The All Whites have been edged 1-0 by Peru in their intercontinental playoff warm-up at Barcelona on Monday (NZ time) courtesy of a goalkeeping blunder.
With just over 20 minutes to play, Oli Sail got a heavy first touch on a firm back pass from defender Tim Payne, allowing the ball to fall for Peru's Gianluca Lapadula to control and make the New Zealanders pay.
The Wellington Phoenix goalkeeper earned the starting spot ahead of Stefan Marinovic, who may get the opportunity in the All Whites' final warm-up match against Oman, before next week's all-important World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica.
New Zealand last played Peru in their intercontinental playoff back in November 2017 and Monday's match was their most high-profile contest since that 2-0 loss at Lima.
Playing in front of a crowd for the first time since 2019 - which consisted of 32,000 Peruvians clad in red and white - the All Whites kept pace with their vaunted opponents, although they were forced to do the majority of the defending.
Peru, who are ranked No. 22 in the world, managed to put eight shots on target while the All Whites only had two against their much quicker opposition.
New Zealand looked much sharper with their passing in the second half and remained in the fight after conceding the goal, with Ben Waine turning in a cross from Liberato Cacace eight minutes later, only to be ruled offside.
Cacace was one of the standouts for the All Whites, controlling play through the left edge, while fellow midfielder Matt Garbett was also prominent.
The All Whites now travel to Qatar to take on Oman behind closed doors on Friday, before their do-or-die clash with Costa Rica next Wednesday.
