The Fiji under-16 football team faced a significant 1-7 defeat against New Zealand during the OFC Men’s Championship in Tahiti yesterday.
Despite taking an early lead with a goal from Veleni Rasorewa in the 21st minute, Fiji could not maintain their advantage as New Zealand came back strong.
New Zealand’s Luke Brooke-Smith scored a hat-trick, while Aaron Cartwright added two goals, and Justin Cardozo and Benjamin Perez Balsoni each scored one.
Fiji’s head coach, Sunil Kumar, acknowledged that the match did not go as planned and praised New Zealand’s performance. He expressed disappointment over the “silly goals” conceded after the team’s early lead.
“We wanted to give our all and fight against a strong New Zealand,” said Kumar. “We had a dream start in the first 25 minutes, leading them, but then we conceded silly goals. I tried my best to motivate them in the second half, but being down 4-1 made it difficult.”
Kumar noted that the mental pressure affected the boys, and New Zealand, as a champion side, gave a tough match. He stressed the importance of regrouping and focusing on their next game against Vanuatu.
“The dream is still alive, and we will work on our mistakes before taking on Vanuatu.”
Fiji is set to play against Vanuatu on Sunday at 1 pm.