New Zealand secured its record ninth OFC U-16 Men’s Championship title at Stade Pater in Papeete, defeating a determined Fijian team 3-1 in a thrilling final. Coached by Martin Bullock, New Zealand took an early lead with a goal from Nathan Martin in the third minute.
Fiji equalized in the 28th minute when Farhaan Khan sent a long free kick from just inside New Zealand’s half into the box, which New Zealand goalkeeper Joseph Chalabi misplayed, allowing the ball to sail over him and into the net. The first half concluded with a 1-1 scoreline.
The match intensified in the 56th minute as both teams were reduced to ten players due to red cards issued to Fiji’s Veleni Rasorewa and New Zealand’s Nathan Martin following a confrontation, as ruled by Papua New Guinea referee David Yareboinen.
Just five minutes later, New Zealand regained the lead when Luke Brooke-Smith capitalized on a failure to clear a corner, heading the ball into the net. Justin Cardoso later confirmed the victory for New Zealand with a well-timed strike that outpaced Fiji goalkeeper Isoa Lutui.
Both teams will advance to the FIFA U17 World Cup next year in Qatar.