Fiji’s Roy Krishna during the FIFA World Cup 2026 - OFC Qualifiers, Round 2, Solomon Islands v Fiji. Photo: OFC Media via Kirk Corrie / Phototek.nz
New Caledonia and Fiji have had wins in the Oceania FIFA World Cup qualifiers on Thursday.
A Roy Krishna goal in the 13th minute saw Fiji beat Solomon Islands 1-0.
Krishna fired in from a narrow angle, through the legs of Solomons goalkeeper Phillip Mango.
But Fiji then found themselves a man down not long before half-time.
Aporosa Yada went to win the ball just outside of Solomon Islands' penalty area, catching an opposing player to the extent that the referee felt necessary to brandish a red card.
Solomon Islands Bobby Leslie during the FIFA World Cup 2026 - OFC Qualifiers, Round 2, Solomon Islands v Fiji. Photo: OFC Media via Kirk Corrie / Phototek.nz
But Solomon Islands struggled to make their advantage count.
Fiji's defence kept their opponents at bay for much of the second half and they held on for the victory and three points in Group A.
Fiji coach Rob Sherman said the win was "incredibly hard earned" being down to 10 men for about 60 minutes.
"We were a threat the whole game I feel," he said.
"Certainly one of those days where what could go wrong went wrong, and we still prevailed."
Earlier, New Caledonia beat Papua New Guinea 3-1.
New Caledonia were the stronger side as the first half wore on and a trip in the penalty area gave Joseph Athale the opportunity to open the scoring with a penalty.
New Caledonia's Georges Gope-Fenepej during the FIFA World Cup 2026 - OFC Qualifiers, Round 2, New Caledonia v Papua New Guinea. Photo: OFC Media via Kirk Corrie / Phototek.nz
The side's other two goals came from Georges Gope-Fenepej and Germain Haewegene, while Tommy Semmy scored PNG's only goal.
PNG coach Filipe Vega-Aranga said his side played 'poorly' in the first half and his team will need to work a lot harder.
"In the first half they were much better than us, there's no question to ask," he said.
"In the second half I think we were better than them - we had more chances, but this is football.
"Now we need to improve for the next one."
New Caledonia's Georges Gope-Fenepej during the FIFA World Cup 2026 - OFC Qualifiers, Round 2, New Caledonia v Papua New Guinea. Photo: OFC Media via Kirk Corrie / Phototek.nz
Eight nations are split into two groups of four, who will all face each other once.
On Friday, New Zealand plays Tahiti, and on Saturday, Vanuatu takes on Samoa.
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The round then continues in mid-November.
The top two in each pool go up to the third round, to be played in March 2025.
The winner of that third round goes straight to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the runner-up getting another shot via an Intercontinental playoff.
On Friday afternoon, New Zealand plays Tahiti in Group B.
Head coach Darren Bazeley has star players Chris Wood, Libby Cacace and Marko Stamenic all available.
After Tahiti the All Whites will host Vanuatu in Hamilton and Samoa in Auckland in November as the qualification process continues.
New Zealand striker Ben Waine vividly remembers watching the All Whites qualify for the 2010 Football World Cup as an eight-year-old, but he has yet to take the field as an All White in New Zealand.
"If we got anywhere near the kind of support the Bahrain game [in 2009] got it would be amazing."
Tahiti are the only nation to have broken New Zealand's stranglehold on the region since Australia's 2006 exodus, winning the 2012 OFC Nations Cup.
However, they did so without needing to beat New Zealand themselves, a feat they have failed to achieve since 1995.
