Don't kick anymore! The 2 national teams in the World Preliminary Tournament were withdrawn, and FIFA changed the rules: play one game and advance! On March 23, Beijing time, according to the news on the official website of FIFA, the Cook Islands and Vanuatu in Group A of the Oceania Qualifiers, due to the impact of the epidemic, directly announced that they would not play, and they would withdraw from the World Preliminary Tournament. Affected by this, there are only 2 teams left in Group A: Solomon Islands and Tahiti! To this end, FIFA has specially modified the promotion rules for them: 2 teams will have a direct dialogue, and the winning side will advance to the final.
Qatar 2022 World Cup, Oceania won a total of 0.5 qualifying places. The 8 participating teams competed in 2 groups, and the top 2 teams advanced to the Oceania Division Final. The winning side will compete with other continental teams for a final qualifying spot. Judging from the strength of Oceania, it is not difficult to get 0.5 seats. New Zealand, in particular, has almost monopolized 0.5 seats in Oceania due to a lack of competitors.
At present, Group B of Oceania Division has conducted two rounds of competition, and New Zealand ranks first with two consecutive wins. They have reached the final, and there is no suspense. Group A, on the other hand, had only played one round. With the announcement of the withdrawal of the Cook Islands and Vanuatu from the World Preliminary Tournament, the remaining two teams: Solomon Islands and Tahiti were happier.
According to FIFA FIFA's qualifying rules, Solomon Islands' previous record will be cleared to zero, and then they and Tahiti will have a win-and-lose match. If the two teams draw 90 minutes, they will play extra time. If the draw continues in extra time, there will be a penalty shootout. Until the winner is decided. The winning side will advance to the final with the top spot in Group B and then compete for 0.5 seats.
Compared to the schedules of other continents, the teams in the Oceania division are undoubtedly very happy. If they have a team qualifying for the World Cup, they only need to play up to 5 games (3 group matches, 1 Oceania final and 1 play-off).
The highest-ranked team in Oceania is New Zealand, which ranks 111th in FIFA, much worse than the national football team. But their 0.5 seats is almost nothing short of a sight to behold. This also makes many fans feel envious. If the national football team participates in the World Preliminary Round here, there is no doubt that it belongs to the existence of the little bully level.