The Fiji under-16 football team faced a significant defeat, losing 1-7 against New Zealand at the OFC Men’s Championship in Tahiti yesterday.
Despite initially taking the lead in the 21st minute through Veleni Rasorewa, Fiji was unable to maintain their advantage as New Zealand’s impressive performance ultimately overpowered them.
New Zealand’s Luke Brooke-Smith scored a hat-trick, with Aaron Cartwright adding two goals, and Justin Cardozo and Benjamin Perez Balsoni each scoring once.
Fiji’s head coach, Sunil Kumar, acknowledged that the match did not go as expected and praised New Zealand for their exceptional play.
He noted the team’s early lead and expressed disappointment over conceding what he described as “silly goals.”
“We wanted to give our all and put up a fight against a strong New Zealand,” 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 the team in the second half, but it was difficult being down 4-1. Mentally, the boys struggled with the pressure, and New Zealand, as a champion side, gave us a tough match.”
Kumar emphasized the need for the team to regroup and focus on their upcoming match against Vanuatu.
“The dream is still alive; we will work on our mistakes before facing Vanuatu.”
Fiji will take on Vanuatu on Sunday at 1pm.