It will be a repeat of last year’s title decider when Tahiti face the Solomon Islands in the OFC Beach Soccer Men’s Nations Cup final on Saturday. This is despite the fact that Fiji have ended their group stage campaign, today, on a high with a 6-5 penalty shootout victory over the hosts, after they couldn’t be separated in regulation and extra-time. When Max Fa’ari opened the scoring in the 3rd minute for the home side with a scorching left foot effort from an acute angle, few would have expected the rather tense affair that eventuated.
Both goalkeepers – Abraham Bird for the Solomon Islands and Sanaila Waqanicakau of Fiji – made a string of strong saves in the opening period to deny their opponents while Steven Dean with a guilt edged chance to level the scores blasted over the bar. While the Solomon Islands had the better chances there was no further scoring in the opening stanza. The second period meandered along in the same fashion, lots of long-range shots that lacked accuracy and very little for the goalkeepers to do.
In fact, Fiji keeper Waqanicakau came closest to levelling the scores, but his rocket blasted against the crossbar. It took more than eight minutes for any further scoring, and it was Fiji’s captain Tevita Waranivalu who struck a superb free kick past Bird to level the scores, and it remained so for the remainder of the period. Joses Nawo went close to restoring the Solomon Islands lead before Waranaivalu hit the post for Fiji from the penal.