Fiji secured a resounding 4-0 victory over Papua New Guinea, with France Catarogo netting three goals, to clinch third place at the OFC Beach Soccer Men’s Nations Cup in Honiara.
In their earlier encounter during the tournament, Papua New Guinea had triumphed with an 8-2 scoreline, marking their first international Beach Soccer match. Fiji had been at a disadvantage in that game, missing key players such as captain Tevita Waranaivalu and first-choice starter Madhwan Gounder due to late arrivals.
The match began with Northland Tailevu’s Steven Dean scoring the first goal for Fiji in the 8th minute. France Catarogo quickly followed suit, doubling the lead just eight minutes later. Catarogo then added two more goals in the 22nd and 34th minutes, solidifying Fiji’s dominant performance.