Fiji’s Young Kulas finished sixth at the OFC U-16 Women’s Championship in Apia, Samoa, after a 1-0 defeat to Tonga in the fifth-place playoff. India-May Mann struck the decisive goal in the 70th minute, firing Tonga ahead with a clinical finish after a through ball found its mark.
Fiji’s coach Marika Rodu rotated nearly his entire starting XI to give squad members valuable minutes, a move aimed at broadening the team’s depth for the future. The strategy paid off in their opening game, a 4-0 triumph over Tahiti, but Fiji were unable to maintain momentum in the campaign’s remaining matches, suffering 4-0 losses to Samoa and 6-0 to New Caledonia in the group phase.
The Tahiti victory showcased the team’s potential. Teonila Levuiciva opened the scoring in the 11th minute, Adi Reva doubled the lead just before halftime, Kalisi Dama converted a 62nd-minute penalty to make it 3-0, and substitute Akanisi Katonitabua finished off the scoring with a stoppage-time strike. That performance hinted at growth for Fiji’s youth program, a pathway the nation hopes will parallel the recent success enjoyed by Fiji’s men’s team on the international stage.
Looking ahead, the Young Kulas can take heart from the opening win and the learning experiences gained across the tournament’s group stage. Continued development at the U-16 level is viewed as a crucial step in strengthening Fiji’s overall women’s football pathway in the years to come, with hope that this foundation will translate into stronger showings in future OFC competitions and beyond.
Summary: Fiji’s U-16 women’s team showed early promise with a 4-0 win over Tahiti but finished sixth after a 1-0 loss to Tonga in the fifth-place playoff, underscoring progress and room for improvement in Fiji’s youth football development. Positive momentum remains for future campaigns.
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