The back-to-back New Zealand Championship title holders will be captained Neil Sykes.

Auckland City coach Roger Wilkinson also named New Zealand Championship player of the year Grant Young, top-scorer Keryn Jordan and new Japanese signing Teruo Iwamoto to the squad that was announced on the club's official website and sent to FIFA.

The New Zealand giants consider the CWC to be "the biggest occasion in New Zealand club football history".

Humble about his team's chances in Japan, Auckland City club president Ivan Vuksich said that the team's objective was to play with credibility”.

"The reality is we have to perform for Oceania," Vuksich told www.aucklandcityfc.com.

Auckland City kick-off their CWC campaign against African Champions Ahli of Egypt.

Auckland City's squad:

Goalkeepers: Ross Nicholson, Richard Gillespie, Mark Fulcher

Defenders: Ben Sigmund, Jonathan Perry, James Pritchett, Cole Tinkler, Dean Gordon, Paul Vodanovich, Greg Uhlmann, Riki Van Steeden

Midfielders: Jason Hayne, Paul Seaman, Liam Mulrooney, Jonathan Smith, Neil Sykes, Teruo Iwamoto, Chad Coombes, Bryan Little

Forwards: Paul Urlovic, Grant Young, Keryn Jordan, Luiz Del Monte