<\/p>\n
Just as New Zealand prepares for its grandest moment in the sport, co-hosting this year’s Women’s World Cup, its national teams have hit a decidedly low ebb.<\/p>\n
The Football Ferns have slumped to their lowest ever world ranking of 25, and haven’t scored a goal in six months as they creak towards the showpiece event.<\/p>\n
The All Whites have worries too, coachless since October, parked outside the world’s top 100 nations and enduring their own rotten run.<\/p>\n
It’s an unfortunate state of affairs, little more than 100 days before world football turns its attention to Eden Park, where New Zealand will host Norway in the Women’s World Cup opener.<\/p>\n
Since the last World Cup, the Football Ferns’ dire record reads three wins, three draws and 22 losses, including five straight defeats this year.<\/p>\n
They haven’t been helped by legend Abbey Erceg’s decision to turn her back on the draw of playing in her hometown in a World Cup, retiring from the national side.<\/p>\n
Ferns coach Jitka Klimkova admitted the team was “going through a really huge transition” ahead of the tournament.<\/p>\n
“We have a lot of young players coming in and it will take time for them to learn and make sure that they are playing to their potential,” she told AAP.<\/p>\n
“We still have three months when we can make the difference and everybody’s committed to make the difference.”<\/p>\n
New Zealand are helped by lower expectations than their co-hosts Australia, who aren’t among the favourites but are contenders to win the World Cup.<\/p>\n
In contrast, the Kiwis are looking to win their first World Cup match on their sixth appearance.<\/p>\n
“We’ve played a lot of tough teams … 80 per cent of the time the opposition were higher ranked than us,” Klimkova said of the past three years preparation.<\/p>\n
“We knew that this is going to be a challenging time for us and with the results.<\/p>\n
“But I really believe that was the best way we can prepare this team to have the most successful FIFA World Cup in their history. And that’s our goal.”<\/p>\n
The Football Ferns have two matches in the next fortnight, against Iceland and Nigeria in Turkey, which will reveal their true readiness for the World Cup.<\/p>\n
They will then assemble in Auckland next month for a two-month camp, playing boys sides and a couple of yet-announced nations before the July 20 opener.<\/p>\n
While the Football Ferns enjoy the huge carrot of the World Cup, the All Whites are currently drifting.<\/p>\n
Their next major tournament – the OFC Nations Cup – is due next year but is yet to be scheduled or hosts awarded.<\/p>\n
World Cup qualifiers will follow in 2025, with Oceania enjoying direct qualification to the expanded 48-team tournament in 2026.<\/p>\n
That means the All Whites can practically taste their first World Cup since 2010 – but have no idea who will be leading them there.<\/p>\n
After coach Danny Hay failed to qualify the side to last year’s World Cup, NZ Football let him go in October, giving U20s coach Darren Bazeley the reins for two friendlies against China last month.<\/p>\n
It was in those games that Matthew Garbett helped end the All Whites’ barren streak of nine and a half hours of football without a goal, scoring in a 2-1 win, their first victory over a non-Oceanic nation since 2021.<\/p>\n
Goalkeeper Oli Sail said it was obvious what they needed to move forward.<\/p>\n
“Am I allowed to say an appointment of a coach? I will probably get in trouble … I’d be lying if I said that’s not the case,” he said.<\/p>\n
The Wellington Phoenix gloveman has an optimistic view of his national side’s future, with several playing at big clubs around Europe.<\/p>\n
In Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest), Liberato Cacace (Empoli), Sarpreet Singh (Bayern Munich), Garbett (NAC Breda) and Ryan Thomas (PEC Zwolle) they have a group of stars at top European league to rival Australia’s crop.<\/p>\n
Despite recent results – including their World Cup playoff loss to Costa Rica – Sail says New Zealand have strength they aren’t showing.<\/p>\n
“We’ve certainly turned a corner in the way we play,” he said.<\/p>\n
“It’s still part of a progression and an evolution and it’s not perfect yet. It’s far from perfect.<\/p>\n
“Come 2026 and 2025 in the lead up to that tournament when we’re trying to qualify, you’re going to have young boys that have have played 20, 30, 40 caps for their country and experienced a lot.<\/p>\n
“That team is going places.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n