The OFC Women’s Olympic Football Tournament between New Zealand and Papua New Guinea has been changed from a home and away play-off to a single fixture to be played on Saturday,
8 March 2008 in Papua New Guinea.

The change was requested and agreed by mutual consent between the two associations and approved by FIFA together with OFC.

The winner of the match will progress to the Olympic Football Tournament in Beijing in August.

The format for selecting Oceania’s women’s representative at the Olympic Games Women’s Football Tournament, has changed each year since Oceania first gained entry in 2000.

In 2000, Australia, as host nation of the 2000 Olympic Games, qualified. In 2004, a tournament was held in Fiji, featuring the host nation, Australia and Papua New Guinea.

2008 marks the first Olympic Qualifiers since Australia switched confederations from OFC to Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on January 1, 2006. The winner of the tournament
will be awarded direct entry to Beijing 2008.

New Zealand will head into the fixtures as hot favorites but will face a Papua New Guinea team who achieved its highest ever placing at an OFC/FIFA World Cup Qualifying event
last year when it finished runners-up to New Zealand.

Papua New Guinea qualified for an Olympic Games showdown with the Football Ferns after winning the gold medal at the XIII South Pacific Games Women’s Football Tournament in Samoa
last year.

Papua New Guinea defeated Tonga 3-1 after extra-time to secure the South Pacific Games gold medal and clinch the Olympic Games qualifying berth against New Zealand.

New Zealand were seeded to the playoff stage and did not compete at the XIII South Pacific Games – Samoa 2007.

OFC Olympic Football Tournament Draw

Papua New Guinea vs. New Zealand

Date: Saturday, 8 March 2008

Venue: PRL Telikom Park, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

Time: 14H00

*Match Officials to be confirmed

Papua New Guinea recent international results:

OFC/FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifiers – Papua New Guinea 2007

Vs. Solomon Islands (H) won 6-1

Vs. Tonga (H) won 1-0

Vs. New Zealand (H) lost 0-7

XIII South Pacific Games – Samoa 2007

Vs. American Samoa (N) won 6-0

Vs. Solomon Islands (N) won 4-0

Vs. Fiji (N) lost 0-1

Vs. Cook Islands (N) won 4-1

Vs. Tahiti (N) won 5-0

Vs. Tonga (N) won 3-1*

* Papua New Guinea won after extra-time score 1-1 after 90 minutes

Results from OFC Women’s Olympic Football Tournament – Fiji 2004

Australia (1st)

Vs Papua New Guinea won 10-0

Vs Fiji won 7-0

Papua New Guinea (2nd)

Vs Australia lost 0-10

Vs Fiji won 2-0

Fiji (3rd)

Vs Australia lost 0-7

Vs Papua New Guinea lost 0-2