A FORMER Championship star is now going for gold at the Olympics.
New Zealand suffered penalty shootout heartbreak at Tokyo 2020 against host nation Japan.
But they are looking to go all the way at Paris 2024 under the leadership of an Englishman.
Former right-back Darren Bazeley earned legendary status at Watford after over a decade of service at the club.
After signing for the Vicarage Road outfit in 1986, the now 51 year old made his senior debut in 1990 and he went on to make nearly 300 EFL appearances.
He helped the Hornets to the League One title in 1998 under Graham Taylor and then 12 months later he achieved the highlight of his playing career.
Bazeley was part of the side that secured Watford a place in the Premier League as they beat Bolton 2-0 at Wembley in the Championship play-off final.
But he never got the opportunity to play for them in the top-flight as he left his boyhood team that summer to sign for Wolves.
Bazeley spent three seasons at Molineux and then had a stint at Walsall before heading to the other side of the world.
He signed for New Zealand Knights in 2005 before finishing his playing career at Waitakere United in 2008.
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Bazeley then got involved with the Kiwi coaching set-up in 2009 when becoming assistant manager of their Under-17s side.
He stepped up to U17 head coach in 2012 before he received another promotion 12 months later as he was appointed U20 boss.
Bazeley then took on more responsibility as he combined that role with assistant manager of the senior team from March 2015.
But he left the New Zealand international set-up in 2017 when senior head coach Anthony Hudson departed – following him to America as part of his staff at Colorado Rapids.
He headed to Australia for a brief spell as assistant at Newcastle Jets but finally returned as New Zealand U20 head coach and as assistant to the national and Olympic teams in October 2020.
Here are their Group A fixtures:
Thursday 25 July
Guinea vs New Zealand
Sunday 28 July
New Zealand vs USA
Wednesday 31 July
France vs New Zealand
They managed to reach the quarter-finals at Tokyo 2020 – but now they are hoping to go even better in their fourth appearances at the Games.
Bazeley took over as senior head coach of New Zealand in 2023 and has already had a taste of silverware.
He led them to victory at the 2024 OFC Men’s Nations Cup and now Bazeley will hope to continue his success at the Olympics in Paris.
However, he faces a tough test after they were drawn in Group A alongside host nation France, USA and Guinea.
Nearly 15,000 residents – around 10,500 of which are athletes – will be cramming into the Olympic village between July 26 and August 11.
To ensure the athletes feel at home, a number of provisions have been made by organisers.
One of these is the stocking of some 300,000 condoms, in theory enough for around two every day during the run of the Games.
A number of Olympic athletes have opened the door on their steamy lives behind-the-scenes when in camp, including huge sex orgies and parties.
London 2012 had claimed the title of “the raunchiest Games ever”, but the 150,000 condoms ordered paled in comparison to the 450,000 ordered for the Rio Games four years later.
Condoms have been laid on by organisers at every game since Seoul 1988, when it they were used to spread awareness of HIV and AIDS.
Even with an intimacy ban at Tokyo 2020 due to Covid-19, some 150,000 johnnies were handed out.
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