Meli Laddpeter 
[Source: Fiji Football Association/Facebook]
The Fiji Under-16 Boys Football team was eliminated from the OFC Men’s Under-16 Football Championship in Honiara after a dramatic 5-4 defeat in a penalty shootout against New Caledonia in this afternoon’s semi-final.
Despite the setback, Fiji still has a chance to qualify for next year’s FIFA U-16 Men’s World Cup in Qatar, as they prepare to compete in the third-place playoff.
Fiji took an early lead in the 55th minute when captain Maika Dau converted a penalty, but New Caledonia quickly equalized soon after.
Both teams then battled evenly over the next 30 minutes, with neither side able to break the deadlock before full-time.
The match then headed into a penalty shootout to determine the winner and both teams missed one of their first four attempts.
However, in the decisive final round, New Caledonia successfully scored while Fiji’s last effort was saved by their goalkeeper, sealing their fate.
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