Head coach Chris Greenacre commended semi-final opponents Fiji for their strong performance against New Zealand at the OFC U-19 Men’s Championship in Samoa.
“Fiji made things really, really difficult for us,” Greenacre said following New Zealand’s 1-0 victory, which secured their spot in Thursday’s final.
“We had a bit of luck on our side, and I’m willing to admit that,” he added.
He highlighted the significant contribution of Player of the Match Alby Kelly-Heald, whose crucial penalty save kept New Zealand in the game.
“Alby came up trumps and made an excellent penalty save,” Greenacre remarked.
“But we didn’t create as many chances as we usually do, and that’s a credit to Fiji’s determination.
“They were defensively solid and fought for every ball.
“They made it really tough for us, but we showed our class when it mattered with the goal.”
The decisive goal came shortly after halftime when Ryan Watson found the net.
“It was a well-executed team goal,” Greenacre said.
Expressing his delight, Greenacre noted that the team’s qualification for the 2025 FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup in Chile is secured, yet their focus remains on the final against New Caledonia.
“We’ll approach the final just like every other game. We’ll prepare, analyze, and select a team we believe can win,” he stated.
Results
Matches played on Monday, July 15, 2024
Semi-finals
New Zealand 1 (Ryan Watson 48′)
Fiji 0
Solomon Islands 2 (Gordon Iro 37′, Jimson Abana 45+4′)
New Caledonia 3 (Paul Qaeze 27′, Antoine Simane 86′, Kapone Xulue 118′)
*After extra time
Fixture
Scheduled for Thursday, July 18, 2024
Final
New Caledonia vs New Zealand
FFS Football Stadium, Apia, Samoa, 1 pm (NZT)