Winston Reid was living the high life with West Ham team-mates in Dubai last week while the All Whites were playing in nearby Oman.
Reid is still recovering from a hip injury suffered five weeks ago and was not selected for the match in Muscat by New Zealand coach Anthony Hudson.
Hudson gave Reid a leave pass for the match to give him more time to recover after the central defender made his first start in five weeks for West Ham against Everton last weekend.
Hudson said Reid's absence from the All Whites trip was a decision made in the best interests of the player and his national team with the New Zealand coach in close contact with both his captain and West Ham manager Slaven Bilic.
"As I referenced in the press conference before we left, we would make a decision based upon all the evidence we had from club, player and medical staff," Hudson said.
"Taking into account this game was a friendly, with only one game in this window, and Winston had only played 90 minutes for over four weeks, we then felt it was in the best interest for the All Whites and Winston to stay and continue his rehab with his club and not to jump on a flight immediately after his game on Saturday, and then potentially not even play for us.
"The club allowed Winston to have a few days off in Dubai on the following Thursday, subject to him continuing his rehab programme while away. This trip and flight was at least five days after his last game and he would have had plenty of rehab leading up to it. This is a very different scenario to coming with us immediately after his club game five or six days earlier.
"Winston is an ultimate professional and a great example to young players in New Zealand and the captain out of our national team. His commitment to the All Whites is unquestioned."