THE Fiji Kulas have reached the semi-finals of the Oceania Football Confederation under-16 championship after edging Solomon Islands 4-3 in a closely fought encounter.
The result marks a major achievement for the Kulas, who finished sixth last year.
Head Coach Nicola Demaine said the progress showed how far the team had come, although she admitted there were important lessons from the match.
“When you put it like that, it’s a pretty good achievement,” Demaine said.
Demaine said the second half provided valuable learning opportunities for the young players as Solomon Islands responded strongly.
The Solomon Islands side had nothing to lose and put Fiji under pressure, particularly as the match reached its crucial stages.
“We were surprised. They had nothing to lose, so they went for it,” Demaine said.
“We talked about it at halftime and how we could stop it, but the girls didn’t respond to that.”
Demaine said the occasion also tested the players, with the noise from the crowd and pressure of playing in a knockout match creating a new experience for many of them.
“The screaming of the crowd, the occasion, the pressure. It’s the first time they’ve been in this situation, so that’s where the learning comes,” she said.
Despite the challenges, Demaine was pleased to see the Kulas progress further than they did last year.
She also acknowledged the support from Fijian fans, with national flags visible in the crowd during the match.
“It’s great to see people coming out here following us, hopefully back home as well on the TV,” she said.
“Hopefully we’ve done them proud. We’ve got as far as we’ve ever got, and hopefully we can go a little bit further.”
The Kulas will now turn their attention to the semi-finals as they continue their campaign in the tournament.
