Blanco was called in as a technical advisor by Herbert - who doubles as Wellington Phoenix boss in the A-League - for New Zealand's final two World Cup qualifiers against Bahrain in October and November last year.

The move proved successful with the All-Whites booking their spot in South Africa following a dramatic 1-0 victory in Wellington on November 14.

"I'm delighted, it's the greatest accolade for anyone who loves the game. To be going to a World Cup is so special," Blanco told au.fourfourtwo.com today.

Herbert, who described Blanco as the closest thing he has to a coaching mentor, has often sought out the Argentine-born Blanco for advice over the years.

Now, Blanco gets a golden opportunity to show his worth on the greatest stage of all after missing out on World Cup qualification with the Socceroos.

"He'll be there with us all the way to the World Cup and in South Africa," confirmed Herbert after speaking with Blanco while he was in Sydney preparing for Phoenix's clash with the Mariners on New Year's Eve. 

Blanco, 68, played for Arsenal De Sarandi in the 1960s before emigrating to Australia where he began his coaching career in the late 1970s.

He rose to become assistant coach to Socceroo coach Terry Venables in 1997 and 1998 before taking over the senior post till 1999. In that time Blanco coached Australia to a victory over a World XI to celebrate the opening of Stadium Australia.

He also coached the Olyroos at the 2000 Sydney Olympics although they bombed out in the group stage.

As for the All-Whites' preparations, Herbert said the A-League players in the squad will be rested when the A-League season finishes. Then, they'll slot into an intensive training camp with the remainder of the non-European based Kiwis.

Following this period, they'll hook up with the remainder of the squad in Europe for a series of friendlies in May before arriving in South Africa to finalise preparations for the tournament.

New Zealand has been drawn to play Slovakia, Italy and Paraguay in Group F. The All-Whites play Mexico in the US on March 3.

Stick with au.fourfourtwo.com for the full interview with Ricki Herbert this week. He talks candidly about the All-Whites' chances against Italy, football's rise in popularity in New Zealand since qualification and how he plotted Bahrain's downfall.