Oceania World Cup qualifiers: Wood hits hat-trick as NZ defeats Samoa 8-0
The HinduSkipper Chris Wood scored a hat-trick as New Zealand remained on course for a first World Cup appearance since 2010 by thrashing Samoa 8-0 on Monday to make it three wins out of three in Oceania qualifying group stage. New Zealand will play Fiji and New Caledonia will take on Tahiti in the semifinals in Wellington on March 21 with the final taking place at Auckland’s Eden Park three days later. READ | UEFA Nations League 2024-25: Belgian coach Tedesco still believes he’s the right man for the job After beating Tahiti 3-0 and Vanuatu 8-1 in their previous Group B games, New Zealand was already assured of a spot in the final stage before it kicked off against winless Samoa at Mount Smart Stadium. “So we’re looking forward to the challenge ahead.” New Zealand has been the dominant force in Oceania football since Australia left for Asia in 2006 but has lost out in intercontinental playoffs in its last three attempts to qualify for the World Cup.
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