The Solomon Islands have started their campaign with a 1-0 victory over Melanesian rivals Papua New Guinea in the opening match of the OFC U-19 Men’s Championship 2026 at the Samoa Football HQ in Apia.  

Meeting at the U-19 Men’s Championship for the first time in 12 years, Wilkenson Siosi scored the game’s only goal between the neighboring nations, in a Group A contest that the Solomon Islands otherwise dominated.  

Siosi’s goal came inside the first 16 minutes, racing onto a pinpoint pass in-behind the opposition defence from captain Jayroll Patty, and beating Papua New Guinea goalkeeper Ricky Hulana from close range.  

They really should have extended the deficit with the opportunities they created across the course of the contest though, bossing possession and forcing a number of fingertip stops from Hulana, who did his best to keep PNG in the contest.

Papua New Guinea’s squad featured five players from the U-16 national team who missed out on a FIFA World Cup™ spot after losing to the Solomon Islands at the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship a month earlier, and they couldn’t make amends here.  

One of those five, Bomcege Basananuc was shown a second yellow card for a rash challenge retreating into his own half, reducing Papua New Guinea to ten men and extinguishing their hopes of a comeback in the 74th minute.  

Solomon Islands: 1 (Wilkenson SIOSI 16’)
Papua New Guinea: 0

HT: 1-0 

2024 OFC U-19 Men’s Championship finalists New Caledonia followed suit in Group A with a 4-2 victory over tournament hosts Samoa at the same venue later in the day.  

Attempting to qualify for a second consecutive FIFA U-20 World Cup™ at this year’s championship in Samoa, three goals inside the first twenty minutes made sure of the three points for the French-speaking nation.  

Ezekiel Wamowe had his spot kick saved by Samoan goalkeeper Iosua Iakopo Sapani but followed through on the rebound to open the scoring at the Samoa Football HQ inside two minutes. That was quickly followed by two more goals, the first from Fabrice Iopue from a free kick delivery, and the second from Kylian Wiako from a break in-behind, putting New Caledonia in charge early on.

The pick of the New Caledonian goals was the fourth and final – Landry Thupako catching goalkeeper Sapani off his line, and finding the back of the net from long range two minutes into the start of the second half.  

Samoa had kept New Caledonia to just a 2-1 scoreline when the two teams had met at the group stage of the tournament two years earlier though and found the back of the net twice in consolation.  

Isaiah Afamasaga scored the first from a shot that rebounded off the left post, before Player of the Match Javier Arratia-Pio rose highest from a corner delivery at the back post to round out the scoring in a six-goal thriller.  

The two early pacesetters in Group A – New Caledonia and Solomon Islands – will meet on Friday, before hosts Samoa look to bounce back against Papua New Guinea, the loser of which could be facing an early elimination.  

New Caledonia: 4 (Ezekiel WAMOWE 2’, Fabrice IOPUE 9’, Kylian WIAKO 20’, Landry THUPAKO 48’)
Samoa: 2 (Isaiah AFAMASAGA 51’, Javier ARRATIA-PIO 72’)

HT: 3-0

Photo Credit: OFC Media via Phototek