All Whites coach Darren Bazeley believes his side have been handed a Fifa World Cup draw that gives them a strong chance to push for a spot in the knockout stages.
The draw for next year’s event took place in Washington DC on Saturday morning (NZ time), with New Zealandthe last name drawn out of the 48 balls and placed in Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt and Iran.
Overall, it was an excellent outcome for the All Whites, who avoided a group with two European nations and also sidestepped a South American side, which would have added another layer of unfamiliarity because of the limited fixtures against them.
Belgium are the highest ranked team in the group, currently eighth in the world, while Iran are 20th and Egypt 34th. New Zealand are 86th.
Despite their ranking, Belgium failed to advance out of pool play in 2022 after finishing third four years earlier, while Iran also didn’t advance in Qatar. Egypt didn’t qualify for the last World Cup and, like New Zealand, they’ve never won a game on football’s biggest stage.
“We knew whatever group we landed in was going to be tough,” Bazeley said. “When you look across some of the other groups, it could have been a bit worse.
“It’s going to be a challenge, we’re the lowest-ranked team in the whole tournament, but if everyone is fit and available and we perform on the day, we’re not scared of playing anyone.
“What we need now is to put that together over 90 minutes, be more ruthless with our final ball, our finishing and defend with the steel and determination we’ve shown recently. We know it’ll be tough, but the plan is to go there and get out of the group.”
In another boost for the All Whites, they will be based on the west coast with matches in Los Angeles, Seattle and Vancouver.
Canadian ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky draws out the card of New Zealand during the Fifa World Cup draw. Photo / Getty
Exact dates and timings will be confirmed on Sunday, but with direct flights between New Zealand and Los Angeles and Vancouver, it will make it easier for fans to make the trip across, while the climate will be less of a challenge, compared to playing matches in Texas or Mexico.
The All Whites have never played Belgium and only faced Iran twice, with their last meeting being in 2003 when they lost 3-0. Egypt edged New Zealand 1-0 in a friendly two years ago, one of three meetings between the two nations, when both sides were missing several star players.
The increase to 48 teams at the World Cup means the eight best third-ranked teams will advance to the round of 32.
With all of that in mind, Bazeley said he and the players are hopeful the pieces of the jigsaw will come together when the World Cup rolls around.
“It’s still going to be a really tough challenge,” Bazeley said. ”We’ve not played a team in the top 10 for a while.
“I think it’s an exciting group, and one we’re not scared of and we’ll prepare properly for.
“I think we’ve not been at full strength in the last three years. So, the key for us now is getting to the World Cup and having everybody fit and available, and then we need to perform.”
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.
