Simran Chand 
[Source: Fiji Football Association/Facebook]
Fiji’s futsal team suffered a brutal 10-3 loss to New Zealand in their final OFC Men’s Futsal Cup match at Suva’s Vodafone Arena.
While the final score was lopsided, the first half showed promise for the home side.
Fiji started strong, with Rajneel Singh and Filipe Baravilala each scoring a goal, keeping the team just one goal behind defending champions New Zealand, with the score at 3-2.
The home crowd was given a glimpse of hope in the second half when youngster Neeraj Sharma was quick to convert a goal for Fiji.
However, the momentum quickly shifted as New Zealand came back hard with seven straight goals.
In a last-ditch effort, Fiji tried a power play, with playmaker Merril Nand taking on the goalkeeper’s jersey to add an extra attacker.
However, the strategy backfired, as New Zealand was quick to intercept the ball and score into an open goal.
Three of New Zealand’s goals came from this tactic, with keeper Kartik Sharma unable to get back into position in time.
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