Knowing a loss would send them into the relegation zone, Qanono managed to secure their place in the top flight for next season after earning two points from their 1-1 draw with Tiga Sport.
While this was an excellent result for the Lifou-based side, who have two postponed matches to play to finish out the season, it was not so welcome for Tiga, who have now been relegated to the Promotion d’Honneur Grande Terre, New Caledonia’s second tier.
Tiga started the match strongly and opened the scoring just after the half-time break when Victor Eaténé took advantage of one of his team’s rare goalscoring opportunities to convert a penalty.
But, while Tiga’s keeper Joseph Kicine managed to turn away a penalty from Noel Hamou in the 67th minute, he could only watch as a Paul Atréwé shot hit the left upright before crossing the goal-line ten minutes later.
Qanono coach Maxime Kecine says he was disappointed his side couldn’t manage a clear victory.
“We would have really liked to win because we have had a good run of wins. But the essential goal was achieved when we managed to retain the draw,” Kecine says.
“Tiga played better than us, we were surprised and it meant we were unable to develop our game.”
In other matches on Saturday, Hienghène Sport didn’t miss the opportunity to secure second place in the Super Ligue with their 5-1 victory over Mouli Sport.
Mouli had two chances early in the first half, the first arriving within 20 seconds, which they failed to convert before 2011 OFC Player of the Year Bertrand Kai opened the scoring in the 17th minute.
The attacker took his season’s goal tally to 22 when he got his second in the 87th minute.
In between Kai’s two strikes, Jefferson Gohoupe also got a brace and Miguel Kayara struck once while Manadoué managed to save some honour for Mouli when his lob from 25 metres out fell under the bar just before the half-time whistle.
In Saturday’s final match, Kunie surprised champions Magenta by taking a 3-2 victory despite a double from Magenta’s Michel Gope-Fenepej.
“We missed a penalty to return to 2-2 just before the break,” Magenta coach Alain Moizan says.
“We had many chances, but we couldn’t convert them.”
Following Tiga Sport in relegation to the Promotion d’Honneur Grand Terre are JS Baco and Mouli Sport.
Meanwhile, taking out the first division meant AS Wet secured promotion to next season’s Super Ligue along with the second and third placed AS Grand-Nord and SC Drehu respectively.
For more on New Caledonia football go to www.fedcalfoot.com

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