OFC - FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP UPDATE

J-League opponent awaits OFC club champ

As with Sydney FC in 2005, the winner of the 2006 OFC Club Championships, New Zealand will face an excursion to the land of the rising sun. But unlike Australia's club champions the 2006 winner will face an extra hurdle to attend the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup.

In recognition that Oceania's club football structure has changed significantly since the departure of Australia to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on 1 January 2006, OFC requested that the committee consider modifying its entry into the competition in order to assist the development of the region's club teams.

Based on this request, the committee decided that the OFC Club Championship winners should play an opening round match against a team from the host association - Japan's 2006 J-League champions - for a spot in the quarter-finals. The winning team would then advance to play the AFC Champions League, CAF Champions League or CONCACAF Champions' Cup winners as determined by draw.

In addition, the committee confirmed that it would retain the seven-match structure of the event by dropping the 5th place match in favour of the opening round match.

Under the chairmanship of FIFA Executive Committee member Viacheslav Koloskov (Russia), the Organising Committee for the FIFA Club World Cup met on Thursday, 16 February to review the highly successful 2005 event and discuss plans for the 2006 competition in Japan this December, which will again be presented by Toyota.

During its review of the 2005 tournament, the committee praised the Japan Football Association (Organising Association) and Dentsu Inc. (Executive Event Producer) for their excellent cooperative work with the FIFA administration to put on a truly world class event. All seven matches, including the Final played before 67,000 spectators and broadcast in 194 countries and territories around the world, were perfectly organised and the teams demonstrated an extremely high level of skill and competitiveness on the pitch.

Looking forward to 2006, the committee confirmed that it would adopt the same competition format as 2005 with the six continental champions, again seeding the CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores and UEFA Champions League winners into the semi-final stage and thus maintaining a two-match maximum for these teams.

2006 Club World Cup - Japan 2006

Match 1: Opening round (8 Dec.)

Team A (2006 J.League champions) v. Team B (OFC Club Championship winners)

Match 2: Quarter-final 1 (10 Dec.)

Team C v. Team D (C/D determined by draw)

Match 3: Quarter-final 2 (11 Dec.)

Winner Match 1 v. Team E (E determined by draw)

Match 4: Semi-final 1 (13 Dec.)

Winner Match 2 v. CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores winner

Match 5: Semi-final 2 (14 Dec.)

Winner Match 3 v. UEFA Champions League winner

Match 6: 3rd/4th place (17 Dec.)

Loser Match 4 v. Loser

Match 7: Final (17 Dec.)

Winner Match 4 v. Winner Match 5

For a New Zealand Soccer view on the decision check out, Oceania champion to meet J-League winner at FIFA Club World Championships