Papua New Guinea beats Samoa in final OFC Nations Cup’s Group B matchday

Papua New Guinea clinched a critical 2-1 victory over Samoa in their final Group B match at the OFC Men’s Nations Cup 2024, held at HFC Bank Stadium, Suva. This win kept their semi-final dreams alive, hinging on the outcome of the later match between Fiji and Tahiti – the Fijians will need to beat Tahiti by a five-goal margin to make the Kapuls progress, unfortunately for them something very unlikely.

With nothing less than three points sufficing for Warren Moon’s side, the pressure was on from the outset. Samoa, despite being eliminated, posed a formidable challenge under the management of Ryan Stewart, who introduced several new faces, including goalkeeper Luke Taupau, making his international debut.

Samoa started the match with vigor, spearheaded by the dynamic Jarvis Vaai. Vaai’s early deflected effort was a warning sign for Papua New Guinea, as Samoa sought to finish their campaign positively.

Papua New Guinea gradually found their rhythm, driven by the offensive efforts of Ati Kepo and Tommy Semmy. The breakthrough came courtesy of Semmy, who capitalized on a precise cutback from Jethro Yumange to fire a first-time shot past Taupau, giving Papua New Guinea a crucial 1-0 lead.

Despite the advantage, Papua New Guinea needed more goals to challenge Tahiti’s superior goal difference. The second goal materialized early in the second half when Kolu Kepo’s incisive through ball found his brother Ati, who adeptly tucked the ball under Taupau to double their lead.

Semmy nearly added a third just after the hour mark, but his effort from the edge of the area sailed over the bar. Samoa responded energetically, and a well-executed cross from Luke Tolo-Kent allowed Germany-based striker Pharrell Trainor to head in from close range, reducing the deficit to 2-1.

The final stages saw Papua New Guinea relentlessly pressing forward in search of another goal to bolster their semi-final prospects. However, Samoa’s determined defense held firm, denying any further additions to the scoreline.