The gap between New Zealand and its Oceania football rivals is closing quickly if the Thai Airways Junior All Whites third-placed finish at the OFC U-20 Championship is anything to go by.

A ten-man Junior All Whites side were beaten 1-2 by OFC U-20 Championship hosts Tahiti on Tuesday and now face an uphill battle to qualify for next year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt.

The Thai Airways Junior All Whites took their first positive steps on the Road to Egypt 2009 with a 3-0 win over Fiji at the Oceania U-20 Championship in sweltering Tahiti conditions on Sunday.