Tonga’s U16 National Women’s team, nicknamed the Future Mataliki, made an impressive start to their OFC U16 Women’s Championship campaign, holding host nation Fiji to a dramatic 3-3 draw. In a fast-paced and intense match, both teams showed resilience, trading goals and keeping fans on the edge of their seats.
Tonga came out strong, launching a series of attacks that rattled Fiji’s defence early on. For the first 15 minutes, Tonga dominated possession and looked poised to grab an early lead. However, Fiji’s defence held firm, weathering the storm and gradually finding their rhythm.
In the 24th minute, Fiji opened the scoring through forward Uliana Vuniyayawa. She latched onto a bouncing loose ball in midfield and, with remarkable composure, slotted it past Tongan goalkeeper Temaleti Taufa’ao, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
Just before halftime, Fiji doubled their lead with a stunning long-range free kick from Sisilia Tuvou Kuladina. From 35 yards out, she launched a powerful strike that sailed past the Tongan goalkeeper in the 39th minute, giving Fiji a commanding 2-0 lead heading into the break.
Tonga returned to the pitch in the second half with renewed determination. Their persistence paid off in the 49th minute when Kuria Malohifo’ou pulled one back for Tonga. A clever through ball from Cienna Filimoeatu found Malohifo’ou, whose shot was too powerful for Fiji’s goalkeeper, Melania Keresoni, to keep out.
Four minutes later, Tonga found the equalizer through the ever-dangerous Tyra Bagiante. The striker, who had been a constant threat to the Fijian defence, confidently slotted home to level the score at 2-2, reigniting Tonga’s hopes of securing a win.
Fiji looked momentarily shaken after losing their two-goal advantage but regained composure to push forward again. In the 78th minute, substitute Grace Lakavutu restored Fiji’s lead with a clever outside-of-the-boot finish from close range, sending the Fijian bench into wild celebrations.
Just when it seemed like Fiji would walk away with the victory, Tonga struck again. In the 84th minute, Malohifo’ou netted her second goal of the match, bringing the score back to 3-3 and ensuring the spoils were shared in an enthralling encounter.
The draw leaves Tonga feeling optimistic as they prepare to face a much stronger opponent, Samoa, who began their campaign with a commanding 10-0 win over the Cook Islands earlier in the day. Future Mataliki will need to carry the momentum from this impressive performance into their next match as they continue their pursuit of success in the OFC U16 Women’s Championship.
Match Summary:
- Fiji: 3 (Uliana Vuniyayawa 25’, Sisilia Tuvou Kuladina 39’, Grace Lakavutu 78’)
- Tonga: 3 (Kuria Malohifo’ou 49’, 84’, Tyra Bagiante 53’)
