By Shelley Cameron
New Zealand entered their final pool match knowing a convincing victory was required to keep semifinal hopes alive. With qualification hinging on both their result and the outcome of the France vs Australia fixture being played simultaneously, the equation was clear: win by three goals and hope for a France victory.
The opening quarter was a tense and cagey affair, with both sides cautiously probing for weaknesses. Laos looked dangerous on the counter and created the best opportunity late in the period, forcing a sharp save from New Zealand goalkeeper Nick van Hattan.
The second quarter followed a similar pattern. New Zealand controlled possession for long stretches but struggled to break down a disciplined Laos defence. Meanwhile, Laos remained a threat on the break with their pace and skill in attacking areas. Despite both teams’ efforts, neither could find a breakthrough, and the match remained goalless at halftime.
New Zealand emerged after the break with renewed urgency, making several changes that immediately lifted the tempo. Early pressure nearly paid off, with a shot flying narrowly wide in the opening minutes of the third quarter.
The breakthrough finally came when Laos conceded a foul just outside the penalty area. A pinpoint free kick found Miroslav Malivuk free in the box, where he tucked it home to give New Zealand a crucial 1–0 lead. Buoyed by the goal, New Zealand pushed forward again, with Hicham Kamri breaking through shortly after, only to be denied in a one-on-one by the Laos goalkeeper.
READ MORE: Late penalty denies New Zealand Masters opening win in Thailand >>
Momentum continued to build as Darren Cheriton found the back of the net, but his effort was ruled out for offside. Kamri soon made amends, finishing clinically to double the lead and bring New Zealand closer to the required margin. Another potential goal from a corner was disallowed for a foul on the goalkeeper, leaving the score at 2–0 heading into the final break.
Photo: New Zealand celebrating with fans after the game
The fourth quarter began with New Zealand maintaining high pressure. Their persistence paid off when Malivuk’s strong run won a corner, which Luis Corrales emphatically finished to make it 3–0—putting New Zealand within touching distance of their target.
However, Laos responded immediately with a stunning strike into the top corner, reducing the deficit to 3–1 and raising the stakes once more. New Zealand pushed forward relentlessly in search of the crucial fourth goal. Corrales was denied a clear scoring chance after being brought down from behind, with the referee issuing only a yellow card.
With time running out, New Zealand continued to press and were finally rewarded in dramatic fashion. Malivuk struck again with the last kick of the game, sealing a 4–1 victory and completing his brace.
Despite doing everything required on the pitch, New Zealand’s semifinal hopes were dashed as France and Australia played out a 2–2 draw. The final group standings saw France top the group with six points, followed by Australia on five, New Zealand on four, and Laos on zero.
New Zealand can take pride in a strong performance under pressure, narrowly missing out on progression. The team will now enjoy a well-earned rest day, including attending a football-for-kids coaching session, before returning to action against Taiwan on Friday.
Final Score:
New Zealand 4 (Miroslav Malivuk 2, Luis Corrales, Darren Cheriton)
Laos 1
READ MORE: New Zealand over 40s return to Thailand for Seniors World Cup >>
Match Report: Game 2: New Zealand Masters vs France
The side faced a tough challenge in their second outing of the tournament, taking on a French team fresh from a convincing 5–2 win over Laos the day prior. In what turned out to be a disjointed and stop-start contest, the Kiwis struggled to find rhythm against a French side intent on disrupting the flow.
From the outset, France employed tactics that slowed the tempo, with frequent stoppages breaking up any continuity. As a result, the match never truly settled, and New Zealand found it difficult to build cohesion in the early stages.
The first real opportunity came in the 11th minute, when the French goalkeeper produced a sharp save low to his right to deny the Kiwis an opening goal. Despite showing promising signs, New Zealand were undone five minutes later against the run of play. A hopeful long ball dropped into the space between the defensive line and goalkeeper, and France capitalised, scrambling the ball into the net to take a 1–0 lead.
The remainder of the half was heavily interrupted, with multiple injury stoppages extending what should have been a 40-minute period to nearly an hour. The French physio was kept busy throughout, further contributing to the lack of flow. France carried their narrow advantage into the break.
New Zealand began the second half with greater control, enjoying sustained periods of possession and working to stretch the French defence. However, a costly stray pass allowed France to strike again, latching onto the loose ball and lofting a dipping effort that fell just under the crossbar to double their lead.
To their credit, the Kiwis responded almost immediately. Following a well-constructed passage of play, Hicham Kamri found the net to pull one back and reignite New Zealand’s hopes.
Pushing for an equaliser, New Zealand committed numbers forward and applied significant pressure in the closing stages. A strong appeal for a handball inside the box was waved away by the Thai officials, adding to the mounting frustration. The Kiwis came agonisingly close in injury time when a dangerous cross into the area was met but fired over the bar — a moment that ultimately summed up the match.
Despite their dominance in possession and relentless effort, New Zealand fell just short, with the match finishing 2–1 in favour of France.
The result leaves the Kiwis with a must-win scenario in their final pool game against Laos. They will also need results elsewhere to go their way if they are to secure a place in Thursday’s semifinals.
Final Score:
France 2
New Zealand 1 (Hicham Kamr)
Seniors World Cup
The Seniors World Cup is an annual invitational tournament for players over 40, organised by the Seniors Football Association of Thailand and supported by the Thai FA. This year’s tournament is the 18th edition, and is being held in Ubon Ratchathani, a city on the Mun River, about 615km from Bangkok.
The annual invitational tournament has again drawn a strong international field, with eight countries taking part: England, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Taiwan, the United States, Laos and France, who are competing at the tournament for the first time.
2025 New Zealand Over-40s
Nick van Hattan, Regan Cameron, Craig Alderdice, Nicholas Longley, Paul Seaman, Darren Cheriton, Hicham Kamri, Timothy Butterfield, Miroslav Malivuk, Raf de Gregorio, Isaac Duker, Jared McElhannan, Ersel Kizilay, Simon George, Allen Chote, Steven McMahon, Dave Ure, Tuione Faleafa, Graham Little, Luis Corrales, James Cudd, Matt West, Paul Whitmarsh, Kevin Thompson, Richard Gillespie.
Physio: Susanne Duker.
Management and support team: Dave Copson, Dave Batty, Graham Little, Shelley Cameron, Marko Malivuk, James Little, Martin Van Hattun, Lauren Haller.
Some games are livestreamed on the Facebook channel: https://www.facebook.com/sfathailand
You can follow along with team updates on the NZ Masters Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/714624220485116
This story was published on June 4, 2026.