New Zealand’s football team, the All Whites, defeated Fiji 7-0 in a strong performance on Friday. Captain Chris Wood scored a hat-trick, helping his team move one step away from qualifying for the World Cup.
The final match will be against New Caledonia in Auckland on Monday. New Zealand has not played in a World Cup since 2010, but this time, they only need to win this final match to qualify. Wood, who plays for Nottingham Forest, scored his second hat-trick in a row during World Cup qualifiers. His goals came early and quickly, and he received loud cheers from the 21,000 fans present.
Other goal scorers included Tim Payne, who scored his first goal in 12 years, Kosta Barbarouses, Sarpreet Singh, and an own goal from Fiji. New Caledonia also secured their place in the final with a 3-0 win over Tahiti. Their star player, Georges Gope-Fenepej, scored two brilliant goals.
The big final between New Zealand and New Caledonia will decide which team goes to the World Cup.
