The Digicel Fiji Baby Bula Boys put up a strong fight in the final of the OFC Men’s U-16 Championship, ultimately finishing as runners-up with a silver medal. In the decisive match held at Stade Pater Stadium in Pirae, Tahiti, Fiji was defeated by New Zealand with a score of 1-3.
This marks Fiji’s first appearance in the final of the tournament in 25 years, as they last reached this stage in 1999. The final was a thrilling contest that saw both teams reduce to 10 players in the second half due to red cards issued to Fiji’s Veleni Rasorewa and New Zealand’s Nathan Martin.
Nathan Martin opened the scoring for New Zealand, and Farhaan Khan responded with a long-range free-kick goal, leading to a 1-1 tie at halftime. However, Luke Brooke-Smith and Justin Cardozo scored in the second half, securing the championship for New Zealand.
With their performances in the tournament, both teams have qualified for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, which is set to take place in Qatar next year.