All Whites without Chris Wood for Oceania Nations Cup due to wedding clash
Wednesday, 22 May 2024
Chris Wood will miss the All Whites’ defence of their Oceania Nations Cup title next month.
The tournament in Vanuatu and Fiji clashes with his wedding on Italy’s Amalfi Coast.
Wood had scheduled his nuptials around the FIFA international window at the start of June, but the Nations Cup takes place later in the month.
The All Whites will be without Chris Wood when they defend their Oceania Nations Cup title next month, due to a clash with the star striker's wedding.
Wood is set to be married on Italy's Amalfi Coast on June 17, two days after the start of the tournament in Vanuatu and FIji, which runs from June 15 to 30.
The English Premier League star had scheduled the nuptials during the only month he has off as a professional footballer, taking care to avoid a clash with the FIFA international window that runs from June 3 to 11.
NZ Football had originally been planning for the All Whites to utilise that window and play friendly internationals away from home, then to skip the Nations Cup, even though it is the region's quadrennial championship.
While the Nations Cup used to be part of World Cup qualifying, and previously sent its winner to the quadrennial FIFA Confederations Cup, held the year before the World Cup, that is no longer the case.
The only thing it offers beyond bragging rights is increased FIFA ranking points, by virtue of it being a continental championship. With an eye on improving the All Whites' seeding for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, should they qualify, NZ Football decided at the end of last year to ultimately take part, setting up this clash.
Wood’s leadership will be missed as a relatively young All Whites group seeks to reap the benefits of an extended period of time together in Vanuatu, where they will play all their matches, but his absence won’t change the fact that New Zealand will be heavy favourites to win the tournament.
In a statement, the 32-year-old said: “Playing for my country is a massive honour and something I have always made a priority during my career.
“When I booked my wedding I made sure to schedule it around the FIFA windows so I wouldn’t have to miss any games but unfortunately the OFC Nations Cup was then scheduled outside of that.
“I would love to be able to do both but unfortunately that isn’t possible so I’m going to have to miss the tournament but be the team’s biggest supporter from afar instead.”
Coach Darren Bazeley said in a statement that while Wood “would of course have been a big asset to the side,” having just finished an EPL season with Nottingham Forest where he scored 14 goals – matching his best haul with Burnley in 2019-20 – “his absence just means that another player gets the opportunity to lead the line for the team”.
Shrewsbury Town forward Max Mata would appear to be in the prime position to deputise, having done so on three of the six occasions where Wood has been absent during Bazeley’s 10 matches in charge to date.
The 23-year-old has impressed in his last two All Whites starts, in a 1-1 draw with the Republic of Ireland last November and a 1-0 defeat to Egypt in March, providing good build-up play and getting in positions to take a good number of shots, though his finishing has been lacking – something that could also be said about most of his team-mates.
Wellington Phoenix forward Kosta Barbarouses returned to the All Whites after a 12-month absence in March, on the back of his stellar form in A-League Men, where he finished with 13 goals in 27 matches, fuelling his side’s run to the semifinals.
Barbarouses would provide a different option to Mata, as a player best used running in behind, but the veteran could also be used in a wide role. Plymouth Argyle forward Ben Waine and Alex Greive, who is off contract at Scottish Premier League club St Mirren, are two other players to have started as central strikers under Bazeley.
Midfielder Clayton Lewis is set to be dropped from the All Whites squad for the Nations Cup, after he was arrested alongside two of his Macarthur FC team-mates last Friday, and charged with engaging in conduct that corrupts a betting outcome of an event and participating in a criminal group.
His first court appearance in Sydney is scheduled for June 27, the same day as the Nations Cup semifinals.
Centre back Nando Pijnaker is the one All Whites regular under a major injury cloud, after he suffered broken ribs in a collision with his own goalkeeper while playing for Sligo Rovers in the League of Ireland at the start of April.
After the Nations Cup, the All Whites will next be in action in September, with a friendly scheduled against Mexico in California. Qualifying for the 2026 World Cup then begins in October, with most, if not all, of their matches set to take place on home soil.
All Whites – 2024 Oceania Nations Cup
Squad
To be named in early June
Fixtures (NZ time)
All matches at VFF Freshwater Stadium in Port Vila.
June 15, 1pm: v New Caledonia
June 18, 1pm: v Solomon Islands
June 21, 4pm: v Vanuatu
June 27, 12pm or 4pm: Semifinals (if qualified)
June 30, 4pm: Final (if qualified)