New Zealand Football has appointed interim Darren Bazeley as the permanent All Whites head coach.
The 50-year-old has been in charge on an interim basis since March, following previous coach Danny Hay's exit in October 2022.
But Bazeley has now been given the fulltime job after leading New Zealand in their previous four friendly fixtures.
In that run, he oversaw a win and draw against China, and a defeat against Sweden, with their last hitout against Qatar, postponed at halftime with NZ leading 1-0.
"While the appointment process took longer than initially expected it allowed us to test Darren in the role, and he proved to all of us he was the right candidate for the job," NZ Football boss Andrew Pragnell said.
"Darren has consistently delivered at age group level, received consistently positive feedback as the All Whites assistant head coach in previous campaigns, and has stepped up seamlessly to the senior national team during his time as interim head coach, leading the team to positive results and performances against higher ranked sides.
"The feedback from the playing group, staff, and organisation from both international windows has been very positive and proven to us all that the team will be successful under his leadership."
Bazeley will lead the national team for the 2026 World Cup cycle, as well as the under-23 side in their qualification bid for the 2023 Paris Olympics.
It's his first senior international coaching role, having previously been in charge of the New Zealand under-23s, under-20s, and, under-17 teams.
"I'm excited to be named All Whites head coach and can't wait to officially get started," Bazeley said.
"I'm proud of the progress we have made as a team over the last four international matches, which is a result of real collaboration between the coaching team and playing group to play a style of football that everyone wants to see.
"I have known and coached many of the players in this group for a long time so it will be a real privilege to continue on the journey with them to develop football in New Zealand and leave a legacy for the next generation.
"This is a hugely exciting time to be a football fan in New Zealand, with the FIFA Women's World Cup this year, consistent high-quality international fixtures, and the Olympics and FIFA World Cup, should we qualify, in the next few years."
