Match Summary click here
See below for all the play-by-play action.
Starting line-ups:
Papua New Guinea: 20. Koniel VAGI [GK], 3. Felix KOMOLONG, 4. Nigel MALAGIAN, 5. John RAY (c), 7. Joshua TALAU, 10. Steven INIA, 12. Glenn KAMBUKA, 14. Peter DABINYABA, 16. Maya BOB, 17. Stanley STEVEN, 18. Randoll BONGI
Substitutes: 2. Jonel KAMBUAL, 6. Kepas KAMEN, 9. Joshua WADUNAH, 11. Abraham MANDAWALI, 13. Nicky BENJAMIN, 15. Dallas NAMUESH, 23. Andrew AOPI [GK]
Coach: Bobby MORRIS [PNG]
New Caledonia: 1. Thomas SCHMIDT [GK], 3. Yorick WAINEBENGO, 5. Didier SIMANE, 6. Jim OUKA, 8. Antony KAI, 9. Valentin NYKEINE, 10. Mickael PARTODIKROMO (c), 12. Theo JALABERT, 13. Brandon MEAOU, 14. Eugene SAKILIA, 15. Jacky WETEWEA
Substitutes: 4. Jean-Luc DECOIRE, 7. Roberto NEOERE, 16. Emmanuel CASE, 17. Raymond XANATRE, 18. Erwan AUSSU, 19. Macinou WAMAI, 20. Jimmy WAHNAPO [GK]
Coach: Kamali FITIALEATA [NCL]
Match officials:
Referee: Nelson SOGO [SOL]
Assistant Referee 1: Mahit CHILIA [VAN]
Assistant Referee 2: Paavo MUSTONEN [COK]
4th Official: Bruce GEORGE [VAN]
The match kicks off
1′ Papua New Guinea press into the New Caledonia half early
3′ Peter Dabinyaba is down for Papua New Guinea and play is stopped as he receives treatment
4′ Play resumes and New Caledonia are on attack before possession is lost and Papua New Guinea counter allowing Stanley Steven to get off a shot which goes high
5′ New Caledonia captain Mickael Partodikromo gets the ball at the top of the box and tries his chances with a shot which is just tipped over the cross bar by Papua New Guinea keeper Koniel Vagi
7′ Valentin Nykeine receives the ball facing away from the goal, turns and volleys a shot which goes wide of the far post
8′ Action at the other end of the pitch as New Caledonia keeper Thomas Schmidt punches down a shot straight at Maya Bob and Theo Jalabert makes the tackle and kicks clear
10′ Jacky Wetaweta intercepts the ball in the circle takes a touch and shoots, but the range is too long to challenge Vagi
13′ Partodikromo wins the ball in defence, dribbles up the middle and plays the ball through to Wainebengo who is just beaten to the ball by Felix Komolong
15′ Nykeine dribbles two defenders as he makes a run for the goal but sends a low shot wide
16′ Bob crosses from the right wing looking for Randoll Bongi on the far side of the box, Eugene Sakilia is there to boot the ball upfield
20′ A chance for Papua New Guinea as Komolong advances up the right flank but Wetawea is there to chest the cross down and clear the danger
23′ Joshua Talau breaks through the middle and plays the ball forward to Bob who is beaten to the ball by Didier Simane
25′ Play is stopped as Papua New Guinea’s Steven Inia goes down
26′ Inia returns to the field as play resumes
29′ Free kick to Papua New Guinea in dangerous territory directly in front of the goal following a challenge on Bob, captain John Ray steps up and blasts his shot over the wall and Schmidt punches over the goal for a corner
32′ Vagi charges out towards the right of his box as he attempts to beat Antony Kai to the ball knocking hum down to give away a free kick right on the edge of the box which is kicked straight to a waiting Vagi by Partodikromo
33′ GOAL!!! Papua New Guinea 0 New Caledonia 1 Valentin Nykeine opens the scoring for New Caledonia
35′ Simane wins the ball at the back and plays long to Wainebengo, he crosses inside to an arriving Jim Ouka who misses the ball and the opportunity
36′ Free kick to Papua New Guinea just outside the right corner of the box. Ray blasts another ball over the wall and Schmidt again punches clear but this time it falls to Bongi who shoots and scores but the linesman already has his flag raised and the goal is ruled out
37′ SUBSTITUTION: Steven Inia limps off and is replaced by Abraham Mandawali for Papua New Guinea
41′ Nykeine attempts to run on to a through ball but is caught offside by the assistant referee
42′ Dabinyaba tries his chances with a shot from the middle of the New Caledonia half but sends it flying over the goal
43′ Nykeine beats the offside trap this time and goes one-on-one with Vagi but blasts his shot straight at the keeper who palms it wide for a corner
44′ The corner comes to Wetewea who plays to Partodikromo in the centre who winds up for a shot that goes just over the bar
45′ There will be two minutes of additional time played
45′ + 1′ Simane chips in a free kick which is slightly long and falls easily for Vagi
The first half comes to an end
46′ SUBSTITUTION: New Caledonia bring Emmanuel Case on in place of Wainebengo
46′ SUBSTITUTION: Glenn Kambuka comes off and is replaced by Joshua Wadunah for Papua New Guinea
48′ Jacky Wetewea is injured and moves to the sideline to receive treatment allowing play to resume
49′ Mandawali crosses into the box from the left wing but there’s no one to pick up the ball and New Caledonia easily take possession
52′ Wetewea has returned to the field but doesn’t appear to have recovered
54′ SUBSTITUTION: Wetewea is replaced by Robert Neoere for New Caledonia
56′ Neoere’s first touch has him making a break but he’s fouled earning his side a free kick. Jim Ouka steps up and sends his shot inches wide of the upright
58′ A beautiful series of touches are played up the right between Ouka and Case before Ouka curls in a shot which Vagi catches fairly easily
60′ Under pressure from Bongi, Jalabert plays back to his keeper who blasts the ball up the line
61′ Ouka steps behind a free kick just inside the right touchline, he finds Neoere who heads it out in the scrum
65′ Ouka receives the ball on the right, cuts inside the defender and shoots with his left but it’s centimetres wide of the near post
65′ SUBSTITUTION: Nicky Benjamin replaces Maya Bob for Papua New Guinea
67′ A long ball over the defence from Ouka finds Neoere who drives in a low shot which is saved by Vagi
78′ Another attack from New Caleodonia sees Vagi spill the initial shot and he has to sprint to clear the ball with Case running in hard
79′ Nykeine is shoulder to shoulder with Ray and just manages to get a foot ahead and attempts to chip Vagi but the ball hits the top of the net
72′ Talau breaks from deep in the Papua New Guinea half he covers half the field before passing to a Caledonian defender
75’Papua New Guinea are on the attack up the right but lose possession
75′ Talau jumps high behind Nykeine who cops a knee to the back of the head and requires treatment
75′YELLOW CARD Joshua Talau is cautioned for his challenge on Nykeine
76′ SUBSTITUTION: New Caledonia bring Jean-Luc Decoire on in place of captain Partodikromo and the armband is passed over to Didier Simane
80′ Talau goes down but gets to his feet shortly after
82′ Komolong sends long into the Caledonian box, Jalabert gets a touch but sends it high as he tries to clear forcing Schmidt off his line
84′ YELLOW CARD Antony Kai is cautioned by referee Nelson Sogo for New Caledonia
86′ Ouka brings it up the right, pulls back and crosses to Neoere who jumps for the header before Vagi arrives to slap it clear
86′ Decoire goes down in a crunching challenge in the middle of the park and has to leave the field for treatment
86′ YELLOW CARD Abraham Mandawali receives a caution for Papua New Guinea
88′ The resulting free kick amounts to nothing and Decoire returns as Papua New Guinea launch a counter attack
89′ Ray drills in low from a free kick which goes right to Schmidt who slides in to kick clear
90′ RED CARD Joshua Talau leaves the field after receiving a second yellow card
90′ Three minutes of additional time will be played
The referee blows the
final whistle

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