Taina Basiyalo 
[Source: Fiji Football Association/Facebook]
The Fiji Kulas fell to a narrow 1–0 defeat against Papua New Guinea in their final Group B match of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™ Oceania Qualifiers at Govind Park in Ba yesterday.
Despite the loss, Fiji still progresses to the next round of the qualifiers after finishing second in the pool.
Both sides entered the match unbeaten with two wins each, after wet weather earlier in the week forced a rescheduling of the fixture.
Papua New Guinea looked threatening in the opening spell and nearly found the breakthrough in the first half when Gloria Laeli rose highest to meet a Ramona Padio corner, only to see her header crash against the right post.
The Kulas responded strongly after the break and came closest to scoring early in the second half.
Forward Trina Davis created Fiji’s best opportunity of the match, forcing Papua New Guinea goalkeeper Betty Sam into a sharp save from close range.
Fiji continued to press but struggled to convert their chances as the match remained locked at nil-all heading into the closing stages.
Just when the Kulas looked set to hold on for a draw, Papua New Guinea struck late through Meagen Gunemba, who finished off a cutback from Mavis Singara in the 86th minute to seal the win for the Bilums.
The result sees Papua New Guinea finish on top of Group B, while Fiji advances as runners-up.
Both teams will now shift their focus to Round Three of the qualifiers, where they will join New Zealand and American Samoa in New Zealand next month as the race for a spot at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup continues.
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