New Zealand claimed the title of the inaugural OFC Women’s Futsal Nations Cup in the Solomon Islands by defeating Fiji 7-1 in the final.
Fiji demonstrated promise in the first half but struggled to maintain their performance after halftime, allowing New Zealand to seize control of the match. The Kiwi team, led by Hannah Kraakman, opened the scoring just two minutes into the game. Minutes later, Libby Boobyer added to the tally with a powerful shot from the edge of the box, taking advantage of a misstep by goalkeeper Mereoni Tinaimakubuna.
In the dying seconds of the first half, Fiji managed to score, with Koleta Likuculacula delivering a brilliant left-footed shot past the New Zealand goalkeeper, reducing the score to 2-1.
Despite their attempts to rally in the second half, Fiji faced relentless pressure from New Zealand. Tessa Leong, Libby Boobyer, and Jordana Bremner each found the back of the net, pushing New Zealand’s lead to 4-1. Kraakman, who had already scored earlier, netted her second goal in the closing seven minutes, intercepting the ball from Stella Naivalulevu and slipping it past Tinaimakubuna.
Shortly after, Dayna Manak secured a sixth goal for New Zealand, and the match concluded with an unfortunate own goal from Sofi Diyalowai, who inadvertently deflected Jemma Catherwood’s cross into her own net.
This victory not only awarded New Zealand the championship but also guaranteed their participation in the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup 2025 in the Philippines.