SOKA PNG

24/07/2026

We just published updates about Oceania Football Confederation's showdown here in PNG on our timeline. Check and stay updated ⚽️ 🇵🇬

24/07/2026

Tahiti secured fifth place at the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over New Caledonia, inspired by a hat-trick from captain Esdras Jamet.

With both sides enduring challenging group stage campaigns, the fifth place play off presented one final opportunity to finish the tournament on a positive note. New Caledonia were chasing their first victory of the competition, while Tahiti looked to build on their earlier win over Vanuatu.

Tahiti struck first in the 12th minute through the in-form Jamet. The captain calmly weaved beyond the New Caledonia defence before his low effort squeezed through the legs of goalkeeper Octave Hautbois to register his fifth goal of the tournament.

New Caledonia responded just before the break. Kevin Hoang's free kick crashed against the crossbar, but Lisandro Bessieres reacted quickest to tap home the rebound in first-half stoppage time and restore parity.

The celebrations were short-lived as Tahiti regained the lead six minutes after the restart. A corner found Jamet, who cleverly lifted the ball over a defender before volleying into the bottom corner to make it 2-1.

Jamet completed a memorable hat-trick in the 71st minute, rising to meet Raitua Tehio's pinpoint cross with a close-range header to extend Tahiti's advantage. Hoang pulled one back late for New Caledonia, firing into the top corner after a clever cross from Bessieres, but Tahiti held firm to claim a deserved victory and fifth place.

New Caledonia: 2 (Lisandro BESSIERES 45+1′, Kevin HOANG 83′)
Tahiti: 3 (Esdras JAMET 12′, 51′, 71′)

HT: 1-1

24/07/2026

The champions of Oceania will be crowned, and the third and final qualification spot for FIFA U-17 World Cup™ 2027 will be decided, when the final and third place play-off at OFC U-16 Men’s Championship 2026 are held at the PNG Football Stadium in Port Moresby this Saturday.

Fiji will play New Zealand in the final at 7:30pm local time, after the Solomon Islands take on tournament hosts Papua New Guinea for the last remaining spot at FIFA U-17 World Cup 2027 in the third place play-off at 4pm.

The coaches of the four nations gathered in Port Moresby to give their thoughts ahead of both matches.

The Final: Fiji v New Zealand

New Zealand will be chasing a record-extending 12th OFC U-16 Men’s Championship title when they face Fiji in the final. The Junior All Whites have won each of the last 10 editions of the tournament consecutively, including a 2-0 victory over New Caledonia in the final last year, and have again been the dominant force in 2026.

Martin Bullock’s side have scored 21 goals at the tournament so far, topping Group B, and booking their tickets to the big dance with a 3-0 win over Papua New Guinea in the semi-finals, helped by two goals from winger Cruz Pietersen.

Fiji will be their challengers and are appearing in the final of the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship for just the third time. They were beaten 3-1 by New Zealand when they last reached this stage of the competition in 2024.

Coached by Sunil Kumar, they are yet to concede a goal at the tournament and required some penalty shoot-out heroics to beat the Solomon Islands in their semi-final.

Both having already secured qualification for FIFA U-17 World Cup 2027 with wins in the last four, either nation now has their eyes firmly fixed on lifting the trophy.

Coaches Comments:

Fiji coach Sunil Kumar said:

"The semi-final with the Solomon Islands was very close and could have gone either way. I'm proud of the boys for the character and fighting spirit they showed."

"We've taken it one step at a time. Experiencing a competition like this for the first time has been great for our young players."

New Zealand coach Martin Bullock said:

"It's been a theme that teams have made it really hard for us throughout the tournament. But as matches have progressed, they've opened up a bit, and those are the periods that we've planned for."

"Our squad depth has been a huge advantage for us throughout the tournament. Lots of our staff have also experienced these tournaments before, and know how to prepare these players for these types of conditions."

The Final: Fiji v New Zealand

New Zealand will be chasing a record-extending 12th OFC U-16 Men’s Championship title when they face Fiji in the final. The Junior All Whites have won each of the last 10 editions of the tournament consecutively, including a 2-0 victory over New Caledonia in the final last year, and have again been the dominant force in 2026.

Martin Bullock’s side have scored 21 goals at the tournament so far, topping Group B, and booking their tickets to the big dance with a 3-0 win over Papua New Guinea in the semi-finals, helped by two goals from winger Cruz Pietersen.

Fiji will be their challengers and are appearing in the final of the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship for just the third time. They were beaten 3-1 by New Zealand when they last reached this stage of the competition in 2024.

Coached by Sunil Kumar, they are yet to concede a goal at the tournament and required some penalty shoot-out heroics to beat the Solomon Islands in their semi-final.

Both having already secured qualification for FIFA U-17 World Cup 2027 with wins in the last four, either nation now has their eyes firmly fixed on lifting the trophy.

Coaches Comments:

Fiji coach Sunil Kumar said:

"The semi-final with the Solomon Islands was very close and could have gone either way. I'm proud of the boys for the character and fighting spirit they showed."

"We've taken it one step at a time. Experiencing a competition like this for the first time has been great for our young players."

New Zealand coach Martin Bullock said:

"It's been a theme that teams have made it really hard for us throughout the tournament. But as matches have progressed, they've opened up a bit, and those are the periods that we've planned for."

"Our squad depth has been a huge advantage for us throughout the tournament. Lots of our staff have also experienced these tournaments before, and know how to prepare these players for these types of conditions."

Fixture Details:

Third Place Play-off
Solomon Islands v Papua New Guinea
Saturday 25th July, 4pm local time
PNG Football Stadium, Port Moresby

Final
Fiji v New Zealand
Saturday 25th July, 7:30pm local time
PNG Football Stadium, Port Moresby

24/07/2026

Vanuatu have ended their OFC U-16 Men’s Championship 2026 campaign on a high, defeating Samoa 7-1 in the seventh-place play-off to record their first win of the tournament.

With both sides playing for pride, Vanuatu made a strong start. Just three minutes in, Franso Shem raced down the wing and delivered a low cross for Rohan Masauvakalo to tap home after Samoa goalkeeper Moemanatu Lesatele momentarily believed the ball had gone out of play.

The pair combined again three minutes later, this time with Masauvakalo turning provider as his run down the flank set up Shem to double the advantage. Samoa responded through Mason Aiono, whose effort flashed across the face of goal, but Vanuatu remained firmly in control.

Masauvakalo added his second in the 27th minute before Nelson Tawia produced the goal of the match four minutes later, cutting inside and firing a powerful strike from outside the area.

Samoa found a consolation after Masauvakalo secured his hat-trick, when Eti Matau's cross was headed home by Te Koha Gabriel Schick in first half stoppage time.

The second half saw Samoa improve defensively, but Vanuatu's dangerous strike partnership continued to shine. Masauvakalo scored a fourth in the 49th minute, converting another Shem cross, before Shem added his second two minutes later to cap a commanding display.

Vanuatu: 7 (Rohan MASAUVAKALO 3', 27', 43', 49', Franso SHEM 6', 51', Nelson TAWIA 31')
Samoa: 1 (Te Koha GABRIEL SCHICK 45+3')

HT: 5-1

24/07/2026

Fiji sealed top spot in Group A and booked their place in the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship semi-finals with a commanding 3-0 victory over Papua New Guinea in a crucial group-stage encounter.

With both sides entering the match unbeaten, the winner would secure first place in the group and strengthen their hopes of making history.

Fiji made the perfect start, taking the lead after just six minutes through Zaman Shah. The winger produced a moment of brilliance, curling a corner kick directly into the net to stun the home crowd.

Papua New Guinea's task became even more difficult when Jau Eron was shown a red card following a heavy challenge, leaving the hosts to play the remainder of the match with ten men.

Fiji quickly capitalised on their numerical advantage. Jerry Levea doubled the lead in the 19th minute with a powerful long-range effort, his strike carrying all the way into the back of the net. Just before half-time, Isoa Baselala added a third after creating space for himself, surging beyond the PNG defence before firing home to give Fiji a commanding 3-0 advantage at the break.

Despite the setback, Papua New Guinea refused to give in. Iga Steven injected urgency into the attack after the restart, bursting into the penalty area before delivering a dangerous cross, while captain Matthew Sopo twice threatened to reduce the deficit, forcing one save before later firing narrowly over the crossbar.

Backed by a passionate home crowd, Papua New Guinea continued to push until the final whistle, but Fiji's defence held firm to secure an impressive victory. Both teams book their place in the semi-finals and Fiji complete the group stages as Group A winners.

Papua New Guinea: 0
Fiji: 3 (Zaman SHAH 6', Jerry LEVEA 19', Isoa BASELALA 43')

HT: 0-3
Photo credit: OFC Media via Phototek

20/07/2026

20/07/2026

Spain Erupted in Jubilantion

19/07/2026

Ferrarn Torres and the Spaniards proves to be more stronger than Lionel Messi's side 🇦🇷💯