Football: Five changes to All Whites squad as they continue World Cup build-up
Chris Wood of New Zealand celebrates his goal with Ben Old of New Zealand.
Photo:
PHOTOSPORT
All Whites coach Darren Bazeley has made five changes from the squad that
qualified for the World Cup
for next month's internationals against Cote d'Ivoire and Ukraine.
Defenders Finn Surman, Callan Elliot and Bill Tuiloma, goalkeeper Nik Tzanev and attacker Ben Old have all been included.
Tim Payne misses the matches as he awaits the birth of a child, while Oliu Sail, Jesse Randall, Logan Rogerson and Storm Roux are missing from the squad that played the Oceania World Cup qualifiers.
The All Whites (FIFA rank 86) face Côte d'Ivoire (41) and Ukraine (25) in the Canadian Shield Tournament in Toronto, Canada.
With only five international windows before he is set to name his FIFA World Cup 2026 squad, Bazeley will be looking to give opportunities to a range of players to prove they deserve a place at the tournament next year.
Old has returned from injury and Surman is back after it was agreed between his Portant Timbers club and All Whites coaching staff he would miss the previous international window.
Samoa's Jarvis Vaai New Zealand's Finn Surman. FIFA World Cup 2026 - OFC Qualifiers, Samoa v New Zealand, Go Media Stadium Auckland, Monday 18 November 2024.
Photo:
Shane Wenzlick / Phototek.nz
"We have been lucky to play a number of home games over the last few windows, but it has always been the plan that heading into the FIFA World Cup next year we need to test ourselves, playing away, against a range of teams we could face in 2026," Bazeley said.
"To face two top 50 sides, in a tournament situation, in one of the FIFA World Cup 2026 host venues, is the perfect challenge for us.
"We have made a few changes to the squad from March which gives us the opportunity to look at some different players in the environment."
The All Whites will face Côte d'Ivoire on Sunday 8 June at 11am NZT (Saturday 7 June at 7pm local time) followed by Ukraine on Wednesday 11 June at 9am NZT (Tuesday 10 June at 5pm local time).
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter
curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
16 minutes ago
- RNZ News
Midday Sports News for 4 June 2025
The Football Ferns coach Michael Mayne was pleased with the response of the players after making some personnel changes for this morning's second game against Venezuela, which New Zealand won 2-1 to tie the two match series 1-all. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RNZ News
24 minutes ago
- RNZ News
World Cup dreams come true for rising young chess stars
Two 11-year-old Aucklanders are excited to compete in the Chess World Cup later this month. Sai Vivan Karthikeya Somaraju and Luna Lu will compete in the Under 12 Open and Under 12 Girls competitions at the FIDE world cup in Batumi, Georgia. Having won numerous titles in New Zealand and abroad, the pair aren't unfamiliar names in the domestic chess community. The duo was supposed to attend the 2023 World Cup in Egypt but dropped out at the last minute due to concerns about hostilities in Gaza. Sai Vivan Karthikeya Somaraju and Luna Lu play a game of chess in May. Photo: RNZ / Yiting Lin Born in Madanapalle, India, Sai came to New Zealand when he was 7 months old and was introduced to chess by his grandfather at the age of 6. "When I started chess, I was playing with my grandfather, and I used to lose to him consistently. Then I got my determination to beat him and eventually I did," Sai said. "And also, my uncle. He used to beat me even after I started beating my grandfather. That's where I got my real chess play after beating both of them." His recent achievements include second place in the Asian Championship in Australia in 2023 for Under 12 and a gold medal for under 10. Sai Vivan Karthikeya Somaraju is excited to compete at the upcoming Chess World Cup. Photo: RNZ / Yiting Lin Sai said he attended club nights at different places around Auckland every week and did puzzles and read books to prepare for the competition. "I'm nervous, but I'm confident," he said. "I'm hoping to at least get in the top three." Sai said lessons could be learnt from chess. "It teaches you about patience and it helps you in real life as well," the 11-year-old said. "I want to go in business when I grow up and there's a lot to do with business chess. If you know chess well, then you can make good moves in business." Sai's mum, Vyshnavi Bandi, said representing New Zealand was a "dream come true" for the young boy. "When he was 7 years old, I can still remember that he wanted to represent New Zealand," Bandi said. "He wanted to go out of the country. ... I'm very proud of him." Sai Vivan Karthikeya Somaraju and Luna Lu stand with their parents at the Auckland Chess Centre in May. Photo: RNZ / Yiting Lin Luna Lu came to New Zealand from Hangzhou, China, when she was 2 years old. She became intrigued by chess pieces when the then-8-year-old was reading a book about board games during the Covid-19 pandemic. Although Luna haven't been playing chess for long, she has won a lot of awards. Luna came ninth in the world cup in Georgia last year. "I remember the food was really yummy. ... It was like a buffet, and every day it was like different food, so you don't get bored of it," Luna said. "I think maybe now that I'm older, I think I might feel more confident than last year." Luna Lu also participated at the Chess World Cup last year. Photo: RNZ / Yiting Lin Luna's mother, Sandy Wen, also expressed pride in her daughter, noting that she worked hard for the opportunity. "I always feel that chess is like a calm and wise guide, gently leading Luna to discover more possibilities on her journey of growth," Wen said. "She has learned to face challenges bravely, to be tenacious in difficult situations and not to give up easily. ... These qualities are more precious than winning or losing and will make her more confident and resilient in life. "I didn't like setting a high expectation for her. ... I think as long as she is doing her best and she is having fun, that's great." Auckland Chess Centre president Bruce Wheeler Photo: RNZ / Yiting Lin Auckland Chess Centre president Bruce Wheeler said chess had become more popular in New Zealand in recent years. "More people realise it gives their children a form of advantage, helping them to learn about concentration, discipline, competition, visualisation and the rewards of hard work," he said. Wheeler said it was "excellent" that Sai and Luna were going to this event, and his advice was to "play hard". "The only thing you can control in the game is how much effort you put in," he said. New Zealand Chess Federation president Craig Hall said it was an honour that New Zealand was invited to participate in the world cup. "Just qualifying at all is difficult and is a testament to the work put in by players, parents, coaches, clubs, volunteers, the New Zealand Chess Federation Council, sponsors and donors," Hall said. He also said both Sai and Luna were "very strong juniors with excellent results in NZ tournaments". "It's a tough field - making the top 10 would be a very strong performance," he said.
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
Boxing: David Nyika to fight journeyman after brutal knockdown
Australian Jai Opetaia knocks down opponent David Nyika of New Zealand during the Ring Magazine and IBF World Cruiserweight title fight in Gold Coast, 2025. Photo: AAP / New Zealand boxer David Nyika is set to step back in the ring for his first fight since his brutal loss to Jai Opetaia. The Olympic bronze medallist and two-time Commonwealth Games champion will take on Kiwi journeyman Nik Charalampous in Sydney next month. The fight is part of the undercard to the Sonny Bill Williams-Paul Gallen fight on 16 July . Nyika, 29, was knocked out by Australian Opetaia in the fourth round of their IBF world cruiserweight title fight in January. It was his first defeat in his brief professional career. "I'm ready," said Nyika. "My journey restarts here. "Fair play to Jai, he was the better fighter on the night. But true champions get back up again when they get knocked down - and I have no doubt I am going to be world champion." Veteran boxer Charalampous has a 23-6-2 record. "I think Nyika is an overrated pretty boy," Charalampous said. "One of us went 10 rounds with Jai Opetaia, the other got stopped. I'm ready to go hard!"
