All Whites coach Anthony Hudson believes his side made a statement by winning the Oceania Nations Cup and qualifying for the lucrative Confederations Cup in 2017.
Their performance in the final suggested otherwise though, as they beat Papua New Guinea on penalties after a drab 0-0 stalemate.
Regardless of the difficulty in conditions, Papua New Guinea are ranked 193rd in the world and kept the All Whites scoreless for 120 minutes.
Eventually the Kiwis prevailing in a penalty shootout, but winning is one thing, while making a statement is another.
Despite lacklustre performances Hudson insists they've done both.
"100 percent we have, we've qualified for the Confederations Cup, won every game, dominated the tournament," Hudson said.
In the often gloomy world of New Zealand Football, Hudson remains the eternal optimist.
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Newshub.
