New Zealand produced one of their strongest performances of 2026 to defeat China 3-0 in Chongqing, with Tyler Bindon, Ben Waine and Owen Parker-Price all finding the net as the All Whites continued their Asian tour unbeaten.
After being held to a 2-2 draw by Palestine in their opening match of the window, Darren Bazeley’s side delivered a much more controlled display against the hosts. New Zealand established a two-goal lead before half-time and then survived a quieter second period before substitute Parker-Price completed the victory with his first senior international goal.
The All Whites needed only four minutes to take the lead. An early corner was only partially cleared and Callum McCowatt kept the attack alive down the left before picking out Tyler Bindon, who had remained inside the penalty area. The defender was left free and converted to register his fourth goal for New Zealand.
Bindon was soon required at the opposite end. China began to create more pressure midway through the opening half, and the Nottingham Forest defender produced an important last-ditch block to deny captain Wang Ziming as the hosts searched for an equaliser.
New Zealand continued to carry a considerable threat when they went forward. Logan Rogerson volleyed into the side netting, while Elijah Just drove through the Chinese defence and struck the post as the All Whites pushed for a second.
It eventually arrived in the 29th minute through Ben Waine. A flowing passing sequence involving Just, McCowatt and Ben Old opened the Chinese defence before Waine was presented with the opportunity in front of goal. The striker converted for 2-0, scoring in a second consecutive international after also finding the net against Palestine.
With a two-goal advantage established, New Zealand did not need to reproduce the same attacking intensity after the interval. Bazeley also used the second half to distribute minutes across his squad, making eight substitutions as attention begins to turn towards the next stage of the international window.
One of those changes produced the final goal.
Owen Parker-Price entered the match in the 79th minute and required only three minutes to score his first goal for the senior national team. Moses Dyer was initially denied from close range by the Chinese goalkeeper, but Parker-Price reacted quickly to the rebound and headed home to complete a 3-0 victory.
The result was New Zealand’s first win since their 4-1 victory over Chile at the FIFA Series in Auckland in March and their first clean sheet since beating Ivory Coast 1-0 in Canada in June 2025. It also extended an encouraging window in which the All Whites have scored five goals across their first two matches.
New Zealand now head to Japan for the Kirin Cup, where they will face Panama on October 1 before meeting either hosts Japan or Ecuador in their second match.
For Bazeley, the China performance offered more than simply a positive result. Bindon continued his increasingly notable scoring contribution from defence, Waine struck for the second consecutive game, and Parker-Price added a new name to New Zealand’s international goalscorers as the All Whites build towards the challenges ahead.
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