New Zealand crush India 5-0 in Auckland; Jesse Randall nets brace

New Zealand defeated India 5-0 at Go Media Stadium in Auckland in the first FIFA International Friendly on November 12, 2026, with Jesse Randall scoring twice and Francis De Vries among the standouts.

India arrived in Auckland after defeats to Brazil and Uruguay, while New Zealand had been winless against Japan and Panama in the previous international window; the match swung early when Bijoy Varghese put through his own net inside 300 seconds, and New Zealand led 3-0 by half-time after Randall scored in the final 10 minutes of the first half.

The second half saw New Zealand extend their advantage: Chris Wood headed home to make it 4-0 before Bayliss finished with a volley to complete the fifth goal, and the hosts were awarded a late penalty that Vishal Kaith saved, leaving the game to finish 5-0.

Francis De Vries was rated 8.5/10 and played a central role in New Zealand’s win, producing overlapping runs, providing assists to Jesse Randall — including for New Zealand’s third goal — and scoring with a 75th-minute volley that sealed the 5-0 scoreline.

Jesse Randall’s involvement was pivotal throughout: he supplied the cross that led to Bijoy Varghese’s own goal, scored two consecutive goals to complete a brace and was a consistent attacking threat from the right flank as the All Whites turned a one-goal lead into a rout before half-time.

Owen Parker Rice, rated 7/10 after coming on as a substitute, produced several notable saves, including a flying stop to deny Matt Garbett’s half-volley and a charge off his line to thwart Chris Wood one-on-one; the report also notes he blocked a follow-up header after keeping out Bill Tuiloma’s penalty.

India’s performance featured defensive lapses and missed opportunities: Bijoy Varghese’s own goal and subsequent defensive errors contributed to all three first-half goals, Akash Mishra’s sliding tackle led to a penalty incident in the box, and several Indian substitutes — including those making debuts — were unable to alter a match that had already slipped away by the break.

Francis De Vries and Jesse Randall were identified as New Zealand’s top performers, with Randall’s brace key to the victory, and the result leaves plenty of questions for India head coach Khalid Jamil to answer after a disappointing outing in Auckland.