The Fijians booked their semifinal spot after coming behind to beat Vanuatu 3-2 in Papeete, Tahiti, yesterday. They finished behind New Zealand in Group A to qualify.
Fiji Under-16 captain Veleni Rasorewa shields the ball away
from a Vanuatu defender in their Group A decider match of
the OFC U16 Championship in Papeete, Tahiti, on August 4,
2024. Rasorewa scored the winning goal as they qualify for the semifinal. Photo: OFC Media
Teamwork is what Fiji Under-16 football coach Sunil Kumar wants them to focus on before playing in the OFC U16 Championship semifinal.
The Fijians booked their semifinal spot after coming behind to beat Vanuatu 3-2 in Papeete, Tahiti, yesterday. They finished behind New Zealand in Group A to qualify.
“Vanuatu came into the game with nothing to lose,” Kumar said.
“I’ll take the result but we’ve to lift our performance. We came with the mindset to win.”
Waiting for today’s Group B results to determine their semifinal opponent, Kumar says, they have to work on a few areas of their game.
“We need to work on securing the second ball and on keeping our defensive shape. Also we’ve to work together as a team.”
Fiji U16 striker Rishal Shankar was again the toast of the side for scoring a classic goal from a free-kick before setting up Veleni Rasorewa to head in the winning goal.
According to OFC, the semi-finalists effectively get two bites at qualifying for the FIFA U-17 Men’s World Cup in Qatar next year, with the two finalists in Papeete joined by the winner of the third and fourth place playoff at the FIFA showpiece.
Vanuatu, needing to win the match by at least six goals to qualify for the semi-finals ahead of Cook Islands, made a cracking start.
They came close to scoring in the 7th minute when the ball ricocheted off Josaia Raikoso off the line for a corner. From the corner Sakaria Manipen’s loopy header found its way into the net.
But Fiji gradually found their way into the game and Shankar looked dangerous whenever he touched the ball. Fiji’s equaliser came due to a calamity at the back for Vanuatu. Krishna Samy swung a left footed cross into the box. A confusion between Vanuatu goalkeeper Marco Kalaku and Manipen saw both players miss the ball, collide and the ball bounced into the back of the net.
There was no element of luck about Fiji’s second goal just before the break.
From a free kick on the edge of the box Shankar bent the ball over the wall into the right-hand corner of the net in what was a cracking strike. Jefpta Taravaki had been Vanuatu’s best player in the first spell, and he levelled the scores seven minutes into the second half.
Both sides went in search of the winner but there was little goalmouth action until 10 minutes from time when Rasorewa rose to meet a cross from Shankar and he headed the ball into the back of the net for the winner.
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