New Zealand’s All Whites were narrowly defeated 1–0 by Poland in a friendly match held in Chorzów.
The only goal came early in the second half, when Polish midfielder Piotr Zieliński fired a stunning strike past goalkeeper Alex Paulsen in the 49th minute.
Although Poland are ranked almost 50 places higher than New Zealand, the All Whites put up a strong fight and created several good chances to score. However, they could not find the back of the net despite their efforts.
New Zealand’s star striker, Chris Wood, remained on the bench for most of the game, only joining the action in the 84th minute. Poland, too, rested some of their biggest names, including famous striker Robert Lewandowski.
Despite the loss, the All Whites’ performance showed promise, especially against such a strong European side.
Their next challenge will be against Norway next Wednesday.
