Fiji, PNG make winning starts as Pacific youth chase World Cup dream

Fiji and Papua New Guinea have made the perfect start to their Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Under-16 Men’s Championship campaigns.

Both sides have sent an early warning to their regional rivals in the race for a place at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup 2027 in Qatar.

Eight nations have gathered in Port Moresby for the two-week tournament with the top three teams earning a place at next year’s global youth football event.

Fiji opened their Group A campaign with a comfortable 2-0 win over New Caledonia at the PNG Football Stadium on Sunday as Melvin Prakash’s side controlled much of the match.

Zaman Shah put Fiji ahead after 13 minutes after taking advantage of a mistake in New Caledonia’s defence before firing a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Jeremy Fere.

Four minutes later, Fiji doubled their lead when Isoa Baselala reacted quickest after Rayyaan Mohammed’s effort hit the underside of the crossbar, heading home from close range.

Watch the full match between Fiji and New Caledonia below.

New Caledonia looked for a way back into the match after the break but Fiji’s defence held firm to secure three valuable points.

The win gives Fiji an important boost as they look to progress to the semi-finals and continue their push towards the FIFA U17 World Cup.

Hosts Papua New Guinea also made a statement in their opening match on Sunday, beating Sāmoa 4-0 in front of their home crowd.

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PNG started strongly and were already two goals ahead after 16 minutes.

Jaru Eron opened the scoring in the 14th minute after a brilliant individual run, beating two defenders before rounding goalkeeper Moemanatu Lesatele and finishing into an empty net.

Two minutes later, Toka Goro doubled the lead after Iga Steven created the chance from the left.

Sāmoa’s task became even harder just before half-time when Bevan Jr Kapisi was shown a red card after bringing down Boas Tommy while he was through on goal.

Playing with an extra player, PNG continued to dominate after the break and added two more goals.

Nigel Gunemba set up Tommy, who fired home in the 61st minute, before Iga Steven completed the scoring in the 80th minute.

Watch the full match between PNG and Sāmoa below.

Sāmoa battled hard despite being down to 10 players with goalkeeper Lesatele making several saves to keep the scoreline from growing further.

The victory gives PNG the perfect start on home soil as they prepare to face New Caledonia on Wednesday. Fiji wll face Sāmoa earlier in the day.

On Monday, Tahiti take on Vanuatu while New Zealand face the Solomon Islands.

The OFC U16 Men’s Championship is not only about regional honours but also a pathway for young Pacific players hoping to take the next step on the international stage.

With three spots available for the FIFA U17 World Cup, every result in Port Moresby carries extra weight.

For more action at the OFC U16 Men's Championship, click here.