Warriors became the kings of Solomon Islands in April after winning the Telekom S-League title but proved no match for their national team opponents as Vanuatu ran out comfortable 4-1 winners.
The tourists were given a scare though when pint-sized striker Micah Lea’alafa broke forward and rounded Vanuatu goalkeeper Enest Bong to give Warriors a shock lead in just the seventh minute.
Faced with the prospect of being defeated by a club side, Vanuatu responded well to the unexpected set back and turned the match around to go into the break 2-1 ahead.
Striker Joseph Namariau took advantage of a well-placed pass from Jean Naprapol to equalise on the 20-minute mark before Naprapol went from provider to scorer seven minutes later to hit home Vanuatu’s second.
Warriors regrouped in the second period and did well to keep Vanuatu out until the 72nd minute when Sailas Namatak wrong-footed goalkeeper Silas Seda – an U-23 international for the Solympics national team – to make it three.
The score seemed likely to stay that way as the clock ticked down but Kensi Tangis, who has also starred for his country at U-23 level, found time to get in on the act with two minutes to go as Vanuatu earned a welcome shot of confidence ahead of the Nations Cup.
The tournament takes place in the Solomon Islands capital Honiara from 1-10 June and Vanuatu have been drawn in Group A to meet New Caledonia, Samoa and Tahiti.
The Nations Cup doubles as the second stage of Oceania qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ and the winner will go on to represent OFC in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.
The four highest-placed teams will then contest stage three of World Cup qualifying – a round-robin, home-and-away play-off series. The matches are foreseen to take place between 7 September 2012 and 26 March 2013 in FIFA windows.
The winner of the third stage will advance to an inter-continental home-and-away play-off against the fourth-placed team from CONCACAF – the confederation of North America, Central American and the Caribbean – for a place at Brazil 2014.
For more on Vanuatu football go to www.vanuafoot.vu

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