New Zealand has advanced to the OFC U-16 Women’s Championship final and secured a place in next year’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup following an impressive 8-0 victory over Tonga in the semifinals held in Suva.
With this win, New Zealand joins Samoa, who qualified earlier, in the tournament finals. The match began with New Zealand quickly asserting their dominance, scoring an early goal by Laura Bennett. Katie Pugh soon followed up, taking advantage of a defensive mistake to net the second goal.
By halftime, Grace Duncan and Pia Vlok had contributed to the scoreline, bringing it to 4-0. Despite Tonga’s efforts, New Zealand continued to dominate in the second half. Goals from Kara McGillivray and Charley Marsh further widened the gap, with Derelle Avery adding another goal later on. Duncan capped off the remarkable performance with a well-placed free-kick, resulting in New Zealand’s eighth goal and a decisive victory.