Photo Caption| Action between Henderson Eels and Hekari United at the Lawson Tama stadium. Credit: OFC via Phototek NZ
Hekari United delivered a dominant performance against Henderson Eels, resulting in a 3-0 defeat for the home team in Group A of the OFC Women’s Champions League 2024 at the Lawson Tama stadium.
Henderson Eels maintained the same line-up as their previous match against Avatiu FC, hoping to secure another win. However, knowing the challenge ahead, the home team sat back in defense against Hekari’s high attacking flair.
The Papua New Guinea side posed countless threats down both flanks until they found the breakthrough through Eel’s defense.
Captain Marie Kaipu scored the opener after 20 minutes of play from a corner kick.
Despite their efforts to unpick Hekari’s formidable backline, Henderson Eels struggled to execute an attack, and their star forward, Madeline Arukau, was well-monitored and unable to bypass the opposition.
In a post-match interview, a disappointed Henderson Eels head coach, Godfrey Manehioha, told the local media that his team was unfortunate to face such a well-drilled side.
“Hekari were the better side today. We did our best but unfortunately, we came short,” Manehioha told the media.
Henderson Eels will face an uphill will battle on Saturday 16 when they take on Tafea FC to decide their fate in advancing to the next stage of the competition.
-SIFF Media
