The All Whites were previously in action in June, losing 4-1 to Sweden, while the African outfit suffered a 1-0 defeat to South Africa last month.
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New Zealand and Congo DR will go head-to-head in a friendly at Estadio Enrique Roca de Murcia in Spain on Friday evening. The All Whites were previously in action in June, losing 4-1 to Sweden, while the African outfit suffered a 1-0 defeat to South Africa last month. The Leopards are getting ready for their World Cup qualifiers, beginning next month, while New Zealand have couple of friendlies lined for this month and the next. Meanwhile Friday’s fixture will be first clash between these two sides.
🎙️ With commentary from @pineynz https://t.co/TxiLPI5JUD
— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) October 12, 2023
New Zealand’s last competitive action was way back in June 2022, in the World Cup qualifier, which they lost to Costa Rica. Since then, the All Whites have played six friendlies, recording two wins and three defeats in the period. Danny Hay’s side were involved in two friendlies in June this year, losing 4-1 to Sweden at Friends Arena in Stockholm, but their next fixture against Qatar was cancelled. The OFC outfit took the lead through Callum McCowatt’s 11th-minute opener, but Jesper Karlsson went on to score a brace for Sweden alongside goals from Robin Quaison and Anthony Elanga. The All Whites will play friendlies against Congo DR and Australia this month before taking on Greece and Republic of Ireland in November.
Congo, on the other hand, had an impressive African Cup of Nations qualifier this year, recording four successive wins, home and away to Mauritania, before getting the better of Gabon and Sudan. Sebastian Desabre’s side topped their group and earned a spot in the tournament. On the back of that triumph, the Leopards then travelled to South Africa most recently for a friendly, but saw their five game winning run come to an end, suffering a 1-0 defeat courtesy of Lyle Foster’s 25th-minute effort. After the game against New Zealand, Congo DR will play one more friendly against Angola next week, before beginning their World Cup qualifying campaign next month.
New Zealand probable starting lineup: Woud, Pijnaker, Boxall, Tuiloma, Cacace, Stamenic, Garbett, Singh, Waine, Wood, McCowatt
Congo DR probable starting lineup: Mpasi, Kalulu, Mbemba, Baka, Masuaku, Kayembe, Moutoussamy, Bongonda, Tshibola, Silas, Bakambu
New Zealand
| Opponents | Score |
| Qatar | 0-1 (W) |
| Sweden | 4-1 (L) |
| China | 2-1 (W) |
| China | 0-0 (D) |
| Australia | 0-2 (L) |
Congo DR
| Opponents | Score |
| South Africa | 1-0 (L) |
| Sudan | 2-0 (W) |
| Gabon | 0-2 (W) |
| Uganda | 1-0 (W) |
| Mauritania | 0-3 (W) |
The international friendly between New Zealand and Congo DR will take place at Estadio Enrique Roca de Murcia on Friday at 9:30 pm IST.
| New Zealand vs Congo DR | Key Details |
| Date | October 13 |
| Venue | Estadio Enrique Roca de Murcia |
| Kickoff time in Spain | 6:00 pm (Friday) |
| Kickoff time in New Zealand | 5:00 am (Saturday) |
| Kickoff time in Congo DR | 5:00 pm (Friday) |
| Kickoff time in India | 9:30 pm Friday) |
Football fans in Congo DR can catch the live action via RTNC. Meanwhile, those in New Zealand can watch the match on Sky go NZ network.
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