New Zealand gets closer to Qatar (thanks to ex-Marseille)

New Zealand won the Oceania qualifiers final on Wednesday, easily beating Solomon Islands (5-0) in Doha with a double from former Marseille Bill Tuiluma. In June, you will meet a representative of the CONCACAF region, the ultimate challenge on the road to the 2022 World Cup.

Marseille fans may remember his name. He arrived at OM in 2013, after being seen during the U-20 World Cup in Turkey, he left after four years. With only two Ligue 1 appearances on the clock, a few matches at National while on loan to Strasbourg, and above all a long spell in the Marseille reserve. A defender who can develop a higher grade, Bill Tuiluma is now 27 years old. He has been playing in Major League Soccer since 2017, with the Portland Timbers, and has become an important part of the New Zealand selection.

Another step to take before the World Cup

On Wednesday evening, he was one of the chief architects of his team’s victory by signing a double against Solomon Islands (5-0) in the “final” of the Oceania region, in Doha, within the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. Cup: Newcastle striker Chris Wood scored, Brondby midfielder Joe Bell Torino midfielder Matthew Garbet was also a target to earn New Zealand’s ticket to an intercontinental playoff. Tuiluma and his teammates will face the fourth game in the CONCACAF region on June 13 or 14, which is supposed to be Costa Rica except for a big surprise tonight (the US and Mexico can still get back to this watershed spot), to win the title. The right to go to the World Cup in Qatar. This match will be played in a dry match, still in Qatar, the host country.

In its history, New Zealand has participated in the World Cup twice: in 1982 in Spain by eliminating the first round and more recently in 2010 in South Africa. If they can’t make it to the round of 16, the New Zealanders make an impression by finishing third in their group, ahead of the Italian world champion. They were able to tie the Nacional team led by Fabio Cannavaro (1-1), as well as Paraguayan player Lucas Barrios (0-0) and Slovakia led by Marek Hamsik (1-1). It is not enough, however, to pass the first round.