New Zealand have defeated New Caledonia 3-0 at Stade Paea in Tahiti to win the OFC U-19 Women’s Championship 2025.
Both already assured of their place at FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2026™ in Poland, all three goals came in the first half for the Junior Football Ferns in the final, with Emily Lyon scoring twice.
It is New Zealand’s ninth consecutive OFC U-19 Women’s Championship title, scoring 33 goals and conceding none to complete a perfect campaign.
Zoe Benson got two in New Zealand’s 4-0 victory over New Caledonia during the group stages and opened her side’s account in the final with the first goal.
She saw her initial effort blocked at the near post by a defender but reacted quickly to slot the rebound into the back of the net in the 17th minute.
New Caledonia did their best to frustrate and keep chances to a minimum, but it was Benson who again had a hand in New Zealand’s second goal in the 35th minute.
She pulled a low cross into the box off the left flank, from which Emily Lyon turned into the top of the net for her 10th goal of the tournament.
Having made seven changes to the starting eleven that defeated Fiji in the semi-final, New Caledonia made four substitutes in the first half. Aside from a couple of hopeful long balls forward on the counter they struggled to find a response.
Instead, the third goal for New Zealand came moments before half-time, Lyon scoring her second after meeting another delivery into the box from Grace Bartlett.
Unlike the first half, goals proved harder to come by for the Junior Football Ferns in the second, as New Caledonia grew into the game. Penny Brill had a shot blocked from close-range, whilst Lyon struck the crossbar from a corner delivery with New Zealand’s best chances.
Playing in just their second OFC U-19 Women’s Championship final, New Caledonia made an effort to press high and force errors. They couldn’t quite grab a goal back though, Cécilia Waheo firing wide of the left post, and Cina Kourevi sending it over the top not long after.
Mary Brown had the ball in the back of the net for New Zealand in the 88th minute, but the goal was pulled back for an offside call.
Lyon also missed the chance for her hat-trick at the start of injury-time, pulling the ball wide of the bottom-right corner with just the keeper to beat.
Despite those opportunities they couldn’t add to their three-goal margin, as New Caledonia held New Zealand to their first scoreless half of football at the competition since 2006.
New Caledonia: 0
New Zealand: 3 (Zoe BENSON 17’, Emily LYON 36’, 45’)
HT: 0-3
Photo credit: OFC Media via Phototek