Wood hat-trick puts New Zealand on brink of third World Cup

Chris Wood headed in a hat-trick of goals as New Zealand demolished Fiji 7-0 on Friday to move within one win of making a third World Cup.

The All Whites will meet New Caledonia in the final of Oceania qualifying in Auckland on Monday after the Pacific islanders overwhelmed Tahiti 3-0 in the earlier semifinal at Wellington Regional Stadium.

New Zealand missed out on the past three World Cups with defeats in intercontinental playoffs.

But with Oceania allocated a berth for the first time, Darren Bazeley's team need only beat the New Caledonians to book their first World Cup since South Africa 2010.

With captain Wood on song and world number 152 New Caledonia dominated by amateur players, the All Whites should have little trouble at Eden Park on Monday.

"We know how good New Caledonia are and we're going to have to be ready for them," said Wood of a team New Zealand beat 7-1 in their previous World Cup qualifier in 2022.

"They've done a very good game this afternoon and we know they're going to cause us problems. We need to focus on doing recovery well now and be ready to go Monday."

Wood, a Nottingham Forest forward, scored his second consecutive hat-trick in World Cup qualifying, having put three goals past Samoa in the 8-0 win last November.

Against 148th-ranked Fiji, Wood latched onto a cross from Sarpreet Singh to nod New Zealand in front after six minutes and thumped in the other two goals in a five-minute burst before the hour-mark.

He was promptly subbed off to a standing ovation from the crowd of 21 000 and went up to the terraces to mix with fans as the game went on.

Defender Tim Payne scored his first New Zealand goal in 12 years in the 33rd minute, putting the hosts 4-0 up after Singh earlier found the net and Fiji had an own goal.

Kosta Barbarouses, who replaced Wood up forward, volleyed in the All Whites' seventh in the 73rd minute.

Earlier, New Caledonia were overjoyed with their emphatic victory over Tahiti, set up by a brace of goals from 36-year-old talisman Georges Gope-Fenepej.

The former Ligue One forward chipped goalkeeper Teave Teamotuaitau twice in the second half; the first in the 50th minute after New Caledonia captain Cesar Zeoula's shot rebounded off the Tahiti stopper.

Spying Teamotuaitau well off his line, Gope-Fenepej then struck from 35 metres in the 75th minute with a sumptuous left-foot shot.

Substitute Lues Waya capped the win with another quality finish in stoppage time, weaving through two defenders on the left edge of the penalty area before banging in a low strike inside the near post.

"Absolutely delighted and extremely happy with how the team has grouped together," New Caledonia coach Johann Sidaner said.

"We are all football fans so to see someone like Georges put on the display he did, it was wonderful."