Samoa, NZ, New Caledonia open Oceania U16 women's tournament with wins
Photo:
Shane Wenzlick/Phototek.nz
Samoa have started their campaign in the Oceania U16 women's championship at Apia with a 5-0 trouncing of New Caledonia.
After finishing runners-up at the same event last year to qualify for the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup in Morocco in October, the Samoans proved too strong for New Caledonia at the Samoa Football headquarters.
Cali Willis scored a double late in the first half to give the locals a 2-0 lead at halftime.
The hosts dominated much of the contest, roared on by a small, but vocal home crowd, although New Caledonia showed flashes of danger on the break, only to be undone by a lack of precision in the final third.
They had the first real opportunity almost straight from kickoff, with Shan Nemoinon firing over from a promising position on the edge of the box. Moments later, Samoa captain Breanna Kitiona found herself unmarked from a corner, but headed directly at goalkeeper Kessyna Nyipie.
Aaliyah Johnson, who scored late in the second spell, was a constant threat for the home side, seeing a powerful effort saved superbly by Nyipie in the sixth minute, before miscuing another chance, with the New Caledonian keeper caught off her line.
Samida Ann Tuimanuvao, who went in as a replacement in the second half, scored a classic, with a piledriver off her left foot sailing over Nyipie's head and into the back of the net, before an own goal by New Caledonia gave Samoa the 5-0 advantage.
New Caledonia had their own moments, but they were simply outclassed and outplayed by the Samoans.
Samoa head coach Juan Chang Urrea was glad the girls pulled through in the end, as they now shift their focus to Fiji on Monday.
"It was a very tough match, we started slow and we picked it up," he said. "It's not just how you start, but how you pick it up at the end as teammates and how they move forward.
"It's a good game, we close the first chapter of the book and they did that very strongly. The conditions are very hard and very hot, and they adapted.
"Every opposition is going to be tough, and we just need to review the game and then go from there too."
Losing New Caledonia coach Kenjy Vendegoi conceded the Samoans played better. Speaking through a translator, he said they were rattled.
"The Samoans are favourites in the group at the moment," he said. "They presented a lot of opportunities and they completed a lot of their opportunities.
"We look forward to the next match."
Samoa will now look ahead to a top-of-the-table encounter against Fiji, while New Caledonia face a must-win match with Tahiti in the other Group A fixture.
Fiji earlier defeated Tahiti 4-0.
Samoa 5
(Cali Willis 2, Aaliyah Johnson, Samida Ann Tumanuvao, own goal)
New Caledonia 0
Defending champions New Zealand have started their title defence with a comfortable 4-0 win over Tonga.
Isla Robson scored a hattrick, as they held off a spirited Tongan effort to record their first three points of the 2025 tournament.
New Zealand's Ameila Hitchcock competes with Tonga's Sophie Hale.
Photo:
Shane Wenzlick/Phototek.nz
Tonga put in a good shift, as New Zealand had never scored less than seven goals in four previous meetings between the two nations at U16 women's level.
They did well to hold out for 25 minutes. It also marked only the fourth time in Oceania U16 women's championship history that New Zealand were kept to less than five goals.
They face the other Group B winners, the Solomon Islands, next Tuesday, while Tonga will attempt to keep their campaign alive against tournament debutants American Samoa.
New Zealand 4
(Isla Robson 3, Mia Humphrey)
Tonga 0
In another result, Solomon Islands came out winners over American Samoa 1-0, with the winner scored late in the first half by striker Janita Ereanimae.
Making their debut at this level, after winning the qualifying tournament in the Cook Islands in May, American Samoa showed plenty of promise.
Coach Diane Justus had strengthened her squad with four US-based players and her side created enough chances to feel they deserved at least a share of the points.
American Samoa were the stronger team in the second half and pushed hard for an equaliser, showing they could compete with a side riding the momentum of the senior national team's Nations Cup 2025 triumph last month.
The Solomon Islands started brightly and nearly took the lead in the sixth minute, when Rose Aba turned sharply in the box and fired a powerful shot towards the bottom-right corner, but Leila Salausa in the American Samoa goal got a glove on the ball and pushed it wide.
American Samoa's first real opportunity came in the 23rd minute, through Anaiyah Vee, who burst down the right wing, beating defenders with her pace and strength. Her low cross just missed the run of an unmarked Naimanu Samuelu in the box.
Solomon Islands 1
(Janita Ereanimae)
American Samoa 0
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