Meli Laddpeter 
The Fiji U15 Girls side has finished in fifth place at the OFC U15 Girls Development Tournament held at Churchill Park in Lautoka.
Coached by Louisa Simmons, the young Fijian side showed determination and fighting spirit throughout the competition against some of the region’s strongest teams.
Fiji opened their campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 win over the Cook Islands before going down 3-0 to New Zealand.
They then suffered a narrow 1-0 loss to New Caledonia in another closely contested encounter.
One of their standout performances came in the fifth-place playoff against the Solomon Islands, where Fiji staged a spirited comeback.
Trailing 2-0, the side fought back to level the scores at 2-2 at full-time.
The match was decided on penalties, with Fiji holding their nerve to secure a 4-3 win and claim fifth place overall.
Despite mixed results, the tournament provided valuable international exposure for the young squad as they continue their development pathway in women’s football.
