Marie Kaipu shines as PNG defeat Sāmoa in OFC Women's Nations Cup opener in Fiji

The Oceania Football Confederation's (OFC) Women’s Nations Cup 2025 is underway in Fiji, and the champions from 2022 - Papua New Guinea - got off to a great start against Sāmoa, thanks to two goals from their legend Marie Kaipu.

The match, played at Churchill Park in Fiji on Friday and telecast live across the region, showcased the strength of PNG, featuring talented players from Hekari Women’s FC, who reached the finals of the OFC Women’s Champions League.

The game kicked off with Kaipu quickly making her presence felt. After being brought down by Sāmoa’s captain, Alisa Tuatagaloa, and needing some time on the sidelines to recover, Kaipu returned to help her team push forward.

She almost scored early on, but her shot just missed the net. Her determination paid off when she opened the scoring with a solo goal. After taking control of a loose ball, she exchanged quick passes with a teammate, outpaced Tuatagaloa, rounded the Sāmoa goalkeeper Kamy Anaya, and tapped the ball into an empty net.

Papua New Guinea nearly increased their lead shortly after with a shot from Keren Kalapai that hit the post.

Sāmoa managed to regroup and tried to level the score, with Kitiona making a strong run on the left wing.

As the first half continued, PNG put pressure on Sāmoa, led by their star player and captain, Ramona Padio, who had a chance to score but was denied. PNG thought they had a second goal when Padio set up Kaipu, but the referee ruled it offside.

Sāmoa came back from the cooling break with renewed energy. They nearly scored when Xevani Salanoa made a quick attack, but her team-mate couldn't finish the play.

Just before halftime, Kaipu scored again, making it 2-0 for PNG with a lovely curled shot into the corner of the net. Kaipu almost got her hat-trick when she raced past the defence, but chose to pass to a team-mate instead, who had her shot saved just before the break.

Papua New Guinea celebrates a goal against Sāmoa. Photo/OFC Media

The second half saw the Salanoa sisters taking charge, with goalkeeper Xeyana Salanoa coming on at halftime.

Though PNG had more chances, Sāmoa grew into the game and made life difficult for the defending champions. The Sāmoans eventually got a goal back in the 84th minute when Xevani Salanoa headed the ball over the oncoming goalkeeper, making it 2-1 and raising hopes for a comeback.

With time running out, Sāmoa pushed forward and created more chances. Salanoa also made a one-handed save to deny a last-minute attack from PNG.

Despite the loss, the Sāmoans displayed great spirit, leaving them optimistic for their upcoming matches.

In the other match of the day, Tahiti and the Cook Islands played to a draw in Lautoka. Both teams aimed to start strong in a tough group featuring the defending champions, PNG.

Tahiti looked strong at the beginning, creating scoring opportunities, but they couldn’t find the back of the net.

The game was competitive, and both sides focused on gathering points to advance in the tournament, which ends on 19 July.

Looking ahead, Tonga open their campaign against Vanuatu on Saturday afternoon while hosts Fiji take on the Solomon Islands later in the day.