Hekari Women FC have overcome a disciplined defensive performance, and survived a major scare, to defeat Puaikura FC 1-0 and qualify for a third consecutive OFC Women’s Champions League final.
Making history as the first club from the Cook Islands to compete in the semi-finals of an OFC club competition, Puaikura held out impressively for 86 minutes, before finally being beaten by a late Nenny Elipas goal.
Runners-up in each of their three previous campaigns, Hekari were unlucky not to be ahead inside the first twenty minutes, lady luck favouring Puaikura FC instead.
Maria Veronika saw her close-range header awkwardly blocked by Puaikura goalkeeper C-J Rimamotu off the goal-line, before Adi Litia Bakaniceva had her long-range effort deflect off the underside of the crossbar and ricochet away.
Later, Elipas also had a goal ruled out for offside in the 39th minute, whilst Rimamotu pulled off a strong save to deny Marie Kaipu at her near post.
Despite wave-after-wave of attack throughout the first half, Hekari struggled to breakdown their opponents, who were growing increasingly resilient with their defensive organisation at the back, and rode their good fortune to half-time.
Originally arriving in the Solomon Islands as Puaikura’s third-choice goalkeeper, C-J Rimamotu was having the game of her life and pulled out another pair of strong saves to deny Kaipu from long-range, and then Phylis Pala from a goalmouth scramble, at the start of the second half.
As the game entered into the final ten minutes, it was beginning to look as though the side from the Cook Islands would force the semi-final to an extra thirty minutes.
Puaikura’s resistance was unstainable though, particularly with only two outfield substitutes available to coach Daniel Taokia off the bench. In contrast, Ericsson Komeng still had the experience of Ramona Padio and Mavis Singara to call upon, among seven other outfield players. Eventually that difference in quality and energy showed.
Some nice combination play between substitute Singara and Nenny Elipas provided the decisive breakthrough in the 86th minute, the latter meeting a low delivery into the box and picking out the bottom-right corner with a composed first-time finish.
The goal marked the end of Puaikura FC’s history-making campaign in the Solomon Islands, whilst Hekari Women FC can now breathe a huge sigh of relief before looking forward to Friday’s OFC Women’s Champions League 2026 final in Honiara.
Hekari Women FC: 1 (Nenny ELIPAS 86’)
Puaikura FC: 0
HT: 0-0
Photo credit: OFC Media via Phototek