Defending champions New Zealand edged closer to a semifinal spot in the OFC U-16 Women’s Championship after a dominant 5-0 win against Tahiti in Suva.
New Zealand asserted their control from the outset, although Tahiti initially made it difficult with a strong defensive performance. The first breakthrough came in the 25th minute when Pia Vlok took advantage of a defensive error to score the opening goal for New Zealand.
However, the match took a worrying turn when midfielder Keira Tichbon sustained a non-contact injury and had to leave the game. Her substitute, Grace Duncan, who had previously been named Player of the Match, introduced fresh energy to the team’s attack.
As halftime approached, Holly Robins extended New Zealand’s lead, scoring from a corner that was poorly cleared by the Tahitian defense. Duncan later added a third goal with a well-placed free-kick that found its way past Tahitian goalkeeper Kalea Torohia.
In the second half, despite several outstanding saves from Torohia, New Zealand continued to apply pressure. Goals from Natalie Young and Kya Solomon rounded off the scoring, with Solomon’s strike coming from a challenging angle.
With this win, New Zealand leads Group B with two victories and aims to keep their unbeaten streak when they face the Solomon Islands next.