OFC President Lambert Maltock has congratulated OFC U-19 Championship finalists New Zealand and Tahiti on their qualification for the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
New Zealand beat New Caledonia 2-1 while Tahiti overcame Solomon Islands 3-1 to earn their place in the final of the regional youth tournament and with that honour, tickets to Poland 2019.
“I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate these two teams and their staff on this fantastic achievement,” Maltock said.
“Since two berths at the FIFA U-20 and U-17 World Cups became available to OFC we have seen a rise in the level of football in our region.
“The competitiveness witnessed in the two semi-finals at Stade Pater on Wednesday shows the investment being made in the development of football across our region.”
Maltock also congratulated Federation Tahitienne de Football President Thierry Ariiotima and his staff for the successful hosting and organisation of the championship.
“I would like to acknowledge the hospitality reserved for the participating teams and the officials of OFC,” he said.
“My special thanks also goes to officials and volunteers in Tahiti who have worked tirelessly to assist in coordinating and running the games until completion despite many challenges being encountered.”