New Zealand were held to a 1-1 draw by Panama in the Kirin Cup semi-finals on Thursday morning. The result in Yokohama leaves Darren Bazeley's side fourth in their World Cup qualifying group with one point from three matches.
Marko Stamenić gave the All Whites a perfect start, firing home from Ben Waine's pass in the 13th minute. Panama dominated possession after that and found an equaliser just before half-time, with Dylan Herbert converting a cross from José Luis Rodríguez.
The second half saw both teams make multiple changes, with Moses Dyer and Lachlan Bayliss among those introduced for New Zealand. The game exploded into life in extra time with a remarkable sequence of penalty kicks. Tyler Bindon, Stamenić, Dyer, Bayliss and Michael Boxall all scored from the spot for New Zealand, while Amir Murillo, Carlos Harvey and Víctor Griffith replied for Panama, with Mijahir Jiménez missing one for the Central Americans.
Darren Bazeley's team now turn their focus to World Cup qualification, where they sit four points behind group leaders Belgium. The squad will regroup after this international window, with the full player list available on our squad page.
