The Junior Bula Boys went down fighting against a determined New Caledonia side 5-4 in a penalty shoot-out in the semi final of the OFC U16 Men’s Championship at the National Stadium in the Solomon Islands.
Despite a heartbreaking 5-4 loss, the Fiji U-16 boys’ side still has a chance to qualify for the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, as Oceania has three spots available.
Fiji started strong, dominating the first half, but were unable to score, and the sides went into halftime with nil-all.
The Junior Bula Boys broke the deadlock in the 54th minute when captain Maikah Dau was fouled in the box and calmly converted the penalty to give them a 1-0 lead.
New Caledonia scored a late equaliser to force a penalty shootout after a 1-all draw, eventually edging past Fiji 5-4 in a tense finish.
The loss ended Fiji’s hopes of reaching the final, but their dream of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup is still alive.
Since New Caledonia has already secured qualification, the winner of the other semi-final between New Zealand and Papua New Guinea will also claim a spot at Qatar 2026, while the final World Cup spot will be decided in the third-place playoff, giving Fiji one last chance to qualify.
Head coach Sunil Kumar says he is now concentrating on motivating his players for the playoff match, fully aware that a victory will secure Fiji’s spot in the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup and ensure consecutive qualifications for the country at this level.
Fiji will play the loser of the second semi-final in the third-place playoff on Saturday at 2.30pm at the National Stadium.
The final will be held at 6pm.
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