New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley praised his players on Monday for their fighting performance in a 2-2 draw against Iran despite coming tantalizingly close to a first-ever World Cup win. He said the team showed the quality needed to overcome that hurdle.
Iran had to come from behind twice to draw in the opening match of the World Cup, an entertaining Group G match that featured a brace from New Zealander Elijah Just.
“That might be our best performance ever, or since I’ve been involved with the All Whites, which is a long time,” Bazeley said.
“Overall I thought it was a very strong performance, and I think we showed the world who we are and who our players are.”
The draw gives all four teams in the group one point, after Belgium drew 1-1 against Egypt earlier on Monday.
It also means New Zealand – in its third appearance in the final – are still without a World Cup win after seven games.
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Bazeley said his team produced enough quality moments to earn a win, but acknowledged it hurt to come so close to that elusive win.
“We came here to win, and today we were so close to making history,” he said. «We haven’t won a match at a World Cup yet, and we are so close today, and that hurts.»
It looked like New Zealand would hold out until Iranian Mohammad Mohebbi headed a perfect cross level, a moment Bazeley attributed to one of his team’s few defensive errors.
Nevertheless, he predicted that his players would create more positive moments during the tournament.
“We have been building on the performance side over the last few years,” he said.
«And I’ve said a lot: every game we play, we have moments in the games against good teams where we play very well and create chances. Today we were more consistent in that.»
Published on June 16, 2026
