Two first class first half goals from the Papua New Guinea legend saw the OFC Women’s Nations Cup 2022 winners open their 2025 campaign victorious.
The second Group A match of the day was always set to be a tantalizing encounter, with the Papua New Guinea side stacked with talent from the OFC Women’s Champions League finalists Hekari Womens FC, while Samoa is a federation on the rise with their U-17s preparing for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup™ in Morocco in October.
The game began perhaps unsurprisingly with Papua New Guinea talisman Marie Kaipu in the thick of the action. After being cut down by Samoa captain Alisa Tuatagaloa and spending a lengthy period on the sidelines receiving treatment, Samoa were unable to utilise their numerical advantage.
As if to underline her importance to the side, Kaipu was immediately in the thick of several waves of Papua New Guinea’s attacks after re-entering the pitch.
She first reannounced herself by bursting down the right wing to cut back and then finding herself free of the Samoan defence but not able to keep her footing before setting up to shoot. She thought she’d opened the scoring in the 17th minute, with her shot rippling the wrong side of the Samoan goal net.
Kaipu’s persistence paid off, however, as she opened the scoring with a brilliant solo effort. Beginning the Papua New Guinea attack after pouncing on a loose ball, she teed up a tidy one-two, before outpacing Tuatagaloa to receive the final pass and then round Samoa goalkeeper Kamy Anaya before tapping home into an empty net.
PNG were unfortunate not to double their lead minutes later, with Keren Kalapai’s denied by the upright.
Samoa managed to shake off the shock of going behind trying to force an equaliser, with Kitiona tearing down the left wing.
Papua New Guinea responded with a period of sustained pressure, led by 2022 golden boot winner and captain Ramona Padio, who had a golden opportunity to double PNG’s lead in the 26th minute, after finding herself in space near the byline.
PNG thought they had a second goal moments later, again traced the feet of Padio, who played Kaipu in the box making no mistake finishing, but was denied by the offside flag.
Samoa came back into the game after the cooling break with renewed energy. Their endeavours almost paid off, as Xevani Salanoa launched a counterattack down the right wing shortly after the restart. She found Oteta Kitiona in the box with a low cross, but the latter was unable to convert.
The pendulum swung back Papua New Guinea’s way just before half time when Marie Kaipu doubled PNG’s lead in the 40th minute.
After being played in by Michaelyne Butubu, as with the first goal Kaipu was able to shrug off the attentions of Tuatagaloa to find herself one on one with Anaya. She coolly curled her second of the game into the bottom corner of the Samoa goal.
Kaipu had the chance to secure a first half hat trick, racing clear of the Samoan defence just before the stroke of half time, but instead of shooting herself opted to lay off to Butubu, whose shot was well dealt with by Anaya, tipping the ball onto the crossbar.
If the first half was dominated by Marie Kaipu, the second was the Salanoa sisters’ show, with goalkeeper Xeyana Salanoa brought on at half time.
While Papua New Guinea dominated the game, having had the lion’s share of chances, Samoa equally grew into the game to frustrate the holders, who could easily have had five or six more goals.
Samoa’s persistence paid off, pulling back a late goal to up the pressure on the holders through Xevani Salanoa, who looped a header over an on-rushing Lavina Hola.
Sensing the possibility of a surprise result, Samoa committed forwards again, feeding Salanoa who found herself a marked woman by the Papua New Guinea defence.
At the other end of the pitch, a wonderful one handed save from the goalkeeper Salanoa to deny a last-ditch PNG attack saw Samoa finish their opening game of the OFC Women’s Nations Cup without the win they hoped for, but much to be galvanized by.
HT: 2-0
Papua New Guinea: 2 (Marie KAIPU 19’, 40’)
Samoa: 1 (Xevani SALANOA 84’)
Photo credit OFC Media via Phototek