World Soccer - UK (2022-05)

Set-piece

specialists...New

Zealand open

the scoring in

the final in Doha

Oceania

STEVE MENARY

ew Zealand

predictably emerged

from the Oceania

qualifiers to secure an

inter-confederational

play-off with Costa

Rica for a place at the 2022 World

Cup finals, but the relocated

Kiwis set up date with Costa Rica in the inter-confederational play-offs,

but the Qatar-based qualifying tournament is overshadowed by COVID

tournament proved unsatisfactory.

With none of the Oceania Football

Confederation’s11 full members

able to host the tournament due to

COVID-19 restrictions, the qualifiers

were relocated to Qatar. But the

virus and a trip halfway round the

world proved major obstacles.

New Zealand cruise

through qualifying

American Samoa and Samoa ruled

out travelling on healthcare grounds and

Tonga pulled out after the eruption of

the Hunga volcano on the islands in

January. Vanuatu made the13,000-

mile trip but a 3-0 defeat to Fiji in a

warm-up friendly at the Qatar University

ground proved their only action.

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