Fiji narrowly defeated the Solomon Islands in their opening match of the FIFA World Cup 26 Oceania Qualifiers, despite being down to ten men for most of the game.
Roy Krishna scored the only goal of the match from a tight angle, giving Fiji the lead after 13 minutes. The team faced a setback when Aporosa Yada was sent off for a lunging tackle in the 39th minute.
The Solomon Islands started the match with strong pressure but struggled to create significant scoring opportunities. Krishna, capitalizing on a defensive error, netted the goal through the legs of goalkeeper Phillip Mango, energizing the home crowd.
After taking the lead, Fiji had to navigate the remainder of the match with a player disadvantage. Yada’s red card came after he attempted to win the ball just outside the penalty area. Despite their numerical advantage, the Solomon Islands failed to convert their possession into goals, which frustrated coach Josh Smith.
Fiji’s defense worked hard to repel the Solomon Islands in the second half. Rafa Le’ai tried to ignite their attack but was unable to break through the steadfast Fiji defense. Although they dominated possession, the loss of Yada did not dramatically affect Fiji’s performance.
Goalkeeper Jerome Narayan was not significantly tested throughout the match, aside from collecting a few threatening crosses. Leroy Jennings nearly capitalized on a defensive misstep but was denied by Mango, who made a crucial save. Krishna then had another opportunity, but a deflection off Mango kept the scoreline intact.
The match concluded with Fiji winning 1-0.