The 2026 MSG Prime Minister’s Cup closed with the major individual awards recognising decisive performances across both the men’s and women’s tournaments in Suva.
Fiji’s men completed a memorable home campaign by defeating Vanuatu 1-0 in the final, while Vanuatu won the women’s title after a dramatic penalty-shootout victory over Papua New Guinea. The tournament’s award list reflected both title-winning squads, but also recognised the players who consistently delivered throughout the group stage and finals.
Thomas Dunn claims Men’s Golden Ball
Fiji midfielder Thomas Dunn was named the Men’s Golden Ball winner after a strong tournament for the Bula Boys.
Dunn’s most important contribution came in the final against Vanuatu, when he scored the only goal after ten minutes. Fiji then defended their advantage through a difficult and physical contest to lift the MSG Prime Minister’s Cup for the first time in its modern format.
The Golden Ball award capped a significant tournament for Dunn, whose influence went beyond the final goal. Fiji recovered from an uneven start in the group stage, finishing with consecutive victories over Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia before defeating defending champions Vanuatu in the decider.
Sevanaia takes the Men’s Golden Glove
Fiji goalkeeper Isikeli Sevanaia received the Men’s Golden Glove award.
Sevanaia finished the competition with another clean sheet in the final, helping Fiji protect Dunn’s early goal against a Vanuatu side that applied sustained pressure in the second half. His reliability gave the Bula Boys a foundation during their decisive late run through the tournament.
Fiji kept clean sheets against Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu in their final two matches, a major turnaround after conceding in each of their first three games. Sevanaia’s award underlined how important the defensive improvement was to the hosts’ title-winning campaign.
Three-way tie for the Men’s Golden Boot
The Men’s Golden Boot was shared by three players, all of whom finished the tournament on three goals:
- Raphael Lea’i — Solomon Islands
- Javin Wae — Solomon Islands
- Tony Kaltack — Vanuatu
Lea’i and Wae were central to Solomon Islands’ attacking threat. The Bonitos remained unbeaten in three of their four group matches, including a dramatic 3-3 draw with Fiji and another 3-3 match against Vanuatu, but eventually missed the final by one point.
Vanuatu captain Tony Kaltack also ended on three goals as the defending champions reached the final after finishing first in the round-robin standings. Although Vanuatu fell narrowly to Fiji in the final, Kaltack’s goals were crucial to their route to the decider.
New Caledonia received the Men’s Fair Play Award.
Kalapai dominates the women’s scoring race
Papua New Guinea forward Keren Kalapai won the Women’s Golden Boot after an outstanding tournament in front of goal. She finished with seven goals.
Kalapai set the tone early, scoring a hat-trick in PNG’s 4-0 opening win over Fiji. She continued to find the net against New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands as PNG reached the final with a perfect group-stage record.
Although PNG were beaten by Vanuatu on penalties after the women’s final finished 1-1, Kalapai’s seven goals made her the clear leading scorer of the competition and one of its standout performers.
Reddy and Kaltack recognised after Vanuatu triumph
Vanuatu goalkeeper Amelia Reddy received the Women’s Golden Glove following her team’s title-winning campaign.
Vanuatu had to work for the trophy. They reached the final after a strong group stage and then defeated PNG 5-4 on penalties after the match ended level following extra time. Reddy’s award recognised her importance in a side that handled pressure well throughout the tournament.
Vanuatu’s Kelly Kaltack was named the Women’s Golden Ball winner. Her performances helped drive the women’s team to the title and ensured that Vanuatu finished the tournament with individual recognition as well as silverware.
The final list of principal award winners was:
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Men’s Golden Ball | Thomas Dunn — Fiji |
| Men’s Golden Glove | Isikeli Sevanaia — Fiji |
| Men’s Golden Boot | Raphael Lea’i — Solomon Islands; Javin Wae — Solomon Islands; Tony Kaltack — Vanuatu — 3 goals each |
| Men’s Fair Play Award | New Caledonia |
| Women’s Golden Ball | Kelly Kaltack — Vanuatu |
| Women’s Golden Glove | Amelia Reddy — Vanuatu |
| Women’s Golden Boot | Keren Kalapai — Papua New Guinea — 7 goals |
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