The opening day of the Flick Hygiene Pacific Community Cup 2024 at Churchill Park, Lautoka, delivered thrilling action, dramatic comebacks, and standout performances across four entertaining matches.
The tournament kicked off with a tightly contested match between USA All-Stars and Labasa FC. Christopher Grey opened the scoring for the visitors in the 20th minute, but Melvin Mani equalized for Labasa just before halftime. Despite several chances in the second half, neither team could break the deadlock.
Defending champions NZFFI Auckland All-Stars came from behind to defeat Rewa FC in a closely fought match. John Orobulu struck early to give Rewa the lead, but Hemish Watson and Samuela Drudru’s goals turned the tide in Auckland’s favor. Rewa fought hard but couldn’t find the equalizer.
The final match of the day saw Lautoka FC deliver a commanding performance. Saula Waqa stole the show with a stunning hat trick, while Sakaraia Naisua added another to make it 4-1. Alex Senial scored for Manukau before halftime, and a late goal brought the final score to 4-2.
Day 2 Fixtures:
4:30 PM: USA All-Stars vs. NZFFI Auckland All-Stars
5:45 PM: Labasa FC vs. Rewa FC
7:00 PM: Lautoka FC vs. Navua FC
8:15 PM: Manukau All-Stars vs. AuFFI All-Stars
