Results keep semi-final spots open at OFC U-16 Men's Championship in Tahiti

Solomon Islands, Samoa and hosts Tahiti all remain with a chance of reaching the semi-finals at the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship after latest results.

Solomon Islands and Tahiti won their Group B games on Friday (NZT), meaning the semi-finalists won’t be known till the final pool games are played on Monday.

Main photo: Tahitian joy … the hosts beat New Caledonia. Photo credit: OFC Media / DJ Mills / Phototek.

In Group A, New Zealand have already made sure of their spot in the last four.

Here’s our round-up of Friday fixtures at the eight-nation tournament:

Solomon Islands fight back to beat Samoa

Two goals in a minute midway through the second half has ignited the Solomon Islands campaign at the OFC Men’s U-16 Championship in Tahiti.

The Solomon Islands beat Samoa 3-1 after they trailed 1-0 at half-time at Stade Pater in Papeete.

*Solomon Islands captain Kennedy Sihiu was the Player of the Match against Samoa. Photo credit: OFC Media / DJ Mills / Phototek.*

Staring at elimination midway through the second half, coach Eddie Rukumana’s side capitalised on a couple of goalkeeping errors to hit the front.

First, substitute Allen Makana pounced on a rebound after Samoan goalkeeper Filo Pilimasse Tyrell couldn’t gather a long-range effort cleanly to level the scores in the 64th minute.

A minute later, still reeling from conceding the equaliser, the Samoan defence was at sixes and sevens and turning in the box, Solomon Islands captain Kennedy Sihiu fired past Tyrell who appeared to be unsighted in the Samoan goal.

The two goals completely turned the match on its head. Till then, the Samoans had been largely untroubled on defence, well marshalled by Dante Leota at the back.

Ashley Kwaimasia sealed the win for the Solomon Islands with a brilliant individual goal eight minutes from full time, a stunning curling effort that left Tyrell with no chance.

Jubilation for *Solomon Islands’ Kennedy Sihiu, scorer of his side’s second goal. Photo credit: OFC Media / DJ Mills / Phototek.*

In a first half of few chances, captain Kingston Hansell was the hero for the Samoans who took the lead in the 37th minute.

The ball was played out to Jason Goble-Lote who swept the ball out to captain Kingston Hansell just to the left of the 18-yard box. He curled a right-footed shot past a despairing Alick Hale in the Solomon Islands goal.

The result leaves both sides on three points in the group and with semi-final places to play for in their final group games against Tahiti and New Caledonia respectively.

Tahiti leave it late for win against New Caledonia

A sublime header from inspirational captain Tiahiti Colombani has clinched Tahiti a 2-1 win over New Caledonia and put them in pole position for a place in the semi-finals of the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship.

In what has been the match of the tournament so far, the home side dug deep after falling behind early in the first half to somehow conjure up a winner in a match where they had been second best for long periods.

New Caledonia made the brightest start to the match.

Smarting from a 2-0 defeat by Samoa in their opening match, coach Leo Lopez’s team knew they had to significantly elevate their game to compete with the technically strong home side.

They dominated the opening 10 minutes and twice came close to opening the score.

First, an in-swinging corner was tipped over the bar by Keahi Tenania. Moments later, Baptiste Kutran’s header forced a strong diving save from the Tahitian keeper.

Eleven minutes in, Tahiti, with their first real attack, almost opened the scoring, with their captain Tiahiti Colombani’s thunderous left-foot shot testing Nicholas Kutran in the New Caledonia goal.

*New Caledonia and Tahiti compete for possession. Photo credit: OFC Media / DJ Mills / Phototek.*

The visitors struck first. Ezekiel Wamowe was brought down in the box by a clumsy tackle and Baptiste Kutran fired it home from the penalty spot.

Wamowe was unlucky not to make it two in the 29th minute. He found the ball on the edge of the box and rifled a left-footed shot against the post.

Five minutes from the break, Tahiti were level and it again came from the penalty spot after Herehei Teaha was clipped inside the box by Michel Trohmae and referee David Yareboinen pointed to the spot.

Tahiti captain Tiahiti Colombani made no mistake to level the score.

Kutran threatened on several occasions in the second spell with weaving runs down the right but couldn’t find the breakthrough, and Ezekiel Wamowe had New Caledonia’s best chance in the second half but blasted just wide in the 65th minute.

Colombani sent a blistering strike onto the crossbar in the 71st minute before Kutran forced Keahi Tenania into making a good save from close range moments later at the other end of the pitch.

Then, with 11 minutes remaining, the skipper popped up on the end of a cross to guide his header wide of Nicolas Kutran to secure the victory that sent the vocal home crowd into raptures.

Acknowledgement

We are grateful for the help of OFC Media in providing information for this story.

What’s at stake

The two finalists at the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship, and the third-placed team, will represent Oceania at next year’s FIFA U-17 Men’s World Cup in Qatar.