Fiji defeated Solomon Islands 1-0 to secure fifth place in the OFC U-16 Women’s Championship 2024, thanks to an impressive free-kick scored by Sisilia Kuladina.
Both teams entered the match after narrowly missing out on semi-final qualifications, resulting in a closely contested game. Solomon Islands made a last-minute change to their starting lineup, with Bella Fa’arodo replacing Joyce Siosi.
The first half featured few opportunities, with Solomon Islands striking the woodwork from a corner kick and Fiji’s goalkeeper Miliana Maramanikabu forced to leave the field following a head injury.
In the second half, Solomon Islands came close to scoring but it was Kuladina who clinched the win for Fiji with a well-placed free-kick just outside the penalty area. Fiji managed to maintain their lead while Solomon Islands struggled to equalize.