Wellington Phoenix’s Tim Payne had a night to remember as New Zealand crushed Fiji 7-0 in the Oceania FIFA World Cup qualifying semi-final.
Payne scored a goal and setup three other goals to lead the All Whites past Fiji and through to the qualifying final against New Caledonia, with New Zealand now just one win away from qualifying for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
For Payne, his 32nd-minute effort was the Phoenix legend’s first international goal since 2013.
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Funnily enough, the 31-year-old ended his goal drought at the home of his Isuzu UTE A-League club at Sky Stadium in Wellington.
Payne also assisted hat-trick hero Chris Wood twice, as well as Tyler Bindon but he was not the only A-Leagues star to shine.
Phoenix teammate and Wellington great Kosta Barbarouses completed the scoring in the 73rd minute in a goal assisted by Auckland FC star Francis de Vries.
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The Oceania Qualifiers victors will automatically qualify for the World Cup for the first time in history after the tournament was expanded giving an OFC side direct entry. Should the All Whites win, it will see New Zealand represented at the men’s showpiece for the first time in 16 years.
