Fiji Impress With Dominant Display At The OFC Men’s Nations Cup 2024.

In their inaugural Group B encounter at the OFC Men’s Nations Cup in Suva, Fiji defeated Papua New Guinea with considerable ease, giving their supporters much to celebrate.

Rob Sherman’s team made the best start to their campaign and significantly increased their chances of making it to the semi-finals, which was witnessed by a boisterous and biased home crowd.

After the impasse was broken, less than two minutes had passed. Papua New Guinea’s defense was penetrated by the quick Nabil Begg, who then blasted a shot high into the net and beyond Ronald Warisan, the goalkeeper.

Warren Moon’s team was making good progress up front with Tommy Semmy, but they were unable to put Isikeli Sevanaia of Fiji to the test for the majority of the first forty-five minutes.

Tevita Waranaivalu was just one of the co-hosts’ several threats. In the 20th minute, the strong midfielder nearly extended the lead by shooting just over the ball from the outskirts of the box after pouncing on a loose ball.

After a rebound, seven minutes later, Thomas Dunn appeared to have scored Fiji’s second goal, but his close-range attempt was flagged out for offside.

Afterwards, two consecutive near calls for the defense came from headers on Waranaivalu corners, but Scott Wara was denied first by a goal line clearing and then by an incredible save from Warisan.

Shortly before half-time, the second one finally arrived, and Begg was up to mischief once more. The left winger’s quickness proved to be too much for the Papua New Guinean defense, and when his cross from the left was misdirected, Dunn was the first to respond, nodding in from six yards out.

After a low cross that Papua New Guinea failed to clear, Dunn added a second goal barely seven minutes into the second half.

Shortly after, Setareki Hughes scored his second goal of the half, misfiring the keeper Warisan with a shot from the edge of the box that unluckily deflected off Alwin Komolong.

Fiji applied more pressure, and the goals kept coming. Roy Krishna was unsurprised to feature, finishing with confidence after Mosese Nabose’s through ball.

In the seventy-fourth minute, Komolong nearly made up for his mistake by rising high to meet a corner and missing with his header.

Determinate to ruin Fiji’s clean sheet, Papua New Guinea took advantage of their opportunities in the closing seconds of the match. Tommy Semmy scored the goal with a low shot into the bottom right corner after Lee-Navu Faunt of Papua New Guinea’s exquisite through pass reached its target.

Co-hosts Fiji emerged victorious in the event, winning 5-1.