DES Buckingham came agonisingly close to creating history at the Under 20 World Cup.

The former Oxford United coach, from Cowley, went into the tournament in Poland targeting a first quarter-final appearance for his New Zealand side.

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After finishing second in their group, the last-16 tie with Colombia finished 1-1 after extra-time.

But the South Americans came out on top, 5-4 on penalties.

Buckingham said: “It’s a horrible way to exit the tournament, especially when you’re that close to creating history, but I couldn’t be prouder of every one of them.”