Vanuatu began its 2026 World Cup Qualifiers campaign with an impressive 4-1 victory over Samoa at the VFF Freshwater Stadium in Port Vila.
Coached by Juliano Schmeling, Vanuatu started the match aggressively and quickly took the lead, with experienced striker Alex Saniel scoring just seven minutes into the game.
Captain Brian Kaltak assisted speedy forward John Alick, who increased Vanuatu’s advantage to 2-0 in the 37th minute, leaving the hosts in a strong position at halftime.
Samoa managed to score in the 55th minute against the run of play when substitute striker Nathan Viliamu received a pass from Dauntae Mariner and outran the defense to find the net.
However, Vanuatu quickly regained momentum, with Alick netting their third goal just two minutes later. The team continued to press forward, creating numerous opportunities, and Bong Kalo capped off the victory with a brilliant long-range strike during injury time.
Both Vanuatu and Samoa will compete again during the November FIFA international window, facing off against New Zealand and Tahiti in Group B matches in Hamilton and Auckland.