OFC qualifying process for the 1994 FIFA World Cup™ in the USA featured six teams, the most in confederation history up to that point. Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji, were joined by first-timers Tahiti, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.
Six teams were split across two groups for the first phase of the competition, with the two group winners facing off in a home and away two-legged play-off.
The winner of the play-off would progress to a series of intercontinental play-offs for a place at the World Cup. The first round saw Australia joined by Tahiti and the Solomon Islands in Group A, whilst New Zealand were drawn alongside Fiji and Vanuatu in Group B.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Australia to start their qualifying campaign, requiring an 86th minute winner from Tom McCulloch to beat the Solomon Islands 2-1 on the road in Honiara. They proved too good from then on though, defeating Tahiti home and away, before wrapping up top spot in Group A with a 6-1 win over the Solomon Islands in the reverse fixture in Newcastle. Tahiti finished second after a 4-2 win over the Solomon Islands on the final matchday, but both sides faced an early elimination at the first hurdle.
New Zealand took control of Group B from the outset, winning all three of their opening matches, including an 8-0 victory at home to Vanuatu. That wrapped up top spot with a game to spare, and the All Whites finished with a 0-0 draw away in Fiji in their final fixture. Fiji finished second with two 3-0 victories over Vanuatu, but suffered elimination.
The second round of OFC qualifying pitted Australia and New Zealand against each other in a two-legged play-off. A second half goal from Graham Arnold proved crucial in setting the tone for the Socceroos, who claimed a 1-0 win away in Auckland, before wrapping up the tie 4-0 on aggregate with a commanding 3-0 victory at home in Melbourne. Carl Veart, Aurelio Vidmar, and Ned Zelic scored the goals in the second leg for Australia to secure progression to the intercontinental play-offs.
The first round of the intercontinental play-offs saw Australia face CONCACAF runners-up Canada. It proved an almighty battle, with both sides trading 2-1 victories in their respective home legs, to draw the tie 3-3 and send it to a penalty shoot-out. Mark Schwarzer became a hero for Australia, saving two spot kicks in front of a home crowd in Sydney, to help his side to a 4-1 win in the shoot-out and keep their FIFA World Cup™ hopes alive.
Former FIFA World Cup™ champions Argentina awaited Australia in the final round of intercontinental play-offs, and the Socceroos fought valiantly to hold their opponents to a 1-1 draw in the first leg at home in Sydney. A lively Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires proved a step too far though, as an Alex Tobin own goal consigned Australia to a 0-1 defeat in the second leg, and a heartbreaking 1-2 loss on aggregate. It was the second time Australia had missed out on the FIFA World Cup™ with defeat at the final hurdle in an intercontinental play-off.
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