The Fiji Under-19 football team secured a spot in the semifinal of the OFC U19 Championship in Apia, Samoa, after a dominant 6-1 victory over Vanuatu. This win came after their 3-0 loss to the Solomon Islands.
Vanuatu opened the scoring just four minutes into the game through Glen Maki, who capitalized on a pass from Ronn Tasarur to beat Fiji’s goalkeeper, Ilisoni Koro, from close range. However, Fiji quickly responded with co-captain Penisoni Tirau heading in the equalizer from an Ibraheem Afazal free kick.
Fiji took the lead 12 minutes later when Eparama Moraica set up Afazal for an easy goal. Tirau almost added another after a long run, but Jean Patriano Natou cleared Moraica’s shot off the line. Fiji’s third goal came through a long-distance strike from an unmarked Afazal.
The first half continued with more action as Afazal’s corner found Sterling Vasconcellos, who scored with a looping header. Vanuatu’s attempts to get back into the game left them vulnerable, and Fiji capitalized on another corner where Vasconcellos scored with a close-range header. William Khan sealed the victory for Fiji, heading in a corner in the final moments to score his first goal for the country.
Despite their efforts, Vanuatu couldn’t find a way back into the match. With this win, Fiji tops Group A with six points. The outcome of the Tahiti vs. Solomon Islands match will determine whether Fiji qualifies as the group leader or second in the group. Vanuatu, with three defeats, will play 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
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