The Junior Bula Boys are now in a must-win situation to stand a chance of qualifying for the semi-finals of the OFC Men’s under-19 Championship.

This is after the Marika Rodu-coached side was outclassed 3-nil by the Solomon Islands in their second group match in Apia, Samoa yesterday.

A win would have seen them through the semis, but now they must win against Vanuatu to book a ticket into the last four.

Fiji’s lack of confidence was evident as the Solomons dominated all areas, especially in the midfield.

“We didn’t start off the way we wanted to; we could see the lack of confidence as they were chasing the game most of the time. We conceded a goal following a set-piece from a free kick and throw-in that goes to show the lack of concentration,” said Rodu after the game.

Trailing 3-0 with goals to Solomon’s captain Billy Afi and a double to Jimson Abana, Fiji struggled as they chased the scoreboard exposing their indiscipline in the process.

Fiji copped six yellow cards in the match.

“I think it was a defining moment for us with yellow cards because it’s how the players responded to the game.

“I know chasing the game makes an impact in terms of mental space and the boys were going into tough tackles and consequently got the cards so we will talk about that,” Rodu said.

“It’s a learning curve for the boys, we need to learn from our mistakes and focus on the next game.

The players on yellow are now walking on thin ice as a second strike will see them out.

“We have Vanuatu next, so we need to keep our chances alive by winning and making sure that we score goals. We will have a chit-chat about this game, making sure to boost the morale of the boys and gain back our confidence,” the head coach said.

The Junior Bula Boys take on Vanuatu on Thursday at 11am.