Peru open World Cup play-off against New Zealand tomorrow

WELLINGTON, Nov 9 (AFP): High-flying Peru open their World Cup play-off against New Zealand on Saturday as red-hot favourites to win the two-legged tie and end a 36-year absence from football's showpiece tournament.

On paper, it should be no contest -- "Los Incas" are currently at an all-time high of 10th in the FIFA world rankings, above the likes of England (12), Italy (15) and fellow South Americans Uruguay (17).

Oceania champions New Zealand lie 112 places beneath them and no team in play-off history has overcome such a ranking discrepancy to reach the World Cup. But Peru suffered a major blow in the lead-up to the first leg in Wellington when goal-scoring talisman Paolo Guerrero of Brazilian giants Flamengo was suspended over an "abnormal result" from a drugs test.

They also face a potentially tricky opponent in New Zealand, with skipper Winston Reid (West Ham) marshalling the defence and striker Chris Wood (Burnley) looking to continue his fine form in the English Premier League.

The physical All Whites want to avoid conceding away goals at Wellington's Westpac Stadium, piling further pressure on a young Peru team already shouldering a huge weight of expectations.

The South Americans have not qualified for a World Cup since 1982 and President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski made it clear when the team left for New Zealand that they were carrying the dreams of a football-mad nation.