New Zealand's All Whites scored their first win in forty months on October 9, seeing off Curacao 2-1 at Bahrain's Al Muharraq Stadium in the first-ever clash between the countries. It was the All Whites' first outing in 692 days, thanks largely to the impact Covid-19 has had on our planet, but they wasted little time in getting back into the groove, with captain Chris Wood firing wildly wide after just 98 seconds, following a slick Sarpreet Singh lay-off. Five minutes later, a thirty yarder from Marko Stamenic gave Tyrick Bodak cause for concern, but while the young goalkeeper dealt with that confidently, he was beaten all ends up three minutes later as the All Whites took the lead courtesy a wild deflection off Bill Tuiloma's twenty-five yard free-kick, which sent the ball into the opposite corner from that which Bodak was covering. It was a deserved early lead for Danny Hay's charges, and one they went close to doubling seconds afterwards, Liberato Cacace volleying wide from the edge of the penalty area after a delicious set-up by Singh. The bulk of the first quarter of the match was played in Curacao's half, but the Caribbean side finally flexed their attacking muscles in the 25th minute. Jarchinio Antonia, who was a real handful throughout proceedings, latched onto a loose ball on the right and clipped in a near post cross which Rangelo Janga met with a header which deflected to safety off the head of Tuiloma. The resulting corner proved fruitless for the team coached by Dutch legend Patrick Kluivert, who looked on helplessly in the 33rd minute as the All Whites doubled their advantage. Curacao's game-long approach of looking to play out from the back invited trouble, and the All Whites weren't slow in applying it via a pressing game which denied their opponents the time and space in which to play, and forced them to continually play the ball back in order to keep possession. Every once in a while, they would get caught in possession. Thus it was on this occasion, Cacace robbing Ayrton Statie of the ball halfway inside the Curacao half and instantly slipping a pass into the stride of Callum McCowatt. His first-time ball inside found Wood striding onto the sphere, and from twelve yards he made no mistake - 2-0, a goal which drew the scorer level with Jock Newall on 28 goals in all New Zealand matches, with 25 of Wood's efforts having been netted in 'A' internationals. And so nearly 3-0 three minutes later. Matthew Garbett, one of four debutants for the All Whites in this match, worked a one-two with Joe Bell before inviting Singh to join in the fun. His round the corner pass invited Wood to let fly, but this time he was denied by the legs of Bodak. Now trailing by two goals, Curacao looked to hit back before half-time, but their hopes of doing so foundered on Marinovic. He flew to his right to keep out a Gevaro Nepomuceno drive in the 37th minute, then collided with the post five minutes later while successfully denying Antonia's volley, after the dangerous winger had been picked out by Nepomuceno's cross after he had got the better of generally well-performed Kiwi debutant Niko Kirwan. Right on half-time, an untimely slip by Wood prevented him from establishing a three-goal lead for his country after Singh had won the ball on the edge of the penalty area before presenting Cacace with the chance to clip a cross to the far post. The referee - name and nationality unknown, unfortunately - was a model of inconsistency in this match, letting an awful lot go on some occasions, then pulling up the same incidents on others. It prompted one or two meetings of the minds as players from both teams - particularly Curacao - got a tad testy in the trying conditions, with drinks

breaks necessary, even for a 7pm kick-off in Bahrain's capital, Manama. As had been the case an hour earlier, the All Whites began the second half in the ascendancy, Singh's audacious looping volley, on receipt of a quickly taken Bell free-kick, arcing narrowly past the far post with Bodak looking on helplessly in the 49th minute. Seconds later, Singh was pulling the strings again, this time capping off a charging run with a one-two with McCowatt in the penalty area. This put Singh in a position which lured Bodak out of goal, and the midfielder's lay-off invited Kirwan to let fly with a twenty-yarder which fizzed a yard over the top of the unguarded net. Back came Curacao, who had to score next if they harboured hopes of avoiding defeat. A delightfully weighted clipped pass from Juninho Bacuna found Janga in the penalty area, but his attempt to shoot on the turn was blocked well by Nando Pijnaker, the third of the starting debutants for New Zealand - Kelvin Kalua would become the fourth first starter when appearing off the bench late in the contest. That 58th minute attempt was followed five minutes later by a Juninho Bacuna effort which Marinovic smothered well, after the midfielder had wriggled through a couple of challenges outside the penalty area as the All Whites' midfield began to show signs of succumbing to the heat. A Bell free-kick soon afterwards gave Curacao plenty of cause for concern, but they survived that threat, and after Antonia had been denied a goal by the offside flag, the Caribbean team were celebrating in the 71st minute. Captain Leandro Bacuna latched onto a loose ball on the right and delivered an inviting cross over Kirwan for Antonia, who, this time, picked out Janga with his pass. The striker held off Pijnaker before blasting a close-range effort between Marinovic and his near post into the roof of the net - 2-1, game on. The goal prompted a change of tactics by the Kiwis, with shoring up the rearguard the chosen course of action. On came Tommy Smith to join fellow long-time campaigner Tuiloma as part of a five-man defence, with Wood operating as a lone soldier in attack ahead of a four-man midfield. "Break us down, Curacao", was the message, and, inspired by the in-roads Antonia was making, they attempted to do so. But they created just two opportunities in the time remaining, the first of which saw former Wellington Phoenix star Roly Bonevacia lash a twenty-five yarder goalwards seven minutes from time. Marinovic smothered this, then saved superbly with his legs sixty seconds later to deny Leandro Bacuna in a one-on-one situation, after Brandley Kuwas' quickly taken free-kick invited Antonia to pick out his captain with a first-time pass. That was as close as Curacao came to an equaliser, however, the All Whites holding on for a very welcome win, just the fourth they have scored against CONCACAF opponents, with Canada (1927), Mexico (1980) and Honduras (2012) the other triumphs recorded by New Zealand's senior men's representative side over the years. This one sets up the All Whites for a clash with Bahrain in three days' time, as the Kiwis step up their preparations to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Finals, which take place in Qatar in fourteen months' time. Curacao:     Bodak; Statie (booked, 65), Alberto (Bonevacia, 55), Martina, Gaari; J. Bacuna (booked, 90), Anita, L. Bacuna (booked, 14); Nepomuceno (Kuwas, 46), Janga, Antonia All Whites:     Marinovic (booked, 90); Kirwan (booked, 82) (Kalua, 87), Tuiloma (M. Boxall, 87), Pijnaker, Cacace (booked, 90); Garbett (Just, 67), Bell, Singh (Smith, 77), Stamenic; McCowatt (de Jong, 67), Wood