The Digicel Fiji Bula Boys have secured their spot in the semi-finals of the OFC Men’s Nations Cup 2024 with an emphatic 9-1 victory over Samoa in their second Group B match at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.
Building on their impressive 5-1 win over Papua New Guinea, Robert Sherman’s team displayed dominance once again, starting strong with Setareki Hughes scoring less than three minutes into the game. Hughes, along with Thomas Dunn and Roy Krishna, continuously threatened Samoa with their speed and direct play. Krishna, Fiji’s record goalscorer, extended Fiji’s lead with a penalty after Dunn’s header had made it 2-0.
Despite a promising start to the second half with a goal from Samoa’s Luke Salisbury, Fiji quickly reasserted their dominance. Krishna scored another penalty, and Hughes added his second goal of the match. Filipe Baraviala, Nabil Begg, and substitutes Ivan Kumar and Etonia Dogalau also contributed to the goal tally, with Dogalau scoring twice towards the end.
With this win, Fiji are through to the semi-finals and will face either New Zealand or Vanuatu. They have one more group stage match against Tahiti before heading to Port Vila for the semi-finals. Samoa, who will exit at the group stage, will play their final match against Papua New Guinea, who still have a chance to advance.
Match Summary:
Samoa:
- Luke Salisbury 47′
Fiji:
- Setareki Hughes 3′, 61′
- Thomas Dunn 38′
- Roy Krishna (P) 45+2′, (P) 54′
- Filipe Baraviala 64′
- Nabil Begg 67′
- Etonia Dogalau 83′, 90′
Half-Time Score: 0-3
