Liberato Cacace the key figure as All Whites face Costa Rica in one-off World Cup playoff

Where: Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Doha, Qatar; When: Wednesday, June 15, 6am [NZ time]

Live coverage: Sky Sport 7, SENZ, live updates on

When the All Whites were taking their time breaking Tahiti down in their Oceania World Cup qualifying semifinal in March, it was left wingback Liberato Cacace who surged into the box to finally put the ball in the back of the net.

And when they came up against Peru in an intense friendly last weekend, it was Cacace who was involved in all three of their genuine chances, shrugging off any stage fright.

He drove forward to help set up their first, a long-range attempt by Alex Greive. He later sent in a perfect cross for Ben Waine to poke home, only for the offside flag to correctly be raised. He then took matters into his own hands, but sent his shot straight at the goalkeeper.

Cacace is only 21, but off the back of a season where he started to live his dream by playing in Italy’s Serie A for Empoli, he will be the key figure as the All Whites look to beat Costa Rica in their one-off World Cup playoff in Qatar [kickoff 6am Wednesday NZ time].

Whether by motoring down the left flank and getting in behind to deliver crosses, or surging into midfield to create overloads, he is set to be a focal point as the All Whites attack, his importance heightened in the absence of midfielders Sarpreet Singh and Ryan Thomas.

The All Whites’ most creative outings under coach Danny Hay came with Singh present against Curaçao and The Gambia late last year, and his use of three centre backs and wingbacks – a system which gives Cacace more freedom – is in part a consequence of not having the country’s leading playmaker, who is currently injured.

Cacace’s combination with whoever starts at left centre back, most likely one of Tommy Smith or Nando Pijnaker, will be important, as will their one with Matt Garbett, who is expected to start on the left of a midfield trio after a standout performance against Peru.

The All Whites have scored just once in their last 300 minutes of action against teams outside Oceania – a Chris Wood penalty in their 3--1 loss to Jordan in January that was won by Cacace’s understudy that day, Francis de Vries.

Costa Rica are not as imposing as the All Whites’ previous opponents Peru were in 2017 or as Mexico were in 2013, especially with this intercontinental playoff being a one-off tie at a neutral, air-conditioned, venue rather than a home-and-away affair.

That means the All Whites are closer to the World Cup now than they've been at any point since they left South Africa in 2010, having finished unbeaten with draws against Slovakia, Italy, and Paraguay in their second appearance at the game’s showpiece event.

But they will have to pull off an upset to qualify for a third time, 40 years on from their first appearance in 1982. This is a harder final step than the one they took then, against China, or 28 years later, against Bahrain.

Costa Rica come into this match with a stout defensive record, having conceded just eight times in 14 North and Central American and Caribbean qualifiers, while going on a seven-match unbeaten run to finish fourth in their region and make the playoff. Their goalkeeper, Keylor Navas, is world-class, a three-time Uefa Champions League winner with Spanish giants Real Madrid.

A big question that will only be answered at kickoff is the nature of Costa Rica’s approach. In their unbeaten run to end qualifying, they conceded plenty of possession and made the most of limited chances, striking on the counter and from set pieces for narrow wins.

Will they be more assertive against New Zealand? The rest of the playoff will unfold from whether the answer is yes or no.

All Whites v Costa Rica – World Cup playoff

TAB odds (to qualify): Costa Rica $1.27, All Whites $3.55

All Whites

Goalkeepers: Matthew Gould, Stefan Marinovic, Oli Sail

Defenders: Michael Boxall, Liberato Cacace, Francis de Vries, Dane Ingham, Niko Kirwan, Tim Payne, Nando Pijnaker, Winston Reid, Tommy Smith, Bill Tuiloma

Midfielders: Joe Bell, Matt Garbett, Elijah Just, Clayton Lewis, Marco Rojas, Marko Stamenic

Forwards: Kosta Barbarouses, Joey Champness, Alex Greive, Callum McCowatt, Logan Rogerson, Ben Waine, Chris Wood

Costa Rica

Goalkeepers: Aaron Cruz, Leonel Moreira, Keylor Navas

Defenders: Francisco Calvo, Daniel Chacón, Óscar Duarte, Keysher Fuller, Ian Lawrence, Carlos Martinez, Bryan Oviedo, Juan Pablo Vargas, Kendall Waston

Midfielders: Brandon Aguilera, Jewison Bennette, Celso Borges, Orlando Galo, Carlos Mora, Bryan Ruiz, Yeltsin Tejada, Gerson Torres

Forwards: Joel Campbell, Anthony Contreras, Johan Venegas

Last five matches: 2-0 win v Martinique, 2-0 loss at Panama, 2-0 win v United States, 2-1 win at El Salvador, 1-0 win v Canada