Immediately after the All Whites' 3-0 win over New Caledonia last night, goal scoring hero Michael Boxall and superstar in the making Tyler Bindon were still trying to process what they'd just achieved.
The victory means that New Zealand will be attending the FIFA World Cup for the third time, the first since 2010 when the side drew all three of their pool matches.
Bindon said it was special to walk out onto Eden Park in front of a raucous home crowd.
"25,000 people turned out to watch us play. And that's pretty special, you know, at home as well…it doesn't get better than that," said Bindon.
Boxall, who picked the perfect time to score his first ever international goal when he headed home a Francis de Vries corner in the 61st minute, was in awe of the atmosphere created by the fans.
"Just to see everyone's reaction, in front of the stand was pretty cool."
The achievement was sweet for Boxall, who was a part of the All Whites side that failed at the final hurdle in qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, when they lost to Costa Rica in a one-off playoff match held in Qatar.
"The heartbreak on all of those guys' faces was a tough one to swallow. So I think to know that we're there and we've got we've got a tough 15 months ahead of us…I mean, New Zealand is proud we're at the World Cup."
Bindon was still in school when that happened, so hasn't had to go through the heartbreak that some of his veteran teammates have."It's pretty surreal," said Bindon.
"It's hard to describe with words. It's so cool. It's what you dream of as a kid, you know, and to be able to do it at home as well."
The game unfolded nervously for the All Whites, as they had a hard time breaking down a tough and physical New Caledonian side in the first half. Chris Wood had to leave the field with a leg injury, something that Bindon admitted added to the anxiety.
"I think it was your at the start of the game, but it's more excitement than anything," he said.
"Once you start, you know, it's just a game of football at the end of the day, with one ball and two goals and it's what I'm used to."
