In a sudden turn of events, All Whites coach, Ricki Herbert has announced that he will step down from his role as All Whites head coach at the end of the World Cup qualifying campaign - likely to be this Wednesday night when New Zealand host Mexico in the 2nd leg of their intercontinental playoff tie where they have to overcome a 5-1 deficit to make their 2nd World Cup Finals in a row.
Ricki Herbert has been coach of New Zealand's national football side since 2005 and has overseen a period of tremendous success for the game in this country which has been mostly in the shadows of both rugby codes and netball.
He came in having to rejuvenate an All Whites team that had just crashed out of qualifying for the 2006 World Cup Finals to the Solomon Islands.
Through dour but effective football, the All Whites took over the vacant number one spot left by Australia who joined the AFC and dominated the OFC before overcoming Bahrain in a memorable playoff to make their first World Cup Finals in 2010.
There, they finished as the only unbeaten side at the World Cup Finals - including eventual champions, Spain and finalists Holland who would have usurped them had they won the Final - with credible draws against world champions, Italy and the likes of Paraguay and Slovakia.
Expectations were high that the All Whites would repeat that feat albeit against tougher opposition from CONCACAF but Herbert's tactics and his aging players were found out by the skillful and higher ranked Mexicans and the All Whites are realistically out of the World Cup Finals.
Herbert's reign may be about to end on a whimper but New Zealand football owes a huge debt to the former All Whites defender who has helped to revive interest in the national game in recent years.
Thanks Rickie, and let's hope New Zealand Football can find a coach who can build on Rickie's legacy.
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