Fiji’s dream of reaching the FIFA Under-17 Men’s World Cup slipped away last night after a heartbreaking 4-5 penalty shootout loss to New Caledonia in the OFC U-16 Men’s Football Championship semi-final in Honiara, Solomon Islands yesterday.
Captain Maikah Dau gave Fiji hope with a composed 55th-minute penalty, but New Caledonia hit back through Lenddy Wede’s 70th-minute strike to force a shootout after a tense 1-1 draw.
Despite strong performances from Dau, Ryan Achari and goalkeeper Kirikiti Biu, Fiji could not overcome New Caledonia’s captain and shot-stopper Sylvain Ipeze, who saved twice in the decider.
Fiji will now face either Papua New Guinea or New Zealand in Saturday’s third-place playoff, their final chance to book a historic spot at the 2026 U17 World Cup in Qatar.