The All Whites were untroubled by Tahiti in their first 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixture on 11 October, comfortably accounting for their Pacific Islands rivals 3-0 at Port Vila's Freshwater Stadium in the first of three group games they will play, with the others to take place in New Zealand in November. Darren Bazeley's charges couldn't have got off to a better start as they began their quest to become the first team from Oceania to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Finals without having to engage in play-off fixtures, FIFA having granted Oceania one guaranteed spot after expanding the Finals to a 48-team competition. A wayward clearance by Mauri Heitaa was pounced on by Alex Rufer, who picked out Elijah Just's darting run in off the right flank. Controlling the ball with one touch, his next sent it flying past Francois Decoret from the edge of the penalty area and into the top far corner of the net just 91 seconds after the game had kicked off - 1-0 All Whites. Two minutes later, Rufer engineered another opening, this time for Tim Payne. Decoret was wise to it, however, although he did cop a knock for his troubles while saving at the feet of the fullback. Tahiti sought a swift response, captain Teaonui Tehau's volley, from Benoit Mathon's lay-off, drawing a save from Max Crocombe in the sixth minute, one of the few occasions when the Tahitians would cross the halfway line with attacking intent in this encounter. For the vast majority of the match, they were content sit deep and invite the All Whites to try and find a way through the massed ranks of red-shirted defenders standing between the champions of Oceania and Decoret's goal, a situation which quite suited New Zealand, given they had already scored and a one-goal advantage suited their needs perfectly. Thus it was that a rather sterile contest unfolded, a real stop-start affair punctuated by a combination of stray passes, injury and drinks breaks - the match was played in the early afternoon - and niggling fouls. All in all, far from an entertaining encounter, with Crocombe often the only player in New Zealand's half of the pitch. Occasionally, something noteworthy would occur, such as on the half-hour when Chris Wood held the ball up well on the right before playing it back to

Matt Garbett. His cross was met by a first-time shot from Marko Stamenic, but it lacked the power to trouble Decoret. Seven minutes later, Tahiti mounted a rare attack, with Crocombe conceding a corner after fumbling Heitaa's long-range attempt. Nothing came of the set-piece, but it was a gentle reminder to the All Whites that a one-goal lead could be cancelled out by the simplest of errors. They duly sought to rectify the matter before half-time, with Ben Old going desperately close to doubling their lead five minutes before the interval, his curling effort clipping the head of Teva Lossec, then the far post. Five minutes later, Nando Pijnaker and Rufer both saw shots blocked by Tahitian defenders following a Liberato Cacace corner, while nine minutes into the second spell a fiercely struck cross-shot by Payne was pawed away from the top corner by Decoret. The All Whites finally made the breakthrough they sought in the 67th minute. Sam Sutton delivered a corner to the far post, where Wood had got free of his marker and celebrated by guiding a header back across goal into the far corner of the net - 2-0. Tahiti looked to reduce the deficit through Teaonui Tehau, one of three Tehau's on the teamsheet - all related. His rising drive was grabbed by Crocombe, who looked on as his opposite number denied efforts from Ben Waine - a quicksilver shot on the turn from the edge of the penalty area - and Costa Barbarouses in the next ten minutes. With time all but up on the clock, the All Whites wrapped up their victory with a third goal. Logan Rogerson and Storm Roux worked a one-two on the right, with Rogerson then inviting Rufer to deliver an angled cross. Garbett was the target, and while he mis-timed his volleyed attempt, Tahiti weren't off the hook, for Waine was lurking behind him, and unerringly found the far corner of the net to round off this routine 3-0 win with a stylish finish. Tahiti:          Decoret; Paama (booked, 90), A. Tehau, Poma, Heitaa (Hapipi, 46); Tiatia (Shan, 72), Kaspard, R. Tehau, Lossec; Mathon (Papaura, 88), T. Tehau All Whites:     Crocombe; Payne (Roux, 72), Bindon (booked, 90), Pijnaker, Cacace (Sutton, 64); Stamenic, Rufer, Garbett; Just (Waine, 64), Wood (Rogerson, 77), Old (Barbarouses, 72) Referee:     Mederic Lacour (New Caledonia)