Forget Australia, South Africa or even France. For one week, New Zealand's greatest sporting rival is the sleepy South American nation of Peru.
On Saturday, the All Whites host the 10th-ranked team in the final step towards World Cup football qualification. The opening game of the home-and-away format is scheduled for Wellington's Westpac Stadium, kicking off at 4:15pm.
The return match is set for the Estadio Nacional de Lima in Peru's capital on Thursday, November 16, 3:15pm (NZT).
In terms of world sporting powers, the Blanquirroja ('Red-and-Whites') fly far under the radar, but in the spirit of cultural exchange, here are some things you should know about the country that stands between us and a trip to Russia next year.
The country, the people
Peru occupies 1.2m square kilometres on the Pacific west coast of South America, bordered by Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia and Chile.
An estimated population of 31.8 million makes it the 43rd biggest in the world. Forty-five percent of the Peruvians are indigenous, while Spanish is the official language.
Machu Picchu
While Peruvian civilisation dates back to 9000 BC, the Incas emerged as a powerful state during the 15th century, occupying most of the Andes and numbering up to 16 million.
The most famous landmark to emerge from this period was Machu Picchu, a citadel constructed for Emperor Pachacuti, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007.
As Peru's most popular tourist attraction, Machu Picchu faces significant risk of ruin and UNESCO has also considered putting the site on its World Heritage in Danger list.
The Incan Empire eventually fell, when Spaniard Francisco Pizarro defeated Emperor Atahualpa at the Battle of Cajamarca in 1532.
Lake Titicaca
Peru consists of three main regions - a narrow coastal plain, the Andes mountains and jungle.
Lake Titicaca, on the border of Peru and Bolivia, is the largest lake in South America, based on volume of water (893 cubic kilometres) and surface area (8372 square kilometres).
Mining
Peru is considered an "upper middle income" economy by the World Bank and has the 50th-largest GDP in the world, two spots ahead of New Zealand.
Peru's main exports are copper, gold, zinc, textiles and fish, and its major trade partners are the United States, China, Brazil and Chile.
Llamas vs alpacas
These two remarkably similar species are both native to Peru, but are very different animals.
They are both categorised as camelids, but alpacas are herd animals, shy, quiet and intelligent, whereas llamas are more independent and anti-social, often biting, spitting or kicking.
Alpacas have straight ears, a shorter face and are generally half the size of llamas, which have curved or banana-shaped ears.
Llamas are used as pack-carrying animals, while alpacas are bred for their fleece.
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Football and… more football
Peru are ranked 10th in the world and qualified for this playoff by finishing fifth in the South American confederation, behind Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Colombia.
They have contested four previous World Cup tournaments, most recently in 1982, and won the inaugural Fair Play Trophy in 1970, as the only team without red or yellow cards during the event.
Peru reached the quarter-finals in 1970 and 1978. They have also won the Copa America twice, in 1939 and 1975.
Football is by far the most popular sport in Peru and a core component of its culture.
Olympics
Peru has only won four Olympic medals since debuting at Berlin in 1936.
Shooter Edwin Vasquez won the 50-metre pistol event at the 1948 London Games, while fellow marksmen Francisco Boza and Juan Giha took silver medals in trap and skeet competition in 1984 and 1992 respectively.
The only other success came in 1988, when the women's volleyball team won silver medals behind the Soviet Union. Volleyball is the top sport for women in Peru and the national team is currently ranked 15th in the world.
Fighting
The beaches of Peru offer magnificent surfing conditions, while combat sports - especially boxing and taekwondo - are very popular.
Unfortunately, Peruvians also enjoy watching animals fight. Cockfighting is legal and most towns have at least one arena, where fans can bet on outcomes.
Bullfighting is another gruesome spectacle, especially in the capital of Lima, but polls suggest this past-time is actually falling in popularity.
Newshub.
