'Hurting' New Zealand determined to reach World Cup, says coach / Photo: KARIM JAAFAR - AFP
CMSC
0.0900
Zürcher Nachrichten - 'Hurting' New Zealand determined to reach World Cup, says coach
EUR
-
AFN 80.076356
ALL 98.400168
AMD 439.205208
ANG 2.066938
AOA 1057.907952
ARS 1365.09794
AUD 1.775655
AWG 2.078858
AZN 1.96742
BAM 1.960734
BBD 2.315366
BDT 140.132627
BGN 1.962119
BHD 0.435595
BIF 3414.139085
BMD 1.154921
BND 1.475176
BOB 7.924008
BRL 6.394913
BSD 1.146715
BTN 98.114895
BWP 15.35203
BYN 3.752808
BYR 22636.455958
BZD 2.303436
CAD 1.577085
CDF 3322.707691
CHF 0.94131
CLF 0.028113
CLP 1078.822976
CNY 8.307692
CNH 8.291445
COP 4826.854658
CRC 582.606416
CUC 1.154921
CUP 30.605412
CVE 110.543169
CZK 24.772021
DJF 204.2074
DKK 7.459613
DOP 67.654932
DZD 150.704782
EGP 57.408365
ERN 17.323818
ETB 156.49649
FJD 2.593664
FKP 0.851994
GBP 0.85135
GEL 3.164433
GGP 0.851994
GHS 11.811825
GIP 0.851994
GMD 81.422044
GNF 9936.347781
GTQ 8.812175
GYD 240.587493
HKD 9.064948
HNL 29.925117
HRK 7.540826
HTG 150.394962
HUF 400.99208
IDR 18735.247561
ILS 4.125916
IMP 0.851994
INR 98.863572
IQD 1502.232218
IRR 48622.183982
ISK 143.649285
JEP 0.851994
JMD 183.382575
JOD 0.818856
JPY 166.117521
KES 149.139244
KGS 100.997543
KHR 4601.779056
KMF 494.885884
KPW 1039.407955
KRW 1563.428877
KWD 0.353371
KYD 0.955638
KZT 584.059946
LAK 24751.713383
LBP 102748.132807
LKR 342.788523
LRD 229.349116
LSL 20.437297
LTL 3.410182
LVL 0.698601
LYD 6.26593
MAD 10.543248
MDL 19.775276
MGA 5193.338222
MKD 61.714496
MMK 2424.543995
MNT 4134.146537
MOP 9.27083
MRU 45.343242
MUR 52.537386
MVR 17.791587
MWK 2006.098664
MXN 21.879584
MYR 4.881269
MZN 73.857492
NAD 20.442969
NGN 1773.786062
NIO 42.197647
NOK 11.564659
NPR 156.994934
NZD 1.913388
OMR 0.444078
PAB 1.146685
PEN 4.196407
PGK 4.717033
PHP 64.319886
PKR 323.845836
PLN 4.263617
PYG 9150.183809
QAR 4.182324
RON 5.033128
RSD 117.282075
RUB 92.680218
RWF 1627.193263
SAR 4.3326
SBD 9.636525
SCR 16.695427
SDG 693.534938
SEK 10.961848
SGD 1.479396
SHP 0.907587
SLE 25.437121
SLL 24218.120819
SOS 655.388932
SRD 43.129952
STD 23904.537526
SVC 10.034598
SYP 15016.255
SZL 20.401043
THB 37.523157
TJS 11.467356
TMT 4.042224
TND 3.41359
TOP 2.704941
TRY 45.402754
TTD 7.783722
TWD 33.894743
TZS 2973.923249
UAH 47.602271
UGX 4112.383934
USD 1.154921
UYU 47.509965
UZS 14533.69817
VES 115.739507
VND 30068.374024
VUV 138.40074
WST 3.171994
XAF 657.651763
XAG 0.032153
XAU 0.000344
XCD 3.121233
XDR 0.817879
XOF 657.628928
XPF 119.331742
YER 281.050653
ZAR 20.629948
ZMK 10395.677883
ZMW 28.410985
ZWL 371.884162
- Disasters loom over South Asia with forecast of a hotter, wetter monsoon
- Chinese woman detained over BTS Jungkook attempted break-in
- Oman to host US-Iran nuclear talks on Sunday
- UK economy shrinks in April as US tariffs kick in
- Poland coach quits after Lewandowski boycott and World Cup qualifier loss
- Israel says Hamas 'weaponising suffering in Gaza' as aid workers killed
- Jones tells Japan to run wounded Wales 'off their feet' in the heat
- Shares stumble after Trump's latest trade threat
- Japan, China trade barbs over fighter jet manoeuvres
- 122 million forcibly displaced worldwide 'untenably high': UN
- Disasters loom over South Asia with forecast of a hotter, wetter monsoon
- Chinese woman detained over BTS Jungkook attempted break-in
- Oman to host US-Iran nuclear talks on Sunday
- UK economy shrinks in April as US tariffs kick in
- Poland coach quits after Lewandowski boycott and World Cup qualifier loss
- Israel says Hamas 'weaponising suffering in Gaza' as aid workers killed
- Jones tells Japan to run wounded Wales 'off their feet' in the heat
- Shares stumble after Trump's latest trade threat
- Japan, China trade barbs over fighter jet manoeuvres
- 122 million forcibly displaced worldwide 'untenably high': UN
'Hurting' New Zealand determined to reach World Cup, says coach
Heartbreaking near-misses will fire "hurting" New Zealand to their first football World Cup since 2010, their coach Darren Bazeley said on Wednesday, with the country two wins from the finals.
Led by Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood, New Zealand are strong favourites to beat amateurs Fiji on Friday in Wellington and then seal qualification for 2026 by beating another regional minnow on Monday.
The World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico has been expanded to 48 teams, meaning direct qualification for the best team from Oceania.
Previously the side that topped qualifying in Oceania would have to go through an intercontinental play-off, with New Zealand consequently missing out on recent World Cups at the final hurdle.
"What we have now is a lot of players who experienced the hurt of not qualifying, whether that was (against) Mexico, Peru or Costa Rica, and it hurts, the players are hurting," said the Englishman Bazeley.
"Some of the players know that they missed out on these moments, so that makes it more challenging for Fiji, knowing that we have a team that won't be complacent.
"They are ready and know they have this opportunity in front of them, and they are ready to take it."
He added: "It's a been a while since we went to the World Cup and we are determined to go back there."
New Zealand have been to the World Cup twice, in 1982 and 2010, but are yet to win a game on the biggest stage of all.
They are ranked 89th in the world and will be expected to easily beat a Fiji side ranked 148th and whose players include police officers and construction workers.
That would set up a decisive match, in Auckland, with either New Caledonia or Tahiti next week for a World Cup spot.
Captain Wood, who is enjoying the best season of his career at age 33, called the two matches "massive for us as a nation".
"Those hardships that you go through strive you on for bigger and better things, and that's what this moment has in time," said the striker, who is among the top scorers this season in the Premier League with 18 goals.
"We've got a chance on Friday to do something great and I do believe Oceania should have automatic entry (to the World Cup) since a long time ago.
"This is truly a fair way of doing it and our confederation should be represented in some sort of way."
Wood is the sole remaining member of the New Zealand squad from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
L.Zimmermann--NZN
