Solomon Islands came from behind to claim a 2-1 victory over Vanuatu in a fiercely contested Melanesian clash in Group A at the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship.
Both sides entered the match desperate to bounce back from opening-round defeats, with Vanuatu looking to recover from a 4-2 loss to Tahiti and Solomon Islands aiming to respond after falling 5-1 to New Zealand.
The first major opportunity arrived in the 13th minute when George Le’ai won a penalty after latching onto Walcott Kona’s incisive through ball before being clipped from behind by Vanuatu defender Matthew Naviti. Le’ai stepped up himself but fired his spot-kick over the crossbar, allowing Vanuatu to escape.
Despite the early scare, Vanuatu took the lead on the half-hour mark through captain Russle Allaleo. A defensive mix-up following a clearance saw Solomon Islands defender Edward Waleilia slip at a crucial moment, leaving Allaleo with the simplest of finishes as he calmly slotted home.
The advantage lasted only five minutes. Greggy Gau restored parity in spectacular fashion, unleashing a powerful strike from outside the penalty area that flew beyond the reach of the Vanuatu goalkeeper.
Solomon Islands completed the turnaround before the break when Le’ai made amends for his earlier penalty miss. Winning possession high up the pitch, the forward wasted no time in shooting from distance, catching goalkeeper Ezekiel Tasso off guard as the ball found the back of the net.
The win hands Solomon Islands their first three points of the tournament, while Vanuatu remain in search of their first victory.
Vanuatu: 1 (Russle ALLALEO 30′)
Solomon Islands: 2 (Greggy GAU 35′, George LE’AI 41′)
HT: 1-2
New Zealand booked their place in the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship 2026 semi-finals with an emphatic 6-1 victory over Tahiti.
Both sides entered the match unbeaten after opening round victories, with a semi-final berth on the line. New Zealand dominated possession from the outset, while Tahiti looked to frustrate the defending champions by packing numbers behind the ball.
The breakthrough came in the 10th minute when Jack Clegg capitalised on a goalkeeping error. Tahiti goalkeeper Tuanui Manea fumbled the ball under pressure, allowing Clegg to pounce and slot home from close range.
Just three minutes later, New Zealand doubled their advantage. Captain Ben Trenberth’s corner found Jackson Skinner, whose powerful header struck the post before bouncing over the line.
Tahiti nearly responded from a free-kick midway through the half. Goalkeeper Zane Donaghy initially spilled the delivery into the path of Manavai Dordillon, but reacted brilliantly to recover and push the close range effort away, preserving New Zealand’s two goal lead at the break.
Trenberth extended the advantage five minutes into the second half with a superb individual strike, powering past his defender before finishing emphatically to make it 3-0.
Zac Cashmore added New Zealand’s fourth after driving through the Tahiti defence and calmly finishing beyond the goalkeeper. Although Esdras Jamet pulled one back for Tahiti with a late header from Manatea Ahupu’s free-kick, New Zealand quickly restored their dominance. Tristan Bancroft found the net in the 84th minute before Cashmore completed his brace four minutes later to seal an impressive 6-1 victory.
The result sends New Zealand through to the semi-finals with maximum points, while Tahiti will look to bounce back in their final group fixture.
New Zealand: 6 (Jack CLEGG 10′, Jackson SKINNER 13′, Ben TRENBERTH 50′, Zac CASHMORE 67′, 88′, Tristan BANCROFT 84′)
Tahiti: 1 (Esdras JAMET 80′)
HT: 2-0
Photo credit: OFC Media via Phototek
