Fiji National football team secured a spot in the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Oceania Qualifiers next year in New Zealand after a hard-fought 1-1 draw against New Caledonia in Port Moresby. Roy Krishna’s last-minute penalty in the first half gave Bula Boys the lead, but Jean-Jacques Katrawa equalised for New Caledonia just before the hour mark.
The match was played under scorching hot conditions, with temperatures exceeding 30°C at kick-off. Fiji controlled much of the early play, though New Caledonia looked dangerous on the counter-attack, exploiting space behind Fiji’s high defensive line. The first half was evenly contested, and as the match seemed set to go into halftime goalless, Krishna was fouled in the box during stoppage time and calmly converted the penalty to give Fiji the advantage.
New Caledonia came out strong in the second half and equalised when Abezeier Jeno’s cross from the left was expertly finished by Katrawa. Katrawa nearly gave his side the lead soon after, but his close-range shot was denied by Fiji goalkeeper Jerome Narayan. As the game wore on, the extreme heat began to take its toll on both teams, and the pace of the game slowed.
The draw puts Fiji, as runners-up in the group, will join New Caledonia, who top the group, in the semi-finals in New Zealand next March. Papua New Guinea’s hopes were dashed with the result, and they will now be eliminated before their final match against the Solomon Islands.
