Winston Reid says his New Zealand side are ready to handle the pressure as they face Peru in a FIFA World Cup qualification play-off over two legs this week.
The All Whites are aiming to qualify for their third World Cup finals tournament and second in three editions, following their unbeaten appearance in South Africa in 2010.
Reid was part of the squad which claimed group stage draws against Italy, Paraguay and Slovakia in that tournament and he would love an opportunity to represent his country in another World Cup.
New Zealand play the first leg of their play-off in Wellington on Saturday, before heading to Peru for Wednesday night's second leg.
He said: “We have had the toughest route to go through. The year we qualified for the World Cup, in 2010, we went through Asia and Bahrain in a play-off. Then FIFA changed it and put us into a play-off with a CONCACAF nation and we had to play Mexico in 2014 and lost.
“Then they changed us again and we have to play against a South American team, so it is the toughest route. If you asked a European team to go and play against any South American team, they’d find it tough. In saying that, you have to prepare for any team you get in the draw and we got Peru.
“There are going to be moments that we're going to have the upper hand, and there are going to be moments where the other team's going to have the upper hand.
"I think it's just about managing those situations, and trying to steer the ship through those waters. We've got a good senior group here."