The Solomon Islands National U19 team will face off against Fiji for the 3rd and 4th place playoff in the OFC Men’s U19 Championship.
The match is scheduled for tomorrow Thursday 18 at 9:00 am local time.
The Solomon Islands previously triumphed over Fiji with a 3-0 victory during the group stage, however, their journey to the finals was cut short in a dramatic and heart-wrenching semifinal against New Caledonia.
Victory here has also ensured New Caledonia qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup™ 2025 in Chile.
In the semifinal clash, the Batram Suri-led side took a 2-1 lead after a spirited first-half comeback and maintained their advantage for most of the second half. However, New Caledonia managed to equalize late in the game, forcing the match into extra time.
Despite the Solomon Islands’ valiant efforts, New Caledonia found the net in the second period of extra time, securing a 3-2 victory and a place in the grand final against New Zealand.
“We have to go for the rankings now, missing our target to be in the final which is hard for us. But we have to regroup again and go for a third-place finish,” Suri told OFC Media recently.
Now, the Solomon Islands will aim to replicate their group stage success against Fiji and secure a respectable 3rd-place finish in the championship.
