Akuila Cama 
[Photo: FIJI FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION/ FACEBOOK]
The Junior Bula Boys will be aiming to deny New Zealand a record-extending 12th OFC Under-16 Men’s Championship title when they meet in the final tomorrow in Papua New Guinea.
Our side defeated the Solomon Islands 4-2 on penalties on Wednesday.
Fiji coach Sunil Kumar says the semi-final was very close and could have gone either way; however, he’s proud of the boys for the character and fighting spirit they showed.
Kumar adds they’ve taken it one step at a time.
He also says experiencing a competition like this for the first time has been great for our young players.
The Fiji U16 are yet to concede a goal at the tournament in normal time.
New Zealand coach Martin Bullock says teams have made it really hard for them throughout the tournament.
He goes on to say that as matches have progressed, they’ve opened up a bit, and those are the periods that they’ve planned for.
Bullock is thankful for the squad depth, which has been a huge advantage for them.
Fiji was beaten 3-1 by New Zealand when they last reached the final in 2024.
