Football at the forefront for Kiwis, for a change

Published Nov. 10, 2009 12:11 p.m. ET

foxsports

For the first time in almost three decades football will emerge from the shadow of rugby to command national attention when New Zealand plays for a World Cup spot on Saturday against Bahrain.

A crowd of more than 35,000 will pack Wellington's Westpac Stadium - the largest crowd for a football match in New Zealand's history - and thousands more will follow the action on giant screens at other Wellington locations.