Tahiti celebrates bronze medal at OFC Nations Cup after beating Fiji

Tahiti claimed the bronze medal at the OFC Men’s Nations Cup in Port Vila, securing a 2-1 victory over Fiji, thanks to two stunning goals by captain Teaonui Tehau.

Fiji had hoped to replicate their best finishes in the OFC Men’s Nations Cup, having previously secured third place in 1998 and 2008. However, Coach Rob Sherman chose to rotate his starting lineup for the bronze medal match. Sherman, the Welshman, explained his decision was to provide game-time to his entire squad ahead of September’s FIFA World Cup™ qualifiers.

Conversely, Tahiti’s coach Samuel Garcia fielded his strongest team, with suspended Matatia Paama returning in place of Manuarii Shan and Mauri Heitaa starting instead of Franck Papaura.

In their earlier Group B encounter, Fiji had edged Tahiti with a Roy Krishna penalty, but the new lineup struggled to contain the French Polynesians this time. Tahiti’s intricate combination play troubled the Fijian defense, though clear-cut chances were scarce. The closest attempt in the first half was a free-kick from lively winger Matéo Degrumelle, which narrowly missed the target.

Sherman introduced captain Krishna at halftime to inject some urgency into Fiji’s attack. The OFC men’s record goalscorer wasted little time, netting his 41st international goal just before the hour mark. Krishna capitalized on a long ball from Lekima Gonerau, rounding goalkeeper Teave Teamotuatitau to score.

Tahiti responded with determination, and after some excellent build-up play by young substitute Papaura, captain Tehau delivered a beautiful finish to level the score.

The match then saw end-to-end action. Krishna struck the post and later set up Nabil Begg, who missed a close-range opportunity. Tahiti’s aggressive approach also paid off, earning a free-kick on the edge of the box. Captain Tehau stepped up to expertly curl the ball over the Fijian wall, leaving goalkeeper Aydin Mustahib stranded and securing Tahiti’s first win over Fiji in 13 years.

With the win the Tahitians celebrated their bronze medal as they finished 3rd in the competition – the celebrations after the final whistle shown that the win meant a lot for the French Polynesians.