Where All Whites coach Darren Bazeley could make changes for massive FIFA World Cup clash with Egypt

Saturday, 20 June 2026

ANALYSIS: The saying goes that you should never change a winning team.

But what about one that drew?

That’s the dilemma All Whites coach Darren Bazeley and his coaching staff have no doubt been puzzling over in recent days, ahead of their second FIFA World Cup match against Egypt in Vancouver on Sunday evening (1pm Monday NZ time).

There was plenty to like about the way his team performed in their 2-2 draw with Iran on Monday night in Los Angeles.

Given the stage, given the quality of the opposition, given the fact that 15 of the 16 All Whites involved were making their World Cup debuts – it was momentous.

Potentially the team’s best performance ever.

Certainly their best attacking performance, once you account for the level of the opposition.

But still not enough for that elusive first World Cup win.

Because while there was plenty of great defending at SoFi Stadium – led, not for the first time, by centre back Finn Surman – there were also two Iranian equalisers, conceded in frustrating fashion.

With one point in the bag from their opening draw, a first World Cup win for the All Whites in one of their two remaining group G matches will very likely be enough for them to advance to the knockout stage for the first time as well.

Egypt and Belgium drew 1-1 at Lumen Stadium in Seattle in their opening match on Monday afternoon – a result that kept Egypt waiting for their first World Cup win.

Belgium play Iran earlier on Sunday in Los Angeles, so the group G picture will be clearer by the time the All Whites and Egypt kick off that evening.

Right now, on paper, the Egypt match looks more winnable than the Belgium one for the All Whites, who have a 0-2-10 win-draw-loss record against teams ranked in the world’s top 10.

So as the All Whites build up to what will be the biggest match they’ve ever played – a true blockbuster – the question is simple: Will they improve their chances of winning by making changes?

Bazeley is a big believer in the power of cohesion and some part of him will no doubt feel the starters against Iran will be better for their time together on the World Cup stage.

But there are some positions where there is an argument for potential change – and he told Stuff the day after the match that his five substitutes against Iran had given him plenty of food for thought.

Right back, as is often the case, is one of them.

Tim Payne was caught out defensively several times by Iran, though those lapses didn’t lead to goals. Perhaps more frustrating was the way several promising attacks died at his feet, whether because he played a bad pass or was dispossessed.

Bazeley praised replacement right back Callan Elliot’s one-on-one defending against Iranian substitute Mehdi Ghayedi when he spoke to Stuff and that strength could come to the fore against Egypt’s tricky attacking quartet.

If Elliot were to come in, it would be his first start since his debut in Bazeley’s first match in charge – the 0-0 draw with 10 men against China in Auckland in March 2023.

The coach could opt to play centre back Tyler Bindon at right back, as he did in the second half of the All Whites’ warm-up loss to England in Tampa.

Bindon could also be considered in his normal position, where he would be a nimbler alternative to veteran Michael Boxall, in a match where the All Whites are set to have their hands full dealing with Manchester City star Omar Marmoush and departing Liverpool legend Mo Salah, two tricky dribblers who played through the middle against Belgium.

The other question worth turning over is whether there is something to be gained from adding a more direct threat – Ben Old or Jesse Randall – to the attacking quartet from the start, or whether they are best kept in reserve for the second half, with Old also now the chief back-up to Liberato Cacace at left back.

Old replaced Cacace for the final 22 minutes against Iran and Bazeley confirmed to Stuff afterwards that while the vice-captain wasn’t on a minutes limit, they were being cautious with him, after a club season at Wrexham where he suffered five muscle injuries and didn’t play a minute after the first week of February.

The case for bringing in one of the few All Whites with real pace would be based on the idea that Egypt are likely to spend more time camped out in the New Zealand half than Iran did, making speed on the counter more valuable.

After the attacking display the incumbent front four produced against Iran, it’s hard to see Bazeley breaking that quartet up.

If that proves to be the case, he must be quicker to introduce Randall than he was against Iran, where he waited until stoppage time, even though Sarpreet Singh – another whose club season was disrupted by injury – had started to fade long before that.

All will be revealed 90 minutes before kickoff on Sunday.