Aussies seethe over hijack of Oceania's World Cup qualification

The Australian football community is in shock after losing the Oceania Confederation's automatic place at the 2006 and 2010 World Cup finals promised by FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

FIFA's executive committee at a meeting in Paris on Saturday voted overwhelmingly 22-1 to give Oceania's half a slot to the South Americans after strong lobbying from the South American federation, CONMEBOL.

Blatter had made getting Oceania an automatic berth one of his campaign pledges when he was running for his second term.

Oceania Confederation president Basil Scarsella said the decision "is a disgrace and I think it is politically driven to accommodate the powerful South Americans.

"It's unethical, it's immoral, call it what you like."

Australian coach Frank Farina blasted FIFA's decision, which he said was made for the benefit of the game's superpowers and not in world soccer's best interests.

"It's a disgrace. It's a political decision," Farina said. "FIFA should tear up its motto 'for the good of the game' and throw it out the window.

"It's a decision made for the benefit of the superpowers. This is a vote for the most powerful, not for the good of the game."

Farina said the decision was a massive setback for Australian soccer and said the Oceania confederation, of which Australia and New Zealand are the dominant countries, may as well be scrapped.

He said it would be better for Australia to be part of the Asian confederation.

"What's the point of having an Oceania confederation? They've got no respect for the region," he said.

Farina said the best option now for the Socceroos, made up wholly of overseas-based players who beat England 3-1 in London last February, was for playoff teams from Asia, South America, Central/North America and Oceania to qualify for the World Cup finals in a round-robin group.

Blatter said the FIFA backflip had been based on a number of factors, including New Zealand's poor performance in the Confederations Cup and administrative problems, especially in Australia.

New Zealand was the worst-performed team at this month's Confederations Cup tournament in France, losing all three of its games and scoring one goal while conceding 11.

Australia's governing body, Soccer Australia, is in disarray with three recalcitrant directors holding up the installation of a new board as recommended by a government-backed inquiry into the troubled domestic game.

Scarsella, a former Soccer Australia chairman, said the FIFA about-turn hinged on backroom deals more than anything to do with Soccer Australia's travails.

"There were rumours around over the past couple of days because FIFA had undertaken research in regards to having 32 or 36 teams," said Scarsella, who was in Paris when the FIFA vote was taken.

"The market wanted 32 so there were some backroom deals done and, at the end of the day, Oceania is the weakest and we lose the extra half spot. Self interest gave way to commonsense."

The last time a team from the Oceania confederation qualified for the World Cup finals was New Zealand in 1982. Australia made their one and only appearance at the finals in Germany in 1974.