It adds up to an interesting venture by New Zealand Football, who entered the event late, after initially deciding not to compete, given there are no qualification pathways available to the winner, unlike previous iterations, which offered a trip to the now-defunct Fifa Confederations Cup.
The tournament has also been affected by the late withdrawal of New Caledonia – which leaves only three teams in New Zealand’s group – while there will be the usual questions about the quality of the pitches and facilities.
But All Whites coach Darren Bazeley has no doubt that it is the right call to be there. He sees it as a valuable chance to play competitive, tournament matches, as well as vital preparation ahead of the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualification process.
“It gives us a chance to experience playing against these teams before we get to those qualifiers,” Bazeley told the Herald. “Some of our players haven’t played in the Islands or against Island teams. It’s a different game, different experience and this is our bread and butter; these are the teams that are in our way from achieving our goal, which is to get to the World Cup and then do well there.”
Finn Surman celebrates with Wellington Phoenix teammates. Photo / Photosport
The long list of absentees is headed by Chris Wood – who gets married in Italy this week – along with Joe Bell, Matt Garbett, Sarpreet Singh, Marko Stamenic, Michael Boxall and Bill Tuiloma. Others who haven’t made the trip include Callum McCowatt, Nando Pijnaker, Marco Rojas and Storm Roux. There are different factors – “every player has got a different personal circumstance” – mostly related to workload management, club demands or contract situations. Tommy Smith will arrive later in the week, after serving as best man at Wood’s wedding.
On the flipside, the next two weeks will exhibit the current depth of the game here. It’s an exciting squad, which offers the chance for fringe players to push their case, such as recent Auckland FC recruits Max Mata and Jesse Randall. And the likes of Alex Paulsen and Ben Old are coming off brilliant campaigns with the Wellington Phoenix, while the potential centre-back pairing of Tyler Bindon and Finn Surman could be defensive anchors for New Zealand over the next decade.
For the young players eligible, it will also be a final audition for the Under-23 squad for the Olympics, with 10 players in the squad in that category. Bazeley will also select three over-age players for Paris. One will be Wood – “He is a key one; he would be great” – while he has some “strong options” for the other two, with Libby Cacace and Tim Payne considered the most likely contenders.
Off the back of his impressive Serie A campaign with FC Empoli, Cacace will captain the All Whites, continuing his ongoing rise. Despite their depleted squad, New Zealand will again be favourites. But it won’t be straightforward – many of the Island teams have had long build-ups together – and Bazeley is rightly wary.
“I’ve been involved with New Zealand teams for the last 15 years and have travelled to the Islands as much as any other coach,” said Bazeley. “Anyone who has been there knows it is not as easy as what the rankings might suggest. Yes, we are the highest-ranked team and we have [more] players who play in professional environments but sometimes, with these Island teams, it’s a bit of a leveller. We have to be disciplined, show great concentration and be professional at all times.
In Group A, the All Whites face the Solomon Islands on Tuesday (4pm), who are on the brink of elimination after their 1-0 loss to Vanuatu last weekend.
Coach Darren Bazeley confirmed that Kosta Barbarouses will captain the team for the opening game, with Cacace suspended for one match after his red card in their last international against Tunisia in March. Bazeley said he had other options, but it was a reward for Barbarouses’s sustained excellence and the leadership he has shown with the young cohort within the squad. Bazeley also confirmed that Paulsen, recently signed to AFC Bournemouth, will make his senior debut in goal.
Their next match is against co-hosts Vanuatu on Friday (4pm), who are bolstered by Central Coast Mariners defender Brian Kaltak. Group B is being staged in Fiji (Fiji, Tahiti, Papua New Guinea and Samoa), before the semifinals (June 27) and final (June 30) in Vanuatu.
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. A football aficionado, Burgess will never forget the noise that greeted Rory Fallon’s goal against Bahrain in Wellington in 2009.
