The All Whites, one of the lowest ranked sides in the World Cup in South Africa, notched their first ever point in the sport's biggest tournament on Tuesday, giving them an outside chance of a place in the knockout rounds.
The 1-1 draw against Slovakia has captured the imagination of New Zealand supporters and observers ahead of Sunday's game against Italy in Nelspruit.
"It's a good group of guys and there seems to be a bit of that X-factor that you can't quite put your finger on, and you work to keep it that way," veteran midfielder Simon Elliott told reporters after training at Daveyton, near Johannesburg.
'CAN COPE'
"We've got nothing to lose, nobody is expecting anything from us," he said. "We're just going out there to prove to ourselves that we can cope against the top level teams."
"There's no pressure on him. If he's ready and we think he's right and he's good enough to be in the team, he will make the team," coach Ricki Herbert said. "I think it's a possibility (he will start on Sunday)."
