The Fiji Under-19 football team secured a place in the semifinal of the OFC U19 Championship in Apia, Samoa. This achievement came after a significant comeback, following their 3-0 defeat to the Solomon Islands, with a convincing 6-1 victory over Vanuatu.
Vanuatu started strong, scoring just four minutes into the game. Ronn Tasarur delivered a long ball, advanced into the box, and set up Glen Maki, who finished from close range past Ilisoni Koro.
Despite conceding early, Fiji quickly retaliated. Penisoni Tirau, Fiji’s co-captain, netted the equalizer following a dangerous free kick from Ibraheem Afazal, who found an unmarked Tirau at the far post.
The 2022 finalists, regaining momentum, took the lead 12 minutes later. Eparama Moraica’s strong run into the box ended with a pass for Afazal, who scored into an empty net.
Tirau continued to threaten, with a run down the field. His pass to Moraica led to a shot cleared off the line by Jean Patriano Natou. However, the third goal soon followed with Afazal unleashing a powerful strike from distance, beating Joseph Nakou in Vanuatu’s goal.
The action-packed first half continued with Afazal’s corner finding Sterling Vasconcellos, who headed the ball into the far corner. Vanuatu’s attempts to get back into the game left their defense exposed, and another in-swinging corner found Vasconcellos, who scored a close-range header.
William Khan concluded the scoring in the final moments with a header from a corner, marking his first goal for Fiji.
Despite their efforts, Vanuatu faced a tough challenge. Fiji’s win places them on six points, leading Group A. The outcome of the Tahiti vs Solomon Islands match will decide whether Fiji qualifies first or second in the group. Vanuatu, with three defeats, will compete for seventh place on Tuesday.
Scorers:
Vanuatu: 1 (Glen Maki 4’)
Fiji: 6 (Penisoni Tirau 13’, Ibraheem Afazal 25’, 29’, Sterling Vasconcellos 35’, 61′, William Khan 90+5′)
Halftime: Vanuatu 1-4 Fiji