Vanuatu hit five past New Caledonia as Solomon Islands stun hosts Fiji at Women’s MSG Cup

The third matchday of the 2026 Women’s MSG Prime Minister’s Cup produced two significant results at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva, with Vanuatu delivering the biggest victory of their campaign so far before Solomon Islands defeated hosts Fiji to strengthen their position in the race for the final.

Vanuatu were emphatic in a 5-0 victory over New Caledonia, with Leimata Simon scoring twice and Elina Aruvuha adding a late brace. Later in the evening, Lorina Solosaia scored the only goal as Solomon Islands secured a valuable 1-0 win against the Fiji Kulas.

The results add further intrigue to the round-robin competition, in which all five Melanesian nations meet once before the top two advance to the final on October 3. Papua New Guinea, the defending champions, had started the tournament with consecutive victories, while Vanuatu and Solomon Islands entered Wednesday looking to keep themselves firmly in contention.

Leimata Simon leads Vanuatu rout

Vanuatu produced their most convincing display of the tournament against New Caledonia, taking control before halftime and eventually turning their advantage into a comprehensive 5-0 victory.

The breakthrough arrived in the 31st minute through Leimata Simon, one of the most established attacking players in the Vanuatu women’s setup. Only three minutes later, New Caledonia conceded an own goal, suddenly leaving themselves with a two-goal deficit after having remained in the contest for the opening half-hour.

Vanuatu therefore went into halftime 2-0 ahead and in control, but they had to wait until the 68th minute to extend the advantage. Simon struck again to complete her brace and effectively put the match beyond New Caledonia.

The closing stages then transformed a comfortable victory into a heavy one. Elina Aruvuha made it 4-0 in the 90th minute before scoring again three minutes into stoppage time to complete the 5-0 result.

Aruvuha’s late double also continued an excellent individual tournament. She had scored Vanuatu’s winner in their 1-0 victory over Fiji on Matchday 2, meaning she has now found the net in consecutive matches.

For Simon, meanwhile, the brace represented another reminder of her importance to Vanuatu. She finished as the leading scorer at the 2025 OFC Women’s Nations Cup with five goals, and her ability to provide goals at senior international level remains a major asset for the team.

Vanuatu’s progression through the tournament has also been notable. They began with a 1-1 draw against Solomon Islands, defeated Fiji 1-0 and have now followed that result with five goals against New Caledonia.

Solosaia strikes again as Solomon Islands defeat Fiji

The evening fixture was considerably tighter, but it ended with another important result as Solomon Islands edged Fiji 1-0.

With neither side able to break the deadlock during the opening hour, the decisive moment arrived in the 75th minute when Lorina Solosaia scored for Solomon Islands. The visitors protected their advantage through the closing stages to secure all three points.

It was another important contribution from Solosaia, who is emerging as one of Solomon Islands’ decisive players in the tournament. She had already scored the 74th-minute equaliser in the opening 1-1 draw against Vanuatu and has now produced goals in both of her country’s matches.

The victory carries additional significance for Solomon Islands after their breakthrough at continental level in 2025. They won the OFC Women’s Nations Cup in Suva last year, and the victory over Fiji gives them an important result as they attempt to add the Melanesian title to that success.

For Fiji, however, the tournament has become increasingly difficult. The Kulas opened with a 4-0 defeat against defending champions Papua New Guinea, were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Vanuatu on Matchday 2 and have now suffered another 1-0 loss against Solomon Islands.

Despite the much closer performances in their last two matches, the hosts remain without a point and have yet to score after three appearances.

Race for the final intensifies

Wednesday’s results leave the competition entering a decisive phase.

Vanuatu have now collected seven points from three matches, following their draw with Solomon Islands and victories over Fiji and New Caledonia. Solomon Islands, meanwhile, have four points from two games after following their opening draw against Vanuatu with Wednesday’s victory.

Defending champions Papua New Guinea remain very much at the centre of the race after winning their opening two matches, including a 4-0 victory over Fiji and a 4-1 success against New Caledonia.

The format leaves little room for mistakes: after the round-robin stage, only the top two teams will contest the final at HFC Bank Stadium on October 3. With Vanuatu making a major statement and Solomon Islands securing their first victory of the tournament, the battle for those two places is becoming increasingly tight.

The next matchday on September 26 will see New Caledonia face Solomon Islands before Papua New Guinea meet Vanuatu — a fixture that could have a major influence on who reaches the final.