OFC U-17 Championship 2023

New Zealand. OFC U-17 Championship 2023, HFC Bank Stadium, Suva, Fiji, Saturday 28th January 2023. Photo: Kirk Corrie / www.phototek.nz

After a five-year hiatus, the OFC U-17 Championship returned for its nineteenth edition in 2023 and doubled as qualifying for the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup™ in Indonesia. The tournament was hosted in Fiji and was contested between nine nations with teams seeded into three groups based on their 2018 OFC U-16 Championship ranking.

Due to the layout of the draw, all three teams in Group A and C qualified for the quarterfinals, while just New Zealand and New Caledonia advancing from Group B with American Samoa missing out due to their inferior goal difference.

New Caledonia’s Anthony Levy. OFC U-17 Championship 2023, Final, New Caledonia v New Zealand, HFC Bank Stadium, 28th January 2023. Photo: Kirk Corrie / www.phototek.nz

In the last eight, New Caledonia thumped Samoa 5-0, while Tahiti and Fiji earned comfortable victories, it was New Zealand that had the toughest time beating Vanuatu 1-0 courtesy of a 90th minute penalty Luke Supyk.

New Zealand regained their confidence in the semi-finals with Adam Watson bagging a hat-trick as they thrashed Fiji 4-1, in the other semi-final New Caledonia advanced to the final after beating Tahiti 3-2 on penalties.

Adam Watson of New Zealand scores against Germany during the Group F match at the FIFA U-17 World Cup (Photo by Pakawich Damrongkiattisak – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

The final was a tight affair that saw New Zealand prevail in a repeat of the 2017 final, edging New Caledonia 1-0 thanks to a 24th minute goal from Niko Bruce, as they claimed their eighth consecutive and ninth OFC U-17 Championship title overall. In the third place match Tahiti beat hosts Fiji 3-0 to finish the tournament with the bronze.

Both New Zealand and New Caledonia qualified for the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup™ in Indonesia. However, it proved to be a tough tournament for both OFC representatives. New Zealand lost all three matches in Group F and failed to advance to the knockout stages while an inexperienced New Caledonia side was in the ‘Group of Death’ and lost to England, Brazil and Iran.