New Zealand and New Caledonia set for epic showdown in Oceania Championship final

New Zealand and New Caledonia will feature in the final of the Oceania Football Confederation Under-16 Men’s Championship in Honiara this weekend.

The Kiwis overcame Papua New Guinea 2-0 in their semi-final on Wednesday, while New Caledonia edged Fiji 5-4 in a dramatic penalty shoot-out after being levelled 1-1.

Both New Zealand and New Caledonia have also qualified for next year's Under-17 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Despite a strong effort from Papua New Guinea, which held their ground for over an hour, New Zealand broke through with two goals in the second half.

In the first half, New Zealand struggled to find the back of the net, missing several clear chances.

Striker Ben Perez Baldoni had a great opportunity early on but was stopped by Papua New Guinea's goalkeeper, Luther Rodney.

New Zealand coach Martin Baldoni was visibly frustrated at half-time as his team was unable to capitalise on their chances, including one shot from close range that went over the bar.

The breakthrough came in the 62nd minute when Matias Nune expertly cut in from the right and scored with a long-range shot, giving New Zealand the lead.

They quickly added to their score when Baldoni won and scored a penalty in the 70th minute.

New Caledonia edged Fiji on penalties to reach the OFC U16 Men’s Championship final and qualify for the World Cup. Photo/OFC Media

Papua New Guinea’s best chance to score came late in the game, but they couldn’t convert.

Although New Zealand thought they had scored a third goal, it was ruled offside.

New Zealand will now face New Caledonia in the final, while Papua New Guinea will play Fiji for a chance to qualify for the World Cup.

In another match, New Caledonia edged out Fiji in a thrilling penalty shootout, winning 5-4 after the game ended in a 1-1 tie.

New Caledonia’s goalkeeper and captain, Sylvain Ipeze, was outstanding, making crucial saves both during the match and in the shootout.

Fiji started strong, and although they scored first with a penalty, New Caledonia responded with an equaliser later on.

After the game went to penalties, Ipeze saved two shots, securing the victory for his team.

In other playoff action, the Cook Islands will play Sāmoa for seventh place, and Tahiti will face the Solomon Islands for fifth place on Thursday.

The third-place match between Fiji and Papua New Guinea will take place on Saturday, followed by the championship final between New Zealand and New Caledonia.