The Nottingham Forest striker scores a brace in the defeat which takes the favorites for Oceania’s place at the 2026 World Cup top of Group B
Under the guidance of Chris Wood, top scorer of Nottingham Forest (ING), New Zealand suffered a tough defeat this Friday (15/11) in the second round of the Oceania qualifiers. At home at FMG Waikato in Hamilton they hosted Vanuatu and scored 8-1. With this they reach six points in Group B. Vanuatu shares second place with Tahiti, with three points. Samoa has zero.
Chris Wood scored two goals, as did Tyler Bindon. Garbett, Just, Singh and McCowatt scored the other goals for the New Zealanders, who should easily win all their matches and secure a continental place for the 2026 World Cup without the slightest difficulty. Vanuatu scored with Tasipmas in a stunning goal.
Watch Japan’s defeat in the Asian qualifiers here
Oceania Qualifying Regulations
In the Oceania qualifiers, at this stage, eight teams are divided into two groups of four, who play in rounds and return legs. The top two from each group advance to the semi-finals (1st x 2nd from the other group and 1st x 2nd from their own group). Whoever passes goes to the final and the champion guarantees a place at the World Championships. But the second place goes to the world repechage.
Chris Woods scores and New Zealand take the lead
At home, with a much better team, it was no surprise that New Zealand beat Vanuatu. When he opened the scoring with Garbett, in the 11th minute, he already had that feeling. Not even Vanuatu’s surprising equalizer, in the 17th minute, with Tasip – a sensational goal from the cover – was a cause for concern. After all, in the space of one minute (between the 23rd and 24th minutes), Chris Wood scored two goals: one with a header, from a corner from the right, and the other which finished a cross from the left.
Route construction
But defender Bindon scored twice in the first half too, leaving a comfortable lead before the break. In the final round, with 5-1 on the scoreboard, New Zealand were sleepier. Nonetheless, after 30 minutes, he scored three more times.
More games and leaderboard
In the other group match, Tahiti visited Samoa and won 3-0. Finally, in Group A, Papua New Guinea finished 3-3 with Fiji, and New Caledonia, away from home, beat the Solomon Islands 3-3 In Group A, New Caledonia has six points, against four Fiji. Papua New Guinea (one) and Solomon Islands (zero) complete the table.
The next appointment will be this Sunday morning: Fiji x New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea x Solomon Islands, Tahiti x Vanuatu and Samoa x New Zealand.
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Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
