Vanuatu have produced the biggest result in their recent women’s football history, defeating defending champions Papua New Guinea on penalties to lift the 2026 Women’s MSG Prime Minister’s Cup at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.
The final finished 1–1 after regulation time before Vanuatu held their nerve in the decisive shootout to take the trophy. The final scoreboard finished 6–4 in Vanuatu’s favour when the penalties were included, completing a remarkable turnaround against a Papua New Guinea team that had dominated the competition until the final.
PNG entered the decider having won every match of the round-robin stage. Ericson Komeng’s side defeated Fiji 4–0, New Caledonia 4–1, Vanuatu 2–0 and Solomon Islands 5–1, scoring 15 goals while conceding only once. Their earlier victory against Vanuatu appeared to underline the gap between the two finalists, with Phylis Pala and Keren Kalapai scoring in that meeting.
The final proved completely different.
Papua New Guinea struck first in the 23rd minute and appeared to be moving towards another controlled performance. Vanuatu, however, refused to allow the defending champions to establish the same authority they had shown throughout the group stage. Their response arrived before half-time, with the Ni-Vanuatu side equalising in the 42nd minute to send the teams into the break level at 1–1.
That goal changed the complexion of the match. PNG had spent much of the tournament playing from positions of strength, but Vanuatu forced them into a much tighter contest in which the margins became increasingly small. The Bilums still carried considerable attacking experience through players such as Keren Kalapai, Meagen Gunemba, Ramona Padio and Calista Maneo, but this time Vanuatu were able to prevent the defending champions from finding the decisive second goal.
The second half therefore developed into a battle of patience and concentration. Vanuatu had already demonstrated during the competition that they could compete in close matches, drawing 1–1 with Solomon Islands and beating Fiji 1–0 before their emphatic 5–0 victory over New Caledonia. Against PNG in the final, that resilience became even more important as they remained level through the closing stages and forced the title to be decided from the penalty spot.
The shootout provided the decisive reversal of the tournament. Papua New Guinea had arrived in the final with a perfect record and had already beaten Vanuatu convincingly during the round-robin phase, but the Ni-Vanuatu players converted when the pressure was at its highest and capitalised on PNG’s misses to take the title.
For Vanuatu, the triumph represents their first Women’s MSG Prime Minister’s Cup crown. They had finished behind PNG during the group phase and only secured their place in the final after Solomon Islands were beaten 5–1 by the Bilums in their last match, leaving Vanuatu ahead in the race for second place.
From that position, they went on to defeat the tournament’s outstanding team when it mattered most.
The result also ends Papua New Guinea’s hold on the trophy. The Bilums won the inaugural women’s competition in Port Moresby in 2025, beating Fiji 3–0 in the final, and arrived in Suva appearing well placed to defend the title after four consecutive victories.
Instead, the 2026 competition finishes with a new champion.
For Vanuatu women’s football, the title carries great significance. Their pathway through the tournament was far less dominant than PNG’s, but they survived the difficult moments, reached the final and then produced their strongest result against the opponent that had already beaten them earlier in the competition.
Papua New Guinea leave Suva having been the most prolific team across the tournament, but Vanuatu leave with the trophy — completing a memorable comeback from their 2–0 group-stage defeat and becoming the second champions in the short history of the Women’s MSG Prime Minister’s Cup.
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