Fiji secured third place at the OFC Beach Soccer Men’s Nations Cup in Honiara after a decisive 4-0 victory over Papua New Guinea. France Catarogo starred for Fiji, scoring three goals in the match.
In their earlier encounter, Papua New Guinea had triumphed over Fiji 8-2 during the tournament opener, marking their first-ever international Beach Soccer match. However, Fiji was missing key players, including captain Tevita Waranaivalu and first-choice starter Madhwan Gounder, who arrived late.
Fiji’s scoring began in the 8th minute with a goal from Northland Tailevu’s Steven Dean, followed by Catarogo, who scored two additional goals in the 22nd and 34th minutes of the match, sealing a comfortable victory for the team.