Coach Darren Bazeley leads the All Whites into the crucial phase of their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification process because he believes previous disappointments will motivate his team to achieve this goal. New Zealand’s national team known as All Whites under the captainship of Chris Wood has only two wins left to achieve their first World Cup berth since 2010. The team holds excellent chances to beat Fiji in their Wellington encounter on Friday before taking on another regional competition on Monday. The rise in tournament teams to 48 means Oceania’s best team will automatically qualify thus providing New Zealand an excellent chance to create soccer history.
New Zealand’s Past Heartbreaks Fuel Their World Cup Ambitions
At various World Cup qualifiers New Zealand failed at the last step by having to compete in intercontinental play-offs resulting in losses against Mexico Peru and Costa Rica. The past disappointments have made head coach Darren Bazeley believe his team became more determined because of them. According to Bazeley the team has many players who felt the painful rejection of missing out during previous qualification attempts and it continues to distress them to this day. New Zealand wants to ensure it grabs onto this direct qualification opportunity that belongs to Oceania’s leading team.
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New Zealand’s Path To FIFA 2026 World Cup Qualification
As the world ranks New Zealand at number 89 the team expects victory over part-time player Fiji at number 148 before playing either New Caledonia or Tahiti in Auckland for the decisive match. The remaining member of the 2010 World Cup team Captain Chris Wood recognises the historic importance of this achievement. As Wood explains in his current successful Premier League season those difficulties will push you toward more significant achievements. The All Whites need two final victories to achieve their goal of returning to the World Cup which has become increasingly within reach.
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