Chris Wooden has fired Nottingham Forest into shock Champions League competition and now the striker needs to attain the targets to assist New Zealand make historical past on the World Cup.
New Zealand are robust favourites to qualify out of the Oceania area over the following week and attain the World Cup for under the third time.
On the nation’s two earlier appearances on the finals, in 1982 and 2010, they’ve didn’t win a match in six makes an attempt.
With Wooden captaining the facet and main from the entrance, he advised native media on Tuesday that the present squad can lastly ship a World Cup victory.
“That can be our purpose if we’re there, to win a recreation and progress out into the group phases,” the in-form 33-year-old advised Radio New Zealand.
“It is the mentality of proving it, and I imagine we are able to. The squad is simply getting larger and higher, and transferring on to greater and higher golf equipment.
“They’re proving around the globe that they are adequate and succesful sufficient of taking part in in the perfect leagues on this planet.”
Wooden is having fun with the perfect season of his profession, hitting 18 targets within the Premier League and rubbing shoulders within the scoring charts with Alexander Isak and Erling Haaland.
His exploits have helped propel Forest into third place within the desk and in the event that they keep there it might assure Champions League soccer.
Different New Zealanders taking part in in Europe embrace Marko Stamenic at Olympiacos in Greece, Tyler Bindon at Studying and Matt Garbett with Breda within the Netherlands.
The 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico has been expanded to 48 groups, guaranteeing a staff from Oceania will achieve automated qualification.
To seal their place, New Zealand should first beat Fiji on Friday in Wellington earlier than a decisive qualifier towards both New Caledonia or Tahiti on Monday.
“This staff might be the most effective ones that (we have had) in historical past,” stated Wooden, who has scored 41 targets in 80 video games for New Zealand.
“However they need to show that on the pitch to class themselves as a kind of. Making a World Cup is the way in which to do this.”
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