ROOSTERS Ba Women FC captain Luisa Tamanitokula believes her side still has everything to play for despite suffering a heartbreaking 3-1 loss to Hekari Women FC in their second Group A match of the OFC Women’s Champions League in Honiara, Solomon Islands, on Wednesday.
Ba looked on course for a valuable victory after Narieta Leba gave the Fijian champions a first-half lead, but the match turned dramatically after defender Sereana Naweni was sent off in second-half stoppage time. Hekari capitalised on the numerical advantage, scoring three late goals to snatch all three points.
Tamanitokula said the team’s objective had been to secure maximum points.
“We came in with our aim to get the three points. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get it,” she said.
She admitted the red card proved to be the turning point.
“Our big change in our team was being a player down. Being one player down changed things for us. When one of our players was red-carded it really changed the game, but I thank the girls for the effort. In the dying stages we let our guard down.”
Despite the defeat, the skipper said the players remained positive ahead of their final pool match.
“It’s not over for us. We will go back, regroup and prepare well before our last pool game.”
Tamanitokula praised her teammates for matching one of the region’s strongest clubs for much of the contest.
Ba now sits second in Group A with three points and must beat Tafea FC in its final group match on Saturday to keep its hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive.
