Tahiti have concluded their OFC U-16 Men’s Championship 2025 group campaign with a 5-0 win over the Cook Islands on the final day of Group A action at Lawson Tama Stadium. 

Two goals each from Aronui and Aroarii Bennett inspired Tahiti, maintaining their record of having won at least one game at each edition of the tournament they’ve competed in since 2009.

For the Cook Islands, only victory would suffice if they were to keep their chances of progressing to the semi-finals for the first time alive. 

It took just 25 minutes for Tahiti, and the Bennett brothers, to extinguish those hopes though, quickly opening up a three-goal advantage. 

Aronui Bennett scored first in the 18th minute, beating Tearii Scheel at his near post with a low driven shot, before setting up the second for his brother Aroarii in the 21st, who lifted the ball over Scheel’s head after being played into the box. 

Five minutes later Aroarii scored his second and Tahiti’s third, winning and converting his own penalty into the bottom left corner of the net. 

The carnage continued in the 41st minute, Tiaitau Vauquelin capitalising on a loose ball in the box to thump home into the top of the net for a fourth. 

Tahiti were serving up a much better performance than anything seen at the tournament previously, particularly after the 1-6 defeat to Papua New Guinea in their previous group match.  

Captain Kahi Morgant nodded a header over the top of the crossbar, as they remained on the front foot to start the second half. 

And it wasn’t long before one of the Bennett twins popped up again, Aronui latching onto a pass in-behind to tap the ball past Scheel for a fifth goal in the 72nd minute. 

The Cook Islands did at least find a way to stem the flow of goals in the second half, but the damage had already been done, and they struggled for much of a sniff through the final exchanges.

It marks the end of either nation’s campaign, with Fiji and Papua New Guinea both guaranteed their place in the semi-finals from Group A.

 

Tahiti:  5  (Aronui BENNETT 19’, 72’ Aroarii BENNETT 21’, 26’, Tiaitau VAUQUELIN 41’) 

Cook Islands: 0 

HT: 4-0