Inglewood [US], June 15 (ANI): New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley said that they are treating their FIFA World Cup 2026 opener against Iran on Monday as a "normal game". Notably, the Iran clash comes amid the backdrop of the conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran.
Ahead of the Monday clash, Bazeley said New Zealand are treating it like any other game, explaining that their preparation has remained the same for all international fixtures. He added that while it is a significant occasion because it is a World Cup match, New Zealand's focus is simply on performing well in the tournament.
"To be honest, we've treated it as a normal game. We prepare the same for every international game that we play, and we've done nothing different for this game. For us, it's a big game because it's a World Cup game, and we want to do well here at the World Cup," Bazeley said as quoted by Reuters.
New Zealand captain Chris Wood also said that the team is fully focused on football, stressing that once they step onto the pitch, all external factors are set aside.
"All we've been focused on is football. Once you go through the white lines, nothing else matters," he said.
Notably, Iran, ranked 20th in the world and unbeaten in Asian qualifying, enter the match in strong form, but Chris Wood said the tournament has already shown that the gap between many teams is small, which gives New Zealand--ranked 85th--added confidence.
"It's exciting that mostly all the games have been quite tight and quite close, and everybody's had a chance to win. That gives us confidence," he said.
The match marks New Zealand's first World Cup appearance in 16 years, with Bazeley saying the squad has spent years preparing for this moment.
"We've waited a long time to be here. We're excited to get going," he said. (ANI)
