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Full Noise by SN
Bazeley’s depth plan working - except where the All Whites need it most
Riccardo Ball • March 16th, 2026 3:39 pm
Darren Bazeley & Ryan Thomas | Photo: Photosport
All Whites coach Darren Bazeley has looked far and wide to build depth for the national side with an eye to World Cup qualifying - and this FIFA Series against Finland and Chile shows us exactly why.
Chris Wood, Liberato Cacace and Michael Boxall are all missing alongside recent All White players Sarpreet Singh, Matt Garbett,and Nando Pijnaker, and there is a world where all six could be in a New Zealand starting XI.
Several years ago that would’ve been a disastrous blow for the national team boss. But now we have options across the park - except for up top.
Finn Surman and Tyler Bindon are the All Whites' future centreback pairing, so their availability does cover the loss of Boxall and Pijanker for this window.
I’d also argue that the form Eli Just has shown in his debut Scottish Premier League season at Motherwell has seen him go past Sarpreet Singh in the pecking order, although you could make a case for them both to play in a 4-2-3-1.
Matt Garbett is a player that any coach would want to have in their squad - dependable, creative and versatile. Garbett can play as an 8 in a more defensive 4-3-3 or wide right on attack or at times in the No. 10 role so his absence is harder to cover one for one.
The potential debut of Lachlan Bayliss goes some of that way, with the Newcastle Jet operating as a 6 and an 8 at times for Mark Milligan's side, and if Bazeley is looking for a more attacking option, Auckland FC’s Logan Rogerson has shown he is more than capable.
That leaves Liberato Cacace, who when fit and on form, is the second name on the All White coaches' teamsheet.
Unfortunately for both the coach and the player, fitness has been a problem since Cacace swapped Tuscany for Wales. The 25-year-old has started just nine games and has missed a total of 26 games for Wrexham this season, which means Francis De Vries has started all six internationals this season.
Brisbane Roar left back James McGarry is another option for Bazeley to consider, as is St Etienne player Ben Old.
Old is nominally a midfielder being utilised in the role by his French club at the top of Ligue 2, where they tend to dominate and Old can play higher up the pitch.
The elephant in the room is of course Chris Wood - or should that be, the elephant not in the room? New Zealand’s leading goalscorer is supposedly on track to be playing for Nottingham Forest sometime in April but, in the meantime, Bazeley has to figure out who the best option to lead the line is against Chile and Finland.
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In the past, the simple answer would have been Kosta Barbarouses but his move to Western Sydney Wanderers hasn’t been as successful as he’d have liked, with the club struggling at the foot of the A-League, and Kosta himself riding the pine for the last three matches and without a goal since January 10.
Ben Waine has attracted headlines for his FA Cup heroics of late, scoring winners against Championship play off chasers Bristol City and Premier League side Sunderland but he hasn’t played a great deal this season starting just 13 of 37 fixtures in the league.
Callum McCowatt and Jesse Randall are worth considering as well. McCowatt has predominantly played through the middle in a No. 10 role for Silkeborg in the Danish Premier League and has eight goals to show for it, while Randall has nine goals in 21 starts for Auckland FC, although the majority are off the left-hand side rather than in the centre forward slot.
With just two days in camp before the game with Finland (March 27), I expect Bazeley to go with what he knows, so it might be more informative to see what happens against Chile a few days later (March 30).
My All Whites XI vs Finland:
Goalkeeper: Max Crocombe
Defenders: Tim Payne, Finn Surman, Tyler Bindon, Francis De Vries
Midfielders: Joe Bell, Marko Stamenic
Forwards: Callum McCowatt, Eli Just, Ben Old
Striker: Kosta Barbarouses
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