Football Ferns v Costa Rica result: New Zealand snatch late winner to claim friendly victory

The Football Ferns celebrate a goal by Maya Hahn against Costa Rica. Photo / Photosport

Football Ferns midfielder Maya Hahn scored her first senior international goal and helped New Zealand win for the first time in 10 months with a 1-0 defeat of Costa Rica in San Jose.

Hahn - in her first tour with the senior national team - came on as a substitute in the 66th minute and scored in the 89th minute to give the world number 32 New Zealand a much-needed win over the world number 43 side.

Before the 23-year-old scored, New Zealand had not had a shot on target all game.

Football Ferns goalkeeper Vic Esson had kept New Zealand in the game with two acrobatic saves and gave the side a bit of a scare when she needed attention for a leg injury just prior to half-time. Esson was back on the field for the second half as neither team made changes at the break.

Had Esson needed to leave the field, it would have been a blow for the Football Ferns.

The Football Ferns played Costa Rica for the first time ever on Sunday in a game that ended in a 1-1 draw.

Interim coach Michael Mayne has made a point of introducing a new attacking style for the two matches against Costa Rica as they look ahead to the 2027 Football World Cup.

Hahn said the goal came as a surprise to her.

“I feel like I wasn’t expecting it, I was almost shocked when I saw it get in the back of the net but I was buzzing.

“It was a good team effort in the build up to the goal and I found myself with a bit of space on the top of the box and it’s a spot I like to shoot from and I was just stoked I could help the team get the win.”

The goal came off a set up from Macey Fraser who Hahn knows well but has not played with on the same team with very often.

“It was super nice that today we got the opportunity to be on the field together for a longer amount of time and just finding our connection again and I saw her dancing with the ball in the corner and I backed her to get the ball to the top of the box to me and she found it and put it on a plate for me so that was really nice.”

The Football Ferns are expected to be in action again when the OFC Women’s Nations Cup is held in Fiji in July.