Papua New Guinea and Fiji Clash to 3-3 Draw in FIFA World Cup Qualifier
In an intense showdown before a spirited home crowd, Papua New Guinea, led by coach Felipe Vega-Arango, made a strong start but ultimately couldn’t hold onto their lead in a thrilling 3-3 draw against Fiji.
The game began with an early boost for the home team as Joseph Joe seized on a loose ball just two minutes in, slotting it in from close range to open the scoring. PNG maintained this advantage for most of the first half, with Fiji struggling to break down their high-pressing defense.
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| Papua New Guinea and Fiji Clash to 3-3 Draw in FIFA World Cup Qualifier [Photo by PNGFA] |
However, Fiji found the equalizer through Setareki Hughes, who maneuvered down the right wing and set up Thomas Dunn with a perfect cross, allowing Dunn to head the ball home from six yards, making it 1-1. Yet, PNG quickly regained the lead when Ati Kepo responded minutes later, acrobatically flicking a loose ball over his shoulder and past Fiji’s keeper, Jerome Narayan.
After halftime, Fiji came out with renewed determination and soon earned a penalty, which their star player, Roy Krishna, converted to level the score again at 2-2. Fiji nearly went ahead when Nabil Begg met Sterling Vasconcellos’ cross with a powerful header, but the attempt just missed Tomare’s right post.
In the dying moments, PNG’s Raymond Gunemba sent the crowd into a frenzy by heading the ball into the net, seemingly securing victory. Yet, Fiji had one last response as Merrill Nand equalized seconds later with a header, leaving PNG stunned as the match concluded in a dramatic 3-3 draw.
This result keeps PNG’s hopes alive in Group A, but they must now defeat the Solomon Islands on Sunday to have a chance at advancing.
Match Summary
Papua New Guinea: 3 (Joseph Joe 2’, Ati Kepo 45’, Raymond Gunemba 90+5’)
Fiji: 3 (Thomas Dunn 43’, Roy Krishna (P) 54’, Merrill Nand 90+6’)
Halftime: 2-1
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