18 Jun 2009

Bahrain beat Uzbekistan 1-0

12:10 pm on 18 June 2009

The All Whites' football World Cup Asian playoff opponents will be either Bahrain or Saudi Arabia, after Bahrain's 1-0 home win over Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia's goalless home draw with North Korea.

That result meant communist North Korea gained the last of Asia's four automatic World Cup places to clinch only their second appearance in the finals.

Bahrain finished third in Group One behind Australia and Japan, who had already qualified automatically for South Africa next year.

Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, the third-placed team from Group Two, play over two legs in September.

The winners advance to a home and away play-off against Oceania winners New Zealand in October and November for a place in the finals in South Africa.