New Zealand beats Fiji to win inaugural futsal title

New Zealand won the inaugural Oceania Football Confederation Women’s Futsal Nations Cup in the Solomon Islands tonight, beating Fiji 7-1.

Fiji started brightly but wilted under pressure after the break, allowing New Zealand to dominate and making the final look like a one-sided contest.

Led by Hannah Clarkman, New Zealand took the lead within two minutes of the game.

Minutes later, Libby Boobyer fired home a powerful shot from the edge of the box after goalkeeper Mereoni Tinaimakubuna was out of bounds.

However, with just seconds left in the first half, Fiji finally broke through.

Coretta Likukulakula fired a left-foot shot past Bradley for a header, cutting the deficit to just one goal.

In the second half, Fiji continued to exert its strength but encountered tenacious resistance from New Zealand.

Crucial moments included goals from Tessa Leong, Libby Boobyer and Jordana Bremner, which extended New Zealand’s lead to 4-1.

Having already scored the first goal, Clarkman scored the fifth goal in the last seven minutes.

She stole the ball from Stella Naivalulevu deep in her own half and fired it into the Tinaimakubuna goal.

Dayna Manak added a sixth for New Zealand not long after.

Finally, Sofi Diyalowai was unlucky to score an own goal when she accidentally deflected Jemma Catherwood’s cross into her own net.

New Zealand’s victory not only earned them the title, but also qualified them for the 2025 FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup in the Philippines.