New Zealand proceeds to knockout stage as New Caledonia beats Papua New Guinea with late drama at OFC U-19 Men’s Championship – Group B

New Caledonia grabbed their first win in the tournament while New Zealand secured a commanding 5-0 victory over Samoa to proceed to the knockout stage on the second matchday of Group B at the OFC U-19 Men’s Championship in Apia, Samoa.

New Caledonia bounced back with a crucial victory against Papua New Guinea in a match filled with drama and tight tussles. Both teams entered the contest winless after defeats to New Zealand and Samoa, adding pressure to their pursuit of a positive result.

New Caledonia started brightly, with Paul Qaeze getting into open field and forcing a save from Daniel Sakora. Yann Wahaga’s powerful header from the resulting corner hit the post, signaling New Caledonia’s early intent. Despite Papua New Guinea’s attempts to counter, New Caledonia’s defense held firm, turning a clearance into a long ball that saw Qaeze beat the goalkeeper but fire just wide of the empty goal.

A sloppy tackle from Nelson Karaun on Jythrim Upa gifted New Caledonia a penalty, but Sakora made a fantastic save to deny Wahaga, marking yet another missed penalty in the tournament. Papua New Guinea’s best chance came just before half-time when Solomon Kamake’s promising run into the box ended with an under-hit pass that was intercepted.

New Caledonia finally broke the deadlock in added time with Qaeze’s terrific strike, curling the ball into the top corner after a fortunate bounce. They continued to press in the second half, with Upa’s attempt denied by Sakora, who put his body on the line to make the save. As the rain poured down, both teams resorted to long balls, with Gabin Rachel and Papua New Guinea substitute keeper Lomani Nahiet making crucial saves.

Papua New Guinea found an equalizer through Tonny Sagana, who capitalized on a defensive error and scored into an empty net after colliding with Rachel. However, New Caledonia had the final say as Antonie Simane went unmarked at a free kick, dribbling past multiple defenders and perfectly placing the ball into the back of the net.

New Caledonia will aim to finish their group stage on a positive note against Samoa, while Papua New Guinea faces elimination regardless of their result against New Zealand.

Meanwhile, New Zealand cruised to a comfortable 5-0 victory against hosts Samoa, securing their spot in the semi-finals. The defending champions caught Samoa off guard early, with Luke Supyk forcing a save from Joel Bartley that tipped the ball onto the crossbar. New Zealand’s early dominance paid off when Codey Phoenix scored a great half volley following a right-side cross.

Phoenix doubled his tally shortly after, with his high curling corner beating everyone, including the goalkeeper. Samoa struggled to find their footing as the Kiwis continued their onslaught. Fergus Gillion added a third with a smart finish after a great run and assist from Lachlan Candy.

The second half saw limited action initially, but New Zealand reignited the game around the 60th minute. Nathan Walker’s shot narrowly missed the back post, while Bartley made a point-blank save to deny Supyk from Partridge’s delightful cross. New Zealand’s fourth goal came from Partridge, who smashed home a rebound following Supyk’s flick-on.

Samoa couldn’t break down New Zealand’s sturdy defense, and a late own goal sealed the Kiwis‘ dominant performance. The result makes New Zealand the first team to clinch a semi-final spot, while Samoa faces a decisive winner-takes-all match against New Caledonia on Friday.