Zaitun Sahim 
An unconvincing defensive effort has seen Fiji go down 3-1 to New Zealand in their opening pool match of the OFC Men’s Under-23 Olympic Qualifiers.
Fiji coach Rob Sherman surprisingly benched some prominent players and started a number of players based in New Zealand.
Despite an enthusiastic start to the match, Fiji gradually lost composure that presented opportunities for New Zealand to exploit.
After several attempts, the hosts eventually hit the front from a free kick in the 19th minute through Luis Toomey.
They were in again following the restart as George Ott caught the defenders napping, extending their lead 2-0.
Just two minutes after the second goal, New Zealand was awarded a penalty seeing Jesse Randall scoring from the spot.
Fiji found hope when Aporosa Yada shocked New Zealand with a power shot from outside the 20-yard box.
Chasing the scoreboard, Fiji’s efforts in the second half went in vain and was not able to influence the scoreboard.
The win sees NZ through to the semi-final, while Fiji and Papua New Guinea will battle for second spot.
The national Under-23 side will face Papua New Guinea on Saturday at 3pm and you can watch the match live on FBC Sports.
Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
