WE'RE ALL SET!

THOUSANDS of fans will gather early on Saturday morning in front of television screens in homes and clubs across the kingdom to watch Bahrain play their crucial World Cup play-off match against New Zealand knowing our football-crazy country could be just 90 minutes away from making the dream of playing in next year's finals in South Africa a reality.

After a goalless encounter at home in the first leg Bahrain simply must not lose. A score draw is all the team needs to ensure that the country is represented for the first time in the finals of the biggest global sporting spectacular.

It will not be easy.

The game will be played in gusting winds, on a boggy pitch against a bunch of bruisers who want to stamp their authority on the tie.

Bahrain's charismatic Czech coach Milan Macala is confident the players have the passion, drive and enthusiasm to get a result. "Everyone is feeling good about the upcoming game and I believe we have a pretty good chance," he said.

Although he was disappointed at not having the advantage of a home victory to take with him, he knows the goalless first match was not the end of the world.

"If we score once it means they have to score twice. This is an important moment for us and we cannot afford to lose.

"We have to forget about what happened in Bahrain and the missed chances and focus on our next game.

"Once there we will run a few practice drills and wait for match day. It is a very good moment for us and our last difficult step to reaching our goal.

"We thank the fans for all their support. We feel it no matter where we are. Right now a lot of responsibility is riding on us and we will do our best to make the kingdom proud."

Football fans travelling to New Zealand to support the team - including GulfWeekly editor Stan Szecowka - alongside Bahraini students studying in the region and making the journey to support their heroes will be part of the country's largest-ever football crowd.

Tickets to the match at the 34,500 capacity Westpac Stadium in Wellington have sold out, spurring NZ Football to look at adding temporary seating.

The Bahrain players and coaches have been busy preparing for the task at a training camp in neighbouring Australia and arrive in Wellington tomorrow.

They will find the weather and the atmosphere a lot chillier than Sydney. Wellington is expected to be 14 degrees, the 'windy city' is expected to live up to its reputation with heavy swirls and according to locals it's been 'hosing down", which means raining heavily.

Groundsmen are understood to be planning to further soak the pitch should it look like drying because they believe playing on a heavy surface will prove advantageous to the home side.

Asked whether they had an eye on the cold climate unsettling their Middle East visitors when they opted for an 8pm kick-off, New Zealand Football chairman Frank van Hattum said it was more to meet television requirements. But, he added: "I hope the weather is crap."

The stadium is set alongside the New Zealand capital city's harbour. Surrounding hills encase the downtown area, which is just 2km in diameter and within a natural amphitheatre.

As for Macala, 65, the wily coach knows all about the mind games being played. "The players do not feel intimidated at all about the new environment or the weather conditions. In fact, it is easier for footballers to play in the cold. They soon warm up!" he said.