New Zealand vs Japan Preview & Prediction | 2026 Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup | First Round
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After each falling to heavy defeats in the previous round of fixtures, New Zealand and Japan are playing for their tournament lives here.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – not televised / USA – USA’s matches will be televised live on CBS
How to watch online: UK – British home nation matches can be streamed live for free on Channel 4 Sport YouTube, while all matches can be streamed live on FIH Watch.Hockey / USA – USA’s matches can be streamed live on CBS digital platforms, while all matches can be streamed live on FIH Watch.Hockey
New Zealand vs Japan prediction
It was nothing short of a disaster for both New Zealand and Japan to begin the World Cup. The former were outclassed by a Netherlands juggernaut whilst Japan, the lowest ranked nation in the competition looked out of their depth in a 3-0 loss at the hands of Argentina. Neither are likely to progress to the next stage, but to stand at least a chance of making it going into the final set of games, this one is a must win.
As heavy as a defeat that New Zealand suffered last time out, they won’t be facing an opponent like Netherlands on this occasion. They are going from facing the three-time world champions and current world number two, to the biggest outsider in the entire tournament. Consider backing the Black Sticks to bounce back and pick up three points against Japan.
New Zealand vs Japan tip: New Zealand to win
