Fiji’s Under-16 football coach, Sunil Kumar, anticipates a challenging match against New Zealand on Sunday in the OFC U16 Championship final in Pape’ete, Tahiti. Kumar acknowledges that New Zealand will likely be the favored team, but he remains optimistic about his squad’s potential to secure an unexpected victory.
“We entered this tournament with the intention of making history,” he expressed. “Fiji has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup before, and we managed to achieve that. Our goal now is to win the championship.”
Kumar also emphasized the importance of approaching the match with a clear mindset, saying, “We want to give our best shot. There is no greater opportunity than this for the boys and our team.”
On the other hand, Martin Bullock, the New Zealand coach, views his team as the clear favorites following their dominant 7-1 victory over Fiji in their previous meeting. The New Zealand team has showcased their offensive prowess, scoring 28 goals while conceding only one in four matches.
“We’ve already faced Fiji, and winning that game has set us up as favorites,” Bullock stated. “We performed exceptionally well and will be looking to utilize insights from the group stage encounter. We know how they play, and they will have an understanding of our strategy as well.”
He added, “Regardless of the context, whenever you reach a final, the objective is to win. We are eagerly anticipating the match.”