All Whites vs DR Congo

Friday 13 October at 6pm [local] / Saturday 14 October at 5am [NZT]

Estadio Nueva Condomina, Murcia, Spain

Darren Bazeley kicks off his tenure has permanent All Whites head coach against DR Congo in Murcia, Spain. The African side, ranked 64th in the world by FIFA, are stacked with European talent, with a strong French influence to the team. 

The Leopards are in good form with six wins in eight games so far this year. This fixture forms part of the team’s warm up for the African Cup of Nations, due to start in January. 

For the All Whites, Bazeley has selected a squad without any A-League players due to the competition not kicking off yet, meaning there will be opportunities for a number of returning players to make an impact.

With two strong opponents in the window, these games will be a big test for a young All Whites side but form part of a crucial build up the plan ahead of FIFA World Cup qualifying starting next year. 

 

What Darren Bazeley said: 

[On his team selection] “we're going to put out a strong team against DR Congo and see how the players deal with that game, how they recover afterwards and then we'll look at the Australia game… We want to win and want to perform in every game that we play. So right now we'll deal with what's in front of us and then we'll move on to Aussie straight after the game.”


Likely Team:

Bazeley has committed to playing the 4-3-3 formation, feeling that it suits his group of players the best. 

After missing the first four games so far this year with injury, expect captain Chris Wood to return up front, keen to add to his record 33 goals for the All Whites. 

With Max Crocombe missing the first game in the window due to club commitments, and Oli Sail part of the group of A-League players not selected for this window, this match will give Nik Tzanev or Michael Woud a chance to impress in goal. 

In defence, Tommy Smith has had to return to his club for this game so 18-year-old Reading centre-back Tyler Bindon could be in line to make his debut. 

Midfielder Matt Dibley-Dias would have been another likely debutant but had to return to his club after picking up a hamstring injury in training. 


Player to Watch: Cédric Bakambu

In a squad stacked with European-based talent, Galatasaray forward Cédric Bakambu will be looking to add to his 15 goals for his country. The 32-year-old former French age group international has found the net wherever he’s played and will relish coming back to Spain where he scored 32 goals in 75 games for Villarreal.


Where to Watch: 

The match will be available live and free on FIFA+ and TVNZ Duke / TVNZ+ from 5am [NZT]


Article added: Friday 13 October 2023