Discipline proved crucial for the Fiji Under-19 football team’s 6-1 victory over Vanuatu in the OFC U19 Championship held in Apia, Samoa.
Fiji U19 coach Marika Rodu emphasized the importance of discipline, highlighting that no yellow cards were issued to his players. This commendable conduct saw Fiji finish second in Group A, behind the Solomon Islands, who secured a 1-0 win against Tahiti. The Fijians are now set to face New Zealand in the semifinal.
Coach Rodu expressed that the tournament has now entered the knockout stage.
“This is the point where fatigue becomes a factor after three 90-minute matches,” he stated. “Player recovery is crucial, and some may not recuperate in time.”
Rodu underscored that discipline was vital to their win and that Vanuatu presented a challenging opposition.
“The scoreline does not reflect how tough the game was. Vanuatu is a young, talented team that gave strong performances against both Solomon Islands and Tahiti,” he noted.
Following a 3-0 defeat to Solomon Islands, the Fiji team returned with renewed strength and confidence.
“There were no yellow cards shown to our players this time, compared to the six we received in our first game,” Rodu added.
Fiji U19 captain Peniasi Tirau reflected on the team’s initial struggles when they fell behind 1-0 early in the match.
“We were under a lot of pressure, especially me as captain. We needed to score the equalizer quickly, which I managed to do. From there, we had to put in extra effort and increase our momentum in this must-win match,” he recalled.
The semifinals are scheduled for next Monday.