...

in Noumea, New Caledonia, where the men's football tournament was to double as the first stage of the OFC World Cup qualifying competition. However, in June 2011 the format was amended, and the Pacific Games were no longer part of the qualification process. The new structure saw the four lowest ranked entrants play a single round-robin tournament from 22 to 26 November 2011 in Samoa. The top team in this tournament will then joined the other seven teams in the

2012 OFC Nations Cup 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

, with the four semi-finalists from that tournament advancing to Round Three. This stage was originally scheduled to be held in Fiji in June 2012, but on 14 March 2012 the hosting rights were stripped from Fiji as a result of an ongoing legal dispute involving OFC general secretary Tai Nicholas and Fijian authorities. The loss of the finals was confirmed by the Fiji Football Association on 16 March. Round Three, consisted of a double round-robin held on a home-and-away basis, scheduled to take place between 7 September 2012 and 26 March 2013. The Round Three winners competed in the intercontinental play-offs with CONCACAF's fourth-placed team, which was chosen through a random draw, rather than being decided by FIFA beforehand as in previous tournaments (e.g., 2010 against a team from AFC, 2006 against a team from CONMEBOL). An early proposal to allow the qualifying winner to the final group stage of AFC qualification was submitted by New Zealand Football to FIFA. This proposal, supported by OFC, would have replaced the intercontinental play-off that has been used in recent qualification tournaments, but was not adopted.

Entrants

The July 2011

FIFA Ranking The FIFA Men's World Ranking is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, led by Brazil . The teams of the men's member nations of FIFA, football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the ...

is shown in brackets.

First round

Based on FIFA ranks and other sporting considerations, the first round featured

American Samoa American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the Internationa ...

Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , lan ...

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...

and

Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...

and were played as a single round-robin tournament in Samoa from 22 to 26 November 2011. The winner of the group advanced to the second round.

Second round

The winner of the first round joined the remaining seven OFC teams in the

. The four semi-finalists (the top two teams from each group in the group stage) advanced to the third round. The groups were drawn at the World Cup Preliminary Draw at the Marina da Glória in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...

on 30 July 2011. The tournament was held in the Solomon Islands from 1 to 10 June 2012. Fiji had been the proposed host, but had their hosting rights revoked on 14 March 2012.

Seeding

The teams were seeded into two pots of 4 based on the July 2011 FIFA World Rankings – with the first round winner automatically seeded eighth. Each group consisted of two teams from each pot. ^† First round winner whose identity was not known at the time of the draw.

Group stage

Group A

Group B

Knockout stage

The four semi-finalists in the 2012 OFC Nations Cup advanced to the third round of World Cup qualifying, despite the outcome of the final knockout rounds of the OFC Nations Cup itself. The final results of the OFC Nations cup knockout stage matches do count in other ways as part of the World Cup qualifying, with FIFA counting goalscorers in the qualifying statistics, and cards given may contribute to suspensions in the third round of World Cup qualifying.

Third round

The four remaining teams played a double round-robin between 7 September 2012 and 26 March 2013, with the top team advancing to the intercontinental play-off. Note that – unlike the previously announced format – this means the team that advances to the intercontinental play-off may be different from the team that wins the OFC Nations Cup, and represents the OFC at the 2013 Confederations Cup. The draw for the fixtures was conducted at OFC Headquarters in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...

, New Zealand on 26 June 2012. The matches were scheduled to take place in the period from 7 September 2012 to 26 March 2013.

Inter-confederation play-offs

The winner of the OFC qualification tournament,

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, played against

CONCACAF The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football,, ; french: Confédération de football d'Amérique du Nord, d'Amérique centrale et des Caraïbes, . Dutch language, Dutch uses the English name. abbreviated as CON ...

's fourth-placed team,

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, in a home-and-away play-off.

, the winner of this play-off, qualified for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The first leg was played on 13 November 2013, and the second leg was played on 20 November 2013.

Goalscorers

There were 124 goals scored in 36 games (including inter-confederation play-offs), for an average of 3.44 goals per game. Note: Statistics include goals scored in the knockout stage of the OFC Nations Cup as these matches are also considered by FIFA as part of the qualifiers. ;8 goals * Georges Gope-Fenepej ;7 goals *

Jacques Haeko Jacques Haeko (born 23 April 1984) is a New Caledonian footballer who plays as a striker for AS Lössi in the New Caledonia Division Honneur. International career He has represented New Caledonia at the senior level. Most notably he was the ...

* Chris Wood ;5 goals * Bertrand Kaï *

Shane Smeltz Shane Edward Smeltz (born 29 September 1981) is a New Zealand Australian footballer. He plays as a striker for Guiseley AFC in the Northern Premier League, the 7th tier of English football. Smeltz had spent much of his early career playing in ...

* Lorenzo Tehau ;4 goals * Roy Kayara * César Lolohea *

Benjamin Totori Benjamin Totori (born 20 February 1986) is a Solomon Islands association football, footballer who plays as a striker for Kossa FC, Kossa. Club career A small but speedy striker, Totori made his name at New Zealand Football Championship, NZFC ...

* Alvin Tehau * Jonathan Tehau ;3 goals *

Chris Killen Christopher John Killen (born 8 October 1981) is a former New Zealand international footballer. Killen grew up in Wellington and played his club football for Miramar Rangers. After a trial with Manchester City, he joined City's youth academy. ...

* Robert Tasso ;2 goals *

Shalom Luani Shalom Luani (born August 5, 1994) is an American football safety for the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League (USFL). He is better known worldwide for his soccer career, having scored against Tonga in American Samoa's first ...

Campbell Best Campbell Best (born 12 March 1986) is a footballer from Cook Islands. He plays as a midfielder for Puaikura in the Cook Islands Round Cup. He played for Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands ...

* Iamel Kabeu * Michael McGlinchey * Tim Payne * Tommy Smith * Chris James * Luki Gosche * Silao Malo *

Henry Fa'arodo Henry Samuel Luito'o Fa'arodo Jr. (born 5 October 1982 in Honiara) is a former professional footballer from the Solomon Islands who played as a striker or a midfielder. Club career Fa'arodo attended Nelson College from 2000 to 2001, playing ...

* Himson Teleda * Steevy Chong Hue *

Teaonui Tehau Teaonui Tehau (born 1 September 1992) is a Tahitian footballer who plays as a striker or as a midfielder for A.S. Vénus. He is the cousin of the brothers Alvin Tehau, Lorenzo Tehau and Jonathan Tehau, all of them playing for Tahiti. Inter ...

* Nicolas Vallar * Jean Nako Naprapol ;1 goal * Ramin Ott *

Grover Harmon Grover Harmon (born 9 August 1989) is a footballer from Cook Islands. He plays as a midfielder for Tupapa Maraerenga in Cook Islands Round Cup. He played for Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small is ...

Maciu Dunadamu Maciu Samaidrawa Dunadamu (born 14 June 1986) is a Fijian footballer, who currently plays for Savusavu in the Fiji Senior League. Career Dunadamu started his soccer career in the Labasa Sangam Primary School. After graduating, he left Labasa ...

* Marius Bako * Kalaje Gnipate * Judikael Ixoée * Dick Kauma *

Kosta Barbarouses Konstantinos "Kosta" Barbarouses ( el, Κωνσταντίνος "Κώστας" Μπαρμπαρούσης; born 19 February 1990) is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays in Australia's A-League Men for Wellington Phoenix FC. Club ca ...

* Tony Lochhead *

Marco Rojas Marco Rodrigo Rojas (born 5 November 1991) is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays as a forward for Chilean side Colo-Colo and the New Zealand national team. During his time in the A-League with Melbourne Victory, Rojas was dubb ...

Rory Fallon Rory Michael Fallon (born 20 March 1982) is a New Zealand former professional footballer who played predominantly as a forward. He previously played for Barnsley, Shrewsbury Town, Swindon Town, Swansea City, Plymouth Argyle, Ipswich Town, Yeov ...

* Neil Hans * Kema Jack * Albert Bell * Shaun Easthope * Joses Nawo *

Tutizama Tanito Tutizama Tanito (born 27 November 1993) is a Solomon Islands Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (Association football), forward for Hekari United from Papua New Guinea. He has also played for Marist Fire F.C., Marist Fire from ...

* Heimano Bourebare * Roihau Degage * Samuel Hyanine * Unaloto Feao * Kinitoni Falatau * Timote Maamaaloa * Lokoua Taufahema * Brian Kaltack * Derek Malas * Freddy Vava ;1 Own Goal * Tala Luvu (playing against the

Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , lan ...

) * Tome Faisi (playing against New Caledonia) * Xavier Samin (playing against New Caledonia)

References

External links

Results and schedule (FIFA.com version)
*Results and schedule (oceaniafootball.com version)
First round

Second round (OFC Nations Cup)

Third round
{{DEFAULTSORT:2014 Fifa World Cup Qualification Ofc FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC)