CSB - David Chote - All Whites

The All Whites are two wins away from a 2026 FIFA World Cup berth.

New Zealand's thumped Samoa 8-nil in Auckland to finish top spot in their qualifying group, setting up a semifinal against Fiji next March.

The winner then squares off against New Caledonia or Tahiti for a spot in the expanded World Cup tournament.

 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The sports field to the shearing shed. It's the Country
Sport Breakfast with Brian Kelly on Gold Sport.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
Well your Whites, two wins away, Wow from the twenty
twenty six feef at World Cup Birth New Zealand. Some
samow yesterday eight nil in Auckland to finish top spot
in their qualifying group, setting up a semi final against
Fiji next March. The winner then squares off against New
Caledonia or Tahiti for a spot in the expanded World

(00:28):
Cup tournament. Joining us on the show this morning, Form
are All White and now football pundit David Morning.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
Toody Morning Yep on their way to the World Cup.
By the looks of things, the Oceania with direct qualification
makes it a bit easier, but they're still going to
play these games and get the job done.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
Eight nil win over Samoa. What did you make of it?

Speaker 1 (00:49):
Oh? Well, I was in sort of two minds. Really.
I had a nephew playing for Sarmahua, so I had
to sort of hope that he went all right. But
at the same time, you're always one of yours to win,
so respectability was probably what the sam Owens are looking for,
and I think they got a little bit of respectability,
but it was probably as predicted a cakewalk for the

(01:10):
aw Whites.

Speaker 2 (01:11):
Sixteen goals I think scored in the last two games,
eight one over Vanuuatu and then eight Miil last night.
Do you think the team are getting much out of
those games.

Speaker 1 (01:22):
I think the coaches probably get a bit out of it.
They get to see players play and ask them to
do jobs for them, so they get a little bit
of knowledge. But in terms of sort of value for
the players, probably not. Not When they have to go
up against the big guns at a World Cup. These
games probably don't prepare you the best for them, so
they'll need to get themselves in decent opposition, you know,

(01:43):
post qualification.

Speaker 2 (01:45):
Do you like though, what you've seen of the All
White so far?

Speaker 1 (01:49):
Yeah? I do. This is a really good team. They've
got real competition for places across the board. All of
these players now are playing for professional football, and many
of them in top leagues. Libby Kakachi in Italy, Marco
Staminich playing in Greece at the moment alone from Nottingham
Forest obviously, Chris Wood at Nottingham Forest, just to name

(02:10):
a few. But they're all dotted around the globe playing
decent football. So I think the All Whites have as
good as side or as good a group of players
as they've ever had.

Speaker 2 (02:19):
And talking about Chris Wood, I mean three goals last night.
Do you think he we sports fans understand just how
special he is and for him to be at home
playing for the All Whites.

Speaker 1 (02:30):
Yeah, I think it's probably taken for granted a little bit.
But as we know, he was Premier League Player of
the Month last month, so that's what probably most would say,
the best league in the world, and he's the best
striker going around right now. A special chance for him
to get out with the All Whites and for the
local fans to see him. I see him there after
he got substituties, signing autographs, doing all the things that

(02:51):
he needs to do. He's a really top blow becaus
Chris Wood.

Speaker 2 (02:54):
How nervous do you think Forest fans were when they
saw him trot out to play the half.

Speaker 1 (03:01):
I think they're probably used to have their players heading
off to international journey, but your injury in one of
these games would be a disaster. To be fair to
Chris Wood, he was able to manage himself pretty well
and work his way sort of through the game, get
his goals and get off. So he'll be headed back
to Forrest to take up the challenge. Their top five
at the moment, so they're at the top of the

(03:22):
Premier League. So he'll we often do his job, his
day job in good nick, so we'll say.

Speaker 2 (03:28):
Thank you for him to come home and do what
he's done. So we now face Fiji in the semifinals
next March. How good a Fiji probably.

Speaker 1 (03:37):
Step up a bit more of a challenge. So this
part of qualification, as I described it as a cakewalk,
I think it will still be regulation stuff for the
Auhites to get a result, particularly as they're playing in
New Zealand, so Fiji will provide a little more of
a challenge for them. Remember Roy Krishner who played for
the Phoenix and scored a lot of goals. Then he
leads the line for the Phoenix and that sorry for Figi.

(04:01):
So that'll give the Whites a bit more of a
challenge defensively. But again you'd expect a comfortable win to
the All Whites given the riches that they have to
call on fully professional players playing against a max of
professional and amateur figm players. Look, it should be regulation stuff.

Speaker 2 (04:18):
And then the winner then faces either Tahiti or New Caledonia.
So again, is this a step up playing those two
teams or one of those teams? Oh?

Speaker 1 (04:27):
Marginally, you'd say that the Al Whites should walk through
the Oceana, your group by far the best side by father,
most resources, and we should get out of the group
and get off to a World Cup with the expanded version.
So really it should be done and dust that come March.
No problem at all.

Speaker 2 (04:45):
Fantastic Chody, great news and thank you for joining us
mate this morning.

Speaker 1 (04:49):
Hi Drama, thank you David Chop.

Speaker 2 (04:51):
Yeah, the All White etan nil win over a Samoa,
two wins away from our third World Cup. Great stuff.
And a big thank you to Chris Wood for coming
home to represent in his country.