New Zealand began their title defense at the OFC U-16 Women’s Championship with an impressive 8-0 win over New Caledonia at HFC Bank Stadium. The Kiwis exhibited their dominance from the start, even as New Caledonia tried to find their footing in the match.
Keira Tichbon opened the scoring in the fifth minute after a smooth play involving Pia Vlok. Although New Caledonia came close to equalizing shortly after, their attempt went just wide, allowing New Zealand to maintain the lead.
Laura Bennett quickly increased the Kiwis’ advantage by scoring on a rebound in the 12th minute, and Grace Duncan followed up with a well-placed shot, thanks to another assist from Vlok, who played a crucial role in the first half.
Despite a close effort from Kinë Hmaen of New Caledonia, whose chip shot soared just over the crossbar, New Zealand continued to control the match. Bennett netted another goal, converting a cross from Vlok. The first half concluded with Tichbon and Duncan teamwork resulting in a fifth goal, leaving the score at 5-0 at halftime.
New Caledonia persisted, with Taylh Byers making a goal-line save to deny them a potential goal. In the second half, Bennett completed her hat-trick and added a fourth goal by slicing through the defense. The highlight of the match came when Duncan scored a stunning free-kick into the top corner, solidifying New Zealand’s victory.
This commanding win sets a high benchmark for the defending champions, demonstrating their depth and offensive capabilities as they aim to hold onto their title in the tournament.