The two sides met for the first time in 2014 on Sunday evening, with New Zealand’s Junior All Whites emerging clear victors with a 5-0 victory.
Both sides have the same end game – the FIFA U-20 World Cup – but while New Zealand have automatically qualified as hosts, Fiji will have to overcome strong challenges from Solomon Islands, American Samoa, New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji at the OFC U-20 Championship if they want to join the Kiwis next year.
New Zealand U-20: 1. Zac SPEEDY (GK), 2. Brock MESSENGER, 3. Deklan WYNNE, 4. Cory BROWN, 5. Adam MITCHELL (c), 6. Andre DE JONG, 7. Alex RUFER, 9. Stuart HOLTHUSEN, 11. Joel STEVENS, 15. Daniel BOWKETT, 18. Monty PATTERSON
Substitutes: 8. Alex PALEZEVIC, 12. Damien HIRST (GK), 14. Scott MIDGLEY, 16. Elijah NEBLETT, 17. Clayton LEWIS, 19. Andrew BLAKE, 20. Thomas PROBERT, 21. Tomislav TRBUHOVIC
Coach: Darren BAZELEY
Fiji U-20: 20. Misiwani NAIRUBE (GK), 2. Pranil NAIDU, 3. Samuela Nabenia, 4. Mataiasi TOMA, 7. Garish PRASAD, 8. Iosefo VEREVOU, 11. Narendra RAO, 14.Jale DRELOA (c), 17. Kolinio SIVOKI, 19. Ashnil RASU
Substitutes: 1. Waisea YAMALA, 5. Samuela GAVO, 6. Josefa KOROI, 9. Setariki HUGHES, 10. Ravnit CHAND, 12. Saula MATATALO, 13. Jonetani NALULU, 16. Avneel CHAND, 18. Tevita WARANAINALU
Coach: Ravinesh KUMAR
The final whistle sounds
90′ + 4′ GOAL!!! New Zealand U-20 4-1 Fiji U-20 Substitute Tomislav Trbuhovic calmly slots home a rebound
90′ + 3’Fiji on attack and looking to create, plenty of pressure coming from their counterparts
90′ + 1′ Fiji still trying to pull one back but the Junior All Whites defence is sitting high and denying the visitors time in their half
Five minutes additional time
90′ An effort from Blake hits the post as the whistle sounds for offside
88′ SUBSTITUTION: NZL change: Andre DE JONG off, Tomislav TRBUHOVIC on
85′ GOAL!!! New Zealand U-20 3-1 Fiji U-20 Substitute Andrew Blake volleys home to extend New Zealand’s lead
84′ Holthusen steps behind and sends straight down the middle hitting a diving Nairube in the chest and Fiji launch a counter attack
83′ Holthusen goes down in the box and the referee points to the spot for a New Zealand penalty
81′ Block from Nalulu stops Blake short but his clearance hits white shirts and Fiji are back under pressure
80′ New Zealand build an attack but two men are caught offside this time
80′ Nothing comes of it as it’s sent long of the target and it’s a goal kick
79′ Some skipping and jumping from Nabenia sees him find his way past several defenders before he gets off a cross which is blocked for a corner
77′ Long ball from Nairube and Samuela Nabenia does his best to get on the end of it, but finds himself a lone ranger in the Junior All Whites defence
75′ Andre de Jong takes a shot and it’s spilt by Nairube but de Jong doesn’t get a second chance
75′ New Zealand playing out from the back, looking to break through this Fiji defence – a stray pass is picked up by Tevita Waranaivalu
72′ SUBSTITUTION: NZL change: Alex RUFER off, Clayton LEWIS on / Joel STEVENS off, Elijah NEBLETT on
72′ Fiji man brought down in the centre circle and free kick for the visitors
70′ SUBSTITUTION: FIJ change: Mataiasi TOMA off, Tevita WARANAINALU on
69′ Holthusen cuts around Samuela Nabenia, takes a shot but Nairube is there at the near post to block
68′ Fiji making a lot more advances of their own in this half, though struggling to get any decent shots off
67′ New Zealand advance with a great one-two effort from Holthusen and Deklan Wynne
64′ SUBSTITUTION: NZL change: Goalkeeper Zac Speedy off, Damien Hirst on / Daniel Bowkett off, Alex Palezevic on. Fiji change: Ashnil Rasu off, Saula MATATALO
62′ Setariki Hughes tries to play through the defence but sends too long
61′ Delivery comes to Rufer who shoots but Nairube gets low to save
61′ Shot from Holthusen takes a deflection and skies over for a corner
60′ New Zealand trying to get a shot off but too much mucking about in the box allows Fiji to clear
57 YELLOW CARD Ashnil Rasu of Fiji is cautioned
55′ YELLOW CARD Daniel Bowkett of New Zealand is cautioned
54′ Rufer breaks goalward and a timely block from the Fiji defender denies him at the near post
53′ Andrew Blake with a superb effor that can’t have missed by much
52′ Fiji’s Samuela Nabenia finds himself free of the defence but one-on-one with Speedy he sends it wide of the target
47′ GOAL!!! New Zealand U20 2-1 Fiji U-20 Fiji manage to find the back of the net after a scramble in the New Zealand goal mouth
SUSTITUTION NZL change: Monty Patterson off Andrew Blake on
Second half underway
Half-time whistle sounds
45′ + 1′ Fiji have a chance as Setariki Hughes makes a darting run into the New Zealand box but his cut back deflects off a defender to Speedy
45′ Two minutes addtional time
43′ SUBSTITUTION: Fiji change: Garish Prasad off, Jonetani Nalulu on
42′ RED CARD A reckless tackle from Fiji’s Narendra Rao sees him leave the field
41′ The ball is lofted into the Junior All Whites box but New Zealand are in safe hands as Zac Speedy collects
40′ Praneel Naidu whips the ball off Stevens and Fiji start an attack of their own, winning a free kick just inside their opponents half
39′ Rufer skips through the middle but his last touch is one too many
38′ Patterson is down in New Zealand’s half following a knock to the face
36′ Long range effort from Messenger is collected in the air by Nairube
54′ Patterson in and out around two defenders but skies his effort over the bar
34′ New Zealand continuing to apply pressure, switch from Stevens on the right to Deklan Wynne who shoots straight at Nairube
31′ SUBSTITUTION: Fiji change: Iosefo VEREVOU off, Setariki HUGHES on
29′ GOAL!!! New Zealand U-20 2-0 Fiji U-20 Patterson steps up and beats Nairube with a shot to the right
28′ Great cross from Stevens, hits Patterson who’s brought down by Iosefo Verevou
26′ Great positioning from Holthusen who gets around his man with a simple shoulder drop but mishits his pass
23′ GOAL!!! New Zealand U-20 1-0 Fiji U-20 Monty Patterson blasts over the wall and the keeper for New Zealand’s first of the evening
22′ Andre de Jong breaks through the centre but is brought down just outside the penalty area by Jale Dreloa and it’s a dangerous situation for Fiji
20′ Patterson plays into the box but it’s intercepted before Holthusen can get a foot in
19′ Rao goes down after taking an accidental knock to the face and there’s a brief pause for treatment
18′ Corner is flashed in and looks threatening but it’s booted clear by the Kiwis
17′ Fiji in the New Zealand corner but Narendra Rao is lost without any mates as the Junior All Whites crowd him deeper into the corner
15′ Tidy touch through the defence from Rufer finds Stevens but the flag is raised
14′ Well won in defence by Jale Dreola (FIJ) but he hands the ball straight back to his Kiwi counterpart and Fiji remain under pressure
13′ Stevens into the box, plays off to Monty Patterson who takes a shot but it’s deflected making it an easy take for Nairube
12′ Rufer with plenty of space in the middle tries to find Stevens near touch but sends a little long for the speedy winger
9′ New Zealand free kick is lofted in but Misiwani Nairube leaps to collect
7′ Alex Rufer takes a shot but it bobbles across the face of the goal and it’s head in hands at a missed opportunity for the Wellington Phoenix player
6′ A length of the field run from Stevens who flies a cross in front of the goal but there’s no takers for New Zealand
5′ Chance for Fiji but the delivery is long and Brock Messenger scuttles it away for a corner
3′ Great run into the Fiji box from Joel Stevens who lays it wide to Stuart Holthusen. Holthusen cuts it into the six yard from the goal line but it’s booted clear by a F
iji defender.
1′ Fiji get the action underway
The match kicks off