The Fiji under-16 football team faced a heavy 1-7 defeat against New Zealand at the OFC Men’s Championship in Tahiti yesterday.
Despite taking the lead initially through a 21st-minute goal by Veleni Rasorewa, Fiji could not hold on as New Zealand’s strong performance eventually overpowered them.
New Zealand’s Luke Brooke-Smith netted a hat-trick, with Aaron Cartwright scoring twice, and Justin Cardozo and Benjamin Perez Balsoni each adding a goal.
Fiji’s head coach, Sunil Kumar, admitted that the game did not go as they had planned and praised New Zealand’s exceptional play.
He acknowledged the team’s early lead and expressed disappointment over conceding “silly goals.”
“We wanted to give our all in the game against a strong New Zealand side,” said Kumar.
“We had a dream start leading in the first 25 minutes, but then we conceded silly goals.”
“I tried my best to motivate them in the second half, but it was difficult being down 4-1.”
“The boys mentally could not handle the pressure, and New Zealand, as a champion side, gave it their all and delivered a tough match.”
Kumar stressed the need for the team to regroup and focus on their upcoming match against Vanuatu.
“The dream is still alive, and we will work on our mistakes before we take on Vanuatu.”
The team will face Vanuatu on Sunday at 1 pm.