New Zealand will play at the 2024 Futsal World Cup after winning the Oceania Football Confederation Nations Cup. The Futsal Whites won the final 5-0 over Tahiti on Saturday. Photo: OFC Media via Phototek
The Futsal Whites won the final 5-0 over Tahiti on Saturday.
New Zealand were on the board in the sixth minute through Stephen Ashby-Peckham and led 1-0 at half time.
Their second goal had to wait until the 28th minute, when Dylan Manickum broke on the counter attack.
His effort was well saved, but Jordan Ditfort was on hand to tuck away the rebound.
A couple of minutes later and it was 3-0 - Manickum again involved when his effort deflected back into the path of Thomas Picken.
Tahiti pulled their keeper in search of goals, but the move was unsuccessful, and the Kiwis scored another two goals to confirm their trip to the World Cup in Uzbekistan.
New Zealand will play at the 2024 Futsal World Cup after winning the Oceania Football Confederation Nations Cup. The Futsal Whites won the final 5-0 over Tahiti on Saturday. Photo: OFC Media via Phototek
Tahiti: 0
New Zealand: 5 (Stephen ASHBY-PECKHAM 6′, Jordan DITFORT 28′, Thomas PICKEN 29′, Dylan MANICKUM 33′, Hamish GREY 39′)
HT: 0-1
Solomons secure third place
This is the first time in five Futsal World Cup cycles the Solomon Islands were not in the Nations Cup final.
They have come away with third place, beating Fiji 5-3 in the bronze match.
The Solomons Islands took the lead against the run of play in the 10th minute through Charlie Otainao.
Elis Mana doubled their lead in the 6th minute and they led 2-0 at halftime.
Fiji got on the board in the second half and with five minutes to play it was 2-all.
But that was shortlived, as Mana scored his second less than a minute later to restore the Solomon Islands' lead.
He then put away a third for his hat-trick.
Meanwhile Solomon Islands skipper Elliott Ragomo anounced the end of his decorated futsal career.
Ragomo appeared in four World Cups since his debut in Brazil in 2008 and the 32-year-old is the only Pacific Islander to play futsal in Brazil's elite club competition.
Fiji: 3 (Bruce HUGHES 27', 35', Filipe BARAVILALA 39′)
Solomon Islands: 5 (Charlie OTAINAO 10', Elis MANA 16', 36', 37', Marlon SIA 38')
HT 0-2
Solomon Islands have secured third place in the OFC Futsal Nations Cup. Photo: OFC Media via Phototek
