NZ add Haiti friendly to World Cup warm-up schedule

May 6 : New Zealand will face Haiti in a friendly in Florida in early June four days before they take on England to conclude their preparations for the World Cup, NZ Football said on Wednesday.

The All Whites, who are returning to soccer's biggest stage for the first time since 2010, will play Haiti for the first time at Chase Stadium, Fort Lauderdale on June 3 ahead of their clash with England in Tampa.

"We have been working to lock in two games against fellow World Cup opposition to put us in the best place to perform at the tournament," coach Darren Bazeley said in a statement.

"The combination of facing Haiti and England, both in Florida, is something we feel does exactly that."

New Zealand, ranked 85th in the world, will play Iran, Egypt and Belgium in Group G as they seek their first World Cup victory.

Haiti, two spots higher in the rankings, are preparing for their second World Cup appearance 52 years after their first. They were drawn with Scotland, Brazil, and Morocco in Group C.

"Haiti are a good side and are ranked at a similar level to us, so we feel that provides a perfect test as we get ready to kick off against Iran in LA," Bazeley added.

Bazeley will name his squad for the tournament in mid-May and his side kick off their campaign against the Iranians at Los Angeles Stadium on June 15.