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New Zealand staged a comeback, defeating Fiji 7-1 to advance to the semi-finals of the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship in Tahiti
Fiji took the lead in the 21st minute, shocking tournament favorites New Zealand.
Veleni Rasorewa took advantage of a long ball from Krishna Samy Jnr and scored past New Zealand captain Alex Lienard.
However, New Zealand responded quickly, with Aaron Cartwright equalising shortly after receiving a through ball from Lienard.
New Zealand’s attacking prowess was on full display, as they scored five more goals before half-time.
Justin Cardozo and Luke Brooke-Smith played a major role, with Brooke-Smith scoring two goals in quick succession to dismantle the Fijian defence.
In the second half, New Zealand continued to exert pressure, with Cartwright scoring another goal and Brooke Smith completing her hat trick with a stunning long-range shot.
Fiji showed resilience despite the scoreline, with Josaia Raikoso setting up Rishal Shankar for a promising effort, but the ball went over the crossbar.
New Zealand’s Benjamin Perez Baldoni scored the seventh goal in stoppage time to seal the victory for his team.
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