Fiji closed the curtain on the OFC Futsal Championship in Suva with a 4-1 win over New Zealand in the final match of the tournament.
It was the third win of the championships for Fiji and provided some solace for Coach Imtiaz Khan and his squad after a grueling week of injuries and tired legs.
Fiji and New Zealand finished the tournament level on nine points but the kiwis snuck into fourth place with a better goal difference.
Fiji opened the scoring in the 31st minute when the tournaments golden boot – Kamal Hassan potted his 14th goal of the tournament.
New Zealand equalized in the 37th minute when Joshua Martin found some room to turn in the Tahiti box and fired home to create an exciting final three minutes.
Assis Chand then grabbed two goals in the space of a minute to turn the game back in Fiji’s favour before Muni Arvindra Naidu killed the game off with a goal in the last minute.
OFC FUTSAL CHAMPIONSHIP FIJI 2008
FIJI v NEW ZEALAND
VODAFONE ARENA
SUVA
FIJI
SATURDAY 14 JUNE
FIJ: 2. Mira SAHIB; 3. Sandeep Sanjesh NAIR; 6. Assis CHAND; 9. Kamal HASSAN;12. Nishad Wasim ALI (GK);
SUBS: 1. Azmat BEGG (RGK); 8. Muni Arvindra NAIDU; 10. Dinesh Chand MUDALIAR; 11. Imtiaz BEGG;
COACH: Imtiaz KHAN (FIJ)
ABSENT: 4. Alvin AVINESH; 5. Nayzal Siga Ali; 7. Vikash PRASAD;
NZL: 3. Andrew GWILLIAM; 4. Marvin EAKINS; 8. Joshua MARTIN; 19. Michael CORRINGHAM; 20. Clayton CHAPPELL (GK);
SUBS: 1. Elias BILLEH (GK); 5. Yukin NAIDOO; 12. Luke FIELD; 17. Victor ZAIA; 23. Gregory O’CONNOR; 10. Ouadhah RAGUED; 14. Bakr Al SAUDI;
GOALS: 8. Joshua MARTIN 9’, 17. Victor ZAIA 27’; 14. Bakr Al SAUDI 35’;
COACH: Erkin Osman (AUS)
REFEREE: Teihotu TAEREA (TAH)
2nd REFEREE: Peter L. PAKOATONG (VAN)
3rd REFEREE: Stephan PARAGE (NCL)