Fiji secured a dominant victory over Papua New Guinea in their opening Group B match at the OFC Men’s Nations Cup in Suva. Rob Sherman’s side, displaying a strong collective effort, made an ideal start to their campaign, significantly improving their chances of qualifying for the semi-finals.
Nabil Begg, with his exceptional skill, drove at the heart of the Papua New Guinea defence, launching his effort high into the net. Tommy Semmy, a standout performer for Warren Moon’s side, worked tirelessly up front, his contributions evident despite the team’s struggle for much of the opening 45 minutes.
Tevita Waranaivalu was another threat for the co-hosts, with Tevita almost doubling the lead in the 20th minute. Thomas Dunn thought he had grabbed Fiji’s second, but his close-range effort was ruled out for offside.
Scott Wara went close twice in quick succession but was denied first by a goal-line clearance and then an acrobatic save from Warisan.
The second-half goal arrived shortly before half-time, with Begg’s lightning pace proving too much for the Papua New Guinea defence to handle. Dunn, who was on fire, added a second just 7 minutes into the second half, converting from close range as Papua New Guinea failed to mark him following a low cross.
Setareki Hughes’s effort from the edge of the box took an unfortunate deflection of Alwin Komolong and wrong-footed keeper Warisan, resulting in a second goal of the half.
Roy Krishna finished confidently following Mosese Nabose’s through ball. In the game’s final moments, Papua New Guinea capitalized on their chances, with Tommy Semmy slotting the ball low into the bottom right corner of the goal.
The match concluded with a final score of 5-1 in favour of co-hosts Fiji.
