2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC)

Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for Oceania. 12 teams took part, competing for a place in the intercontinental play-off against the fifth-placed team from South America. The winner of this play-off qualified for the World Cup.

This qualifying tournament also doubled as the 2004 OFC Nations Cup, up to the final play-off stage.

Tiebreakers

If teams are even on points at the end of group play, the tied teams will be ranked as follows:

1. greater number of points obtained in matches between the tied teams
2. goal difference in matches between the tied teams
3. greater number of goals scored in matches between the tied teams
4. goal difference in all group matches
5. greater number of goals scored in all group matches
6. a play-off on neutral ground, with extra time and penalties if necessary (in qualifying)
7. drawing of lots (at the final event)

This is a change from the 2002 FIFA World Cup, where total goal difference was the first tiebreaker.

First round

The competition was composed of three rounds. Australia and New Zealand entered the competition directly in the Second Round. The other 10 teams were divided in two groups of five teams each, and played against each other once. The two teams with most points in each group advanced to the Second Round.

Group 1

All matches were held in Honiara, Solomon Islands (UTC+11)

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Solomon Islands	4	3	1	0	14	1	+13	10
Tahiti	4	2	2	0	5	1	+4	8
New Caledonia	4	2	1	1	16	2	+14	7
Tonga	4	1	0	3	2	17	–15	3
Cook Islands	4	0	0	4	1	17	–16	0

Group 2

All games are held in Apia, Samoa

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Vanuatu	4	3	1	0	16	2	+14	10
Fiji	4	3	0	1	19	5	+14	9
Papua New Guinea	4	2	1	1	17	6	+11	7
Samoa	4	1	0	3	5	11	–6	3
American Samoa	4	0	0	4	1	34	–33	0

Second round

In the Second round, the six teams were put in a single group, and played against each other once. The two teams with most points advanced to a play-off, and played against each other home and away. The winner of this play-off advanced to the intercontinental play-off.

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts  Australia 5 4 1 0 21 3 +18 13  Solomon Islands 5 3 1 1 9 6 +3 10  New Zealand 5 3 0 2 17 5 +12 9  Fiji 5 1 1 3 3 10 −7 4  Tahiti 5 1 1 3 2 24 −22 4  Vanuatu 5 1 0 4 5 9 −4 3

Australia  — 6–1 1–0 2–2 9–0 3–0 Fiji  — — 0–2 1–2 0–0 1–0 New Zealand  — — — 3–0 10–0 2–4 Solomon Islands  — — — — 4–0 1–0 Tahiti  — — — — — 2–1 Vanuatu  — — — — — —

Australia and the Solomon Islands progressed to the final stage.

Final round

Australia  v  Solomon Islands

3 September 2005 19:30

Australia	7–0	Solomon Islands
Culina 20' Viduka 36', 43' Cahill 57' Chipperfield 64' Thompson 68' Emerton 89'	Report

Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 16,000 Referee: Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh (Malaysia)

Solomon Islands  v  Australia

6 September 2005 13:00

Solomon Islands	1–2	Australia
Fa'arodo 49'	Report	Thompson 19' Emerton 58'

Lawson Tama, Honiara Attendance: 16,000 Referee: Shamsul Maidin (Singapore)

Australia won 9–1 on aggregate and advanced to the CONMEBOL–OFC play-off against Uruguay.