Fiji secure knockouts – PNG keeps hope alive

Fiji’s second win sees them through to the knockouts, while PNG and Tahiti will have to wait until the final matchday.

In the early match of the day it was Papua New Guinea and Tahiti who played it out. PNG were looking to bounce back from the opening day thumping by Fiji, while Tahiti could secure their place in the knockouts with a win, following their opening day win over Samoa.

But it would end in a draw between the two heavyweights.

A wonderful counter-attack from Tahiti saw Matéo Degrumelle running free of the defence before drawing in goalkeeper Ronald Warisan and delicately dinking the ball into the far corner.

PNG bounced back immediately. The equaliser took only nine minutes to arrive and it was Hekari United midfielder Ati Kepo at the heart of the attack – beating his man in the box before selflessly squaring a pass to the supporting Pala Paul to roll the ball into the unguarded net.

And those two first half goals were all the scoring that the match had to offer.

That means the teams will find out which one advances on the final day, when PNG play Samoa, while Tahiti play Fiji.

Speaking of the hosts, the Bula Boys dispatched of Samoa with ease in the late kick off.

Less than three minutes had elapsed when Rewa FC’s Setareki Hughes opened the scoring. The attacking midfielder picking the ball up on the right-hand touchline, cutting in onto his favoured left foot and firing low, past Samoa ‘keeper Joel Bartley.

Thomas Dunn doubled the lead with a well directed looping header over Bartley, following a good cross from Hughes, before Roy Krishna was upended in the box in stoppage time, earning a penalty, which he converted himself.

Over in the second half, the goals kept coming, and eventually Fiji won 9-1.