All Whites coach has urged his players to sieze the moment as they face strong favourites Costa Rica in their highly-anticipated World Cup qualifier on Wednesday morning.
There’s every reason for Costa Rica to be confident, with Costa Rica arriving at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium ranked 70 places higher than the New Zealanders.
As their fans tell 1News, “the last two World Cups, you haven’t gone. We did.”
“We have really good players, Keylar Navas, Brian Ruiz and Joel Campbell.”
But the All Whites couldn’t look more relaxed in their final training hit out with coach Danny Hay even happy to indulge in some cheeky mind games.
"The world’s media have basically written us off, given us no chance. They’re 31 in the world playing against 101 in the world. I’m sleeping pretty well, I’m not sure their coach will be though," Hay said.
Kiwi fans can sleep a little easier too as Captain Winston Reid, who’s been struggling with a groin injury from a training session last week, has been cleared to play.
Hay reinforces that his side will need to make the most of their opportunity to put Kiwi football on the map.
“We’ve got a great group of players at the moment, they’re injury-free, they’re in a good space mentally, that’s why we need to seize the moment now. This really is our moment, this is our time.”
Time to end 12 years of waiting and let a new, talented generation of New Zealand footballers rise to the top.
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