Chris Wood hat-trick keeps New Zealand on course for World Cup appearance

Meanwhile skipper Virgil van Dijk and midfielder Frenkie de Jong have both been released from Netherlands duty and will not travel for their final Nations League group game against Bosnia & Herzegovina on Tuesday.

INTERNATIONAL DUTY: NOTTINGHAM Forest's Chris Wood scored a hat-trick as New Zealand remained on course for a first World Cup appearance since 2010 by thrashing Samoa 8-0 Monday to make it three wins out of three in Oceania qualifying group stage.

NOTTINGHAM Forest's Chris Wood scored a hat-trick as New Zealand remained on course for a first World Cup appearance since 2010 by thrashing Samoa 8-0 Monday to make it three wins out of three in Oceania qualifying group stage.

The All Whites now move on to next year's four-team final stage of qualifying along with New Caledonia, Fiji and Tahiti, who earlier beat Vanuatu 2-0 at the same Auckland stadium to secure their passage.