Football kicks off at Samoa 2019
Monday’s football openers set up an intriguing second round of matches at the Samoa 2019 XVI Pacific Games with Fiji, PNG, Samoa and New Caledonia among the early victors.
In the men’s competition there were wins for New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, Fiji, New Zealand U23 and Papua New Guinea.
In the opening clash of the Games, New Caledonia beat American Samoa 5-0. “I’m satisfied with this first game, but we missed too many opportunities in front of the goal,” said New Caledonia coach Thierry Sardo.
Read more:
Football kicked off in Faleata on the first day of the Games (Credit: Pacific Games News Service)
Solomon Islands beat Tuvalu 13-0 in the day’s second match. Gagame Feni (SOL) scored five of his team’s goals and said: “All the boys are confident and in good shape. We know New Caledonia is going be a good test for us on Wednesday, so I hope the boys can adjust their minds towards that game.”
Fiji beat Tahiti 2-1 in a heated clash, with a star-studded squad including A-League player of the year Roy Krishna (FIJ). “It’s always an honour to play for my country, and to be captain is a privilege. We’ve got a young squad and I just want to be there and help them with whatever I can,” he said.
New Zealand U23 enjoyed a comfortable 13-0 win over Tonga before the final match of the evening, the eagerly anticipated clash between Samoa and PNG. Fans and family filled the stadium, but there was disappointment for home supporters as PNG won 6-0
Wednesday’s second round of men’s matches feature several intriguing contests including Solomon Islands v New Caledonia, PNG v Vanuatu and New Zealand U23 v Samoa.
In the women’s competition, Fiji beat American Samoa 11-0, Cook Islands defeated Tahiti 2-0 and PNG posted a 5-2 victory over Solomon Islands.
The crowd’s highlight was undoubtedly the clash between Samoa and Tonga. The hosts started and finished strongly to win 5-0. Fans rallied through the rain to show their support on both sides.
Wednesday’s second round of women’s matches comprises Tonga v New Caledonia, American Samoa v Samoa, Cook Islands v Vanuatu and Solomon Islands v Tahiti.
The action continues on Wednesday from 9am at Toleafoa JS Blatter Football Complex in Faleata with nine matches.
Entry is WST $5 on the gate, and matches will be televised and live streamed.
