Wood hits hat-trick as NZ storm through in Oceania World Cup qualifiers

WELLINGTON : Skipper Chris Wood scored a hat-trick as New Zealand remained on course for a first World Cup appearance since 2010 by thrashing Samoa 8-0 on Monday to make it three wins out of three in Oceania qualifying group stage.

The All Whites now move on to next year's four-team final stage of qualifying along with New Caledonia, Fiji and Tahiti, who earlier beat Vanuatu 2-0 at the same Auckland stadium to secure their passage.

New Zealand will play Fiji and New Caledonia will take on Tahiti in the semi-finals in Wellington on March 21 with the final taking place at Auckland's Eden Park three days later.

The winner of the final qualifies directly for the 2026 World Cup finals with the losers going into an intercontinental playoff tournament featuring six teams from around the world.

After beating Tahiti 3-0 and Vanuatu 8-1 in their previous Group B games, New Zealand were already assured of a spot in the final stage before they kicked off against winless Samoa at Mount Smart Stadium.

The heroics of Samoa goalkeeper Pele Eti Fatu kept them at bay until the 24th minute when midfielder Callum McCowatt finally slid the ball past him.

Wood, who has been in rare goalscoring form for his English club Nottingham Forest, clipped a McCowatt pass into the net four minutes later and added his second in the 34th minute after being found free in front of goal by Matthew Garbett.

The 32-year-old, who played as a teenager in New Zealand's 2010 World Cup campaign in South Africa, scored his third with a volley in the 61st minute with Marko Stamenic adding a fifth a minute later.

Wood was substituted in the 64th minute, having contributed six goals over the three group matches to take his career tally to 41 in 80 internationals.

Francis