New Zealand head coach, Darren Bazeley, has opened up on the reasons behind his team’s 3-1 loss to Egypt in their World Cup 2026 Group G encounter on Monday.
Speaking after the match, Bazeley admitted that his side struggled to cope with Egypt’s intensity in the second half, despite an impressive first-half performance.
The All Whites started strongly, dominating possession and creating several scoring opportunities, but failed to capitalize on their chances.
However, the momentum shifted after the break as Egypt raised the tempo and took control of the game.
Goals from Mostafa Ziko, Mohamed Salah, and Mahmoud Trezeguet secured a comfortable win for the Pharaohs, leaving New Zealand at the bottom of the group with just one point from two matches.
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“It’s disappointing because we were so good in the first half,” Bazeley said. “We controlled the game and created chances, but in the second half, we couldn’t match Egypt’s pace.”
He added that the inability to maintain their early performance ultimately cost his team the match.
“We came out okay after the break, but Egypt stepped it up and we couldn’t replicate what we did earlier. That made the difference,” he noted.
Despite the setback, Bazeley remains optimistic about his team’s chances of progressing, emphasizing the importance of their final group game.
“We’re still one match away from making history.
Now, it’s clear we must beat Belgium,” he concluded.
New Zealand will now face a must-win clash against Belgium as they aim to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
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