With midfielder Tim Brown still to fully recover from a shoulder injury, coach Ricki Herbert has hinted at keeping the same XI that started their drawn Group F opener against Slovakia.

Winston Reid scored a dramatic late equaliser on Tuesday as the All Whites began their first World Cup campaign since 1982 with an impressive 1-1 draw in Rustenburg.

Now the Kiwis face their greatest challenge as they take on Marcello Lippi's world champions at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit tomorrow.

Herbert said: "It's hard to go past a side that's created more history.

"It's a different type of proposition, a different type of team to play against, but I don't think it will be far away."