Head coach Darren Bazeley won’t underestimate Fiji when his New Zealand U-23 side faces them in Saturday’s final of the OFC Olympic qualifier in Auckland.
“They’re going to be tricky. It’s a tricky game; they’re quite physical, got some big boys, and they’ve got some players with some skill as well,” he told a media briefing ahead of the game at North Harbour Stadium.
“We must make sure that we manage properly, and we just need to do our job to keep our discipline keep our concentration, and we should be fine.”
Main photo: Darren Bazeley … ‘it’s a tricky game.’
New Zealand beat the same Fiji side 3-1 in a group game at the tournament last week.
New Zealand defender Finn Surman told the briefing:
“We’re supposed to win 99% of these games, but you want to treat each game one at a time, like whatever’s happened before it doesn’t really matter.
“In my opinion, they could do something different, or we could do something different. It’s whoever comes out on the day. And so with the pressure that comes with it, wanting to go to Paris. It is just a big occasion for us, and we’re all looking forward to it.”
The winner of the final will represent Oceania at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Watch the media briefing
Final
Game to be play on Saturday September 9, 2023
New Zealand v Fiji
North Harbour Stadium, Albany, 7pm
READ MORE: Tickets now available for final of OFC Olympic qualifier tournament >>>>
