If the Football Ferns needed any reminder of the World Cup challenge facing them, they received it at Wellington Airport, as they arrived for a potentially historic clash against the Philippines on Tuesday.
With victory, the NZ women can progress to the tournament playoffs for the first time in six attempts, after their upset of former champions Norway in their opening game.
Ranked 20 spots above the Philippines in the world, the Ferns defeated their rivals last September, but know they can't rest on their laurels against the Asian zone upstarts.
Touching down in the capital, with their opponents on the same flight from Auckland, the New Zealand team were greeted by a small, but enthusiastic band of Philippines supporters, who promise to make their presences felt at Wellington Regional Stadium.
"We came all the way here to follow the Philippine team," Alyssa Flanigan told Newshub. "It's been a great journey.
"Everyone involved in the whole process has been wonderful. We're just really excited to be here and seeing them perform."
The Flanigans are here to support daughter Isabella, 18, from their hometown of Fairmont, West Virginia. Forward Isabella Flanigan plays for West Virginia University and claims Philippine eligibility through her mother.
Thier favourite part of New Zealand so far - less grease in their McDonald's.
"New Zealand's going to lose," said father Bill. "We were in Dunedin and there were a ton of fans, we were really impressed."
The Philippines have already fallen 2-0 to Switzerland in their opener, but can also draw on strong support from the local Filipino community, which numbered 72,612 in the 2018 census.
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Join Newshub at 5:30pm Tuesday for live updates of the NZ v Philippines World Cup clash
