1982 : NZ Soccer's Glory Days Trivia Quiz

Answer: Australia

New Zealand's opening match was at Mt Smart Stadium (now Ericson Stadium) in Auckland on Anzac Day, 25th April 1981.

Answer: All Whites

New Zealand's best known sporting team is the national men's rugby team, known as the All Blacks. The world-beating rugby team's playing strip was basically all black. During the 1981-82 World Cup qualifying and at the finals tournament, the New Zealand men's soccer team wore a basically all white strip, which led to the nickname. Most New Zealand sporting team's have nicknames, including the Tall Blacks (basketball), Black Caps (cricket), Silver Ferns (netball), Black Sox (softball) and White Ferns (women's cricket).

Answer: John Adshead

English-born Adshead had coached professionally overseas for many years, including in Oman, but returned to New Zealand in 2005 to coach New Zealand's first professional soccer team, the Auckland-based Football Kingz, in the Australian national soccer competition, the A-League.

Answer: 15

This was a world record, and they had to travel 55,000 miles in the process! All home matches were played in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city.

Answer: Steve Sumner

Steve Sumner, known as "captain fantastic", was born in England and moved to New Zealand in 1973. He played 105 matches for New Zealand from his debut (against Burma) in 1976 until he retired from international soccer in 1988.

Answer: Steve Sumner

The six goals were scored in New Zealand's 13-0 win over Fiji in Auckland, which was also a new world record. Earlier in the campaign, New Zealand had beaten Fiji 4-0 in Suva.

Answer: Richard Wilson

The record clean slate began after the final goal was conceded in New Zealand's opening match on 25th April 1981, and ended nine matches later when New Zealand conceded a goal against Kuwait in Auckland on 10th October 1981.

Answer: Japan

After winning the Oceania group (comprising New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Taiwan and Indonesia), New Zealand qualified for the final Asian qualifying group, with the top two teams progressing to the World Cup. Kuwait topped the group, with New Zealand second (after a sudden death playoff), China third and Saudi Arabia fourth.

Answer: Frank van Hattum

Despite not playing a single minute during the 15-match qualifying process, Frank van Hattum was selected to play all three matches at the World Cup. He conceded 12 goals, and went on to play a total of 44 matches for New Zealand.

Answer: Brian Turner

Brian Turner (aged 31) made the last of his 102 international appearances when he came off the bench against Brazil at the World Cup. He scored nine goals in the qualifying campaign, with Steve Sumner scoring eight (including his world record six against Fiji), Grant Turner eight and Wynton Rufer four.

However, Wynton Rufer (just 19 at the World Cup) went on to a glamourous career, playing professionally in Germany and Switzerland and being named "Oceania Player of the Century". Rufer was also the inaugural player/coach of New Zealand's first professional soccer team, the Auckland-based Football Kingz, which played in the Australian based National Soccer League (which became the A-League in 2005).