Five players return to NZ All Whites squad
- Dave Worsley
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
The All Whites squad to face Côte d'Ivoire and Ukraine in the Canadian Shield Tournament in Toronto, Canada, next month has been named.
Head coach Darren Bazeley has selected 23 players with five changes to the squad assembled for the FIFA World Cup Oceania Qualifiers in March, a campaign which saw the All Whites defeat New Caledonia to secure a place at the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Canada, Mexico, and the USA.
Cote d'Ivoire are ranked 41st and Ukraine 29th in the world.
LATEST HEADLINES:
With only five international windows before he is set to name his FIFA World Cup 2026 squad, Bazeley will be looking to give opportunities to a range of players to prove they deserve a place at the tournament next year.
AS Saint-Étienne attacker Ben Old returns having recovered from injury.
Portland Timbers defender Finn Surman is back after it was agreed between the club and All Whites coaching staff he would miss the previous international window.
There are also recalls for Auckland FC defender Callan Elliot, Charlotte FC defender Bill Tuiloma, and Northampton Town goalkeeper Nik Tzanev.
Wellington Phoenix defender Tim Payne will miss the international window, with his partner due to give birth close to this period.
“Qualifying for the FIFA World Cup was a massive moment, but we know that is just a step on the journey for what we want to achieve as a team” says All Whites head coach Darren Bazeley.
“We have been lucky to play a number of home games over the last few windows, but it has always been the plan that heading into the FIFA World Cup next year we need to test ourselves, playing away, against a range of teams we could face in 2026.
“To face two top 50 sides, in a tournament situation, in one of the FIFA World Cup 2026 host venues, is the perfect challenge for us.
“We have made a few changes to the squad from March which gives us the opportunity to look at some different players in the environment.
“We want real competition for places heading into the World Cup and the door is open for everyone to stake their claim to be part of the squad in 2026.”
The All Whites will face Côte d'Ivoire on Sunday 8 June at 11am NZT (Saturday 7 June at 7pm local time) followed by Ukraine on Wednesday 11 June at 9am NZT (Tuesday 10 June at 5pm local time).
Both games will take place at BMO Field in Toronto which will also host games during the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The tournament will award three points for a win, one point for a draw, and two points for a shootout win.
All matches will have a winner and games will go directly to penalties after 90 minutes (plus injury time).
The full squad is:
Kosta Barbarouses (67 caps/9 goals) Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand
Joe Bell (24/1) Viking FK, Norway
Tyler Bindon (15/3) Reading FC, England (on loan from Nottingham Forest)
Michael Boxall (55/1) Minnesota United, USA
Liberato Cacace (33/1) Empoli FC, Italy
Max Crocombe (15/0) Burton Albion, England
Callan Elliot (3/0) Auckland FC, New Zealand
Matt Garbett (30/5) NAC Breda, Netherlands
Eli Just (34/7) SKN St. Pölten, Austria (on loan from Horsens)
Callum McCowatt (23/4) Silkeborg IF, Denmark
Ben Old (12/1) AS Saint-Étienne, France
Alex Paulsen (3/0) Auckland FC, New Zealand (on loan from AFC Bournemouth)
Nando Pijnaker (23/0) Auckland FC, New Zealand
Alex Rufer (19/0) Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand
Sarpreet Singh (18/3) U.D. Leiria, Portugal
Tommy Smith (56/2) Auckland FC, New Zealand
Marko Stamenić (29/2) Olympiacos, Greece (on loan from Nottingham Forest)
Finn Surman (7/1) Portland Timbers, USA
Bill Tuiloma (42/4) Charlotte FC, USA
Nik Tzanev (2/0) Northampton Town, England
Francis de Vries (10/1) Auckland FC, New Zealand
Ben Waine (23/8) Mansfield Town, England (on loan from Plymouth Argyle)
Chris Wood (82/44) Nottingham Forest, England