Rapid goal breaks Vanuatu hearts as NZ take Nations Cup title

New Zealand have been crowned champions of Oceania yet again.

New Zealand – Vanuatu 3-0

“To win a tournament is great. I’m really proud of the boys and the work they’ve put in. The scoreline sort of looks like its easy, and it’s not. Today was tough, a pretty competitive game, and the pitch becomes a challenge. I thought Vanuatu came with a lot of heart,” New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley tells Football in Oceania after the celebrations have concluded.

An absolutely packed stadium at Freshwater in Port Vila was electric in the minutes leading up to kickoff, Vanuatu’s first Nations Cup Final ever, but it took only 100 seconds for the All Whites to silence the home crowd.

New Zealand capitalized on a mistake from the Vanuatu defence. Kosta Barbarouses’ shot was blocked, but the ball fell to Cam Howieson who smashed it into the net from the edge of the box.

“We ask the boys to start quickly and get into the game straight away because we knew Vanuatu with a big home crowd would make it difficult for us. Cam took his goal really well,” Bazeley said.

The game stayed at 1-0 for some time, with Vanuatu having their fair share of the possession and even creating some decent half chances, to the delight of the home crowd.

As the first half came to a close, New Zealand took over, but failed to produce the biggest goal scoring chances.

That meant that the scoreline stayed 1-0 going into the break.

The second half started a lot slower than the first, but still with New Zealand in control of possession.

The All Whites looked the better side, but they struggled again to really produce the biggest chances.

15 minutes before full time, a bit of controversy happened. 

Jared Clark, already on a yellow, shoved Alex Rufer in the chest behind the referees back. 

Clark somehow avoided getting a second yellow, but after some conferring with the fourth official referee Ben Aukwai sent off Timothy Boulet for a second yellow instead, and it was a bit difficult to see exactly why.

“The referee called it a foul from behind, and he already had a yellow. Then there’s nothing you can do,” Vanuatu coach Juliano Schmeling says.

“The red card changed our plans, it was hard to manage after that, especially 1-0 down. The players did an amazing job.”

He was proud of the effort his boys put in, despite the end result not being in their favour.

“We did what we could but its hard when you concede in the first two minutes. After that, the team maintained concentration very well. They kept very well in the game,” Schmeling says.

With eight minutes left of the match, New Zealand countered on a Vanuatu team looking for an equaliser.

The ball ended up at the back post for substitute Jesse Randall, who sent it into the goal via a Vanuatu defender.

And that was the cushion New Zealand needed to take their 6th OFC Nations Cup title.

In added time Max Mata, another subsitute, added the third when he slotted a low Randall cross home.

All Whites captain and player of both the final and tournament, Liberato Cacace, was a proud man.

“It’s a great feeling. We don’t get many opportunities to win a trophy. I’m so proud of the boys to get it done,” he says.

Now the Kiwis have a short period back home, before a majority of the squad is off to the Olympics in Paris.

“We’re back to New Zealand and then off to France. A lot of these guys will go there, and the more opportunity to play football the better,” Bazeley says.

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