Match Summary click here
See below for all the play-by-play action.
Starting line-ups:
Cook Islands: 1. Keegan INIA [GK] (c), 5. Ford HENRY, 6. Takuina TARARO, 7. Dwayne TIPUTOA, 8. Kimiora SAMUELA, 10. Thane BEAL, 11. Maro BONSU-MARO, 12. Wiremu TEMATA, 13. Jarves APERAU, 14. Terei GEORGE, 16. Te-Ava WICHMAN
Substitutes: 4. Cahjun WILLIS, 15. Morgan WICHMAN, 18. Antonio TUAITI
Coach: Tuka TISAM [COK]
Vanuatu: 1. Charlie WAIVUI [GK], 2. Jaison THOMAS (c), 5. Remy KALSRAP, 6. Douglas PATRICK, 7. Etienne NAIEU, 8. Alphonse TOA, 11. Alex SANIEL, 15. Andrew VANVA, 16. Ruben FRANK, 18. Ray IWAI, 21. Donald NAPAT
Substitutes: 3. Goshen DONNA, 9. Gregory ROUARD, 10. Bong KALO, 12. Jacky RUBEN, 13. Justin KOKA, 14. Andre BULE, 17. Kerry IAWAK, 20. Samuel LOLI [GK]
Coach: Etienne MERMER [VAN]
Match officials:
Referee: Albert MARU [PNG]
Assistant Referee 1: Avinesh NARAYAN [FIJ]
Assistant Referee 2: Folio MOEAKI [TON]
4th Official: Ravitesh BEHARI [FIJ]
The match kicks off
1′ Vanuatu have a chance immediately but Donald Napat drags his shot wide from close range
3′ Vanuatu are having most of the possession in these early stages
4′ The Vanuatu defence clears a Wiremu Temata free kick
6′ Vanuatu have another chance to go ahead but Cook Islands goalkeeper Keegan Inia pulls off a good save to deny Ruben Frank
7′ Ray Iwai heads towards the Cook Islands goal but can’t get enough power to beat Inia
9′ Douglas Patrick shoots from outside the box for Vanuatu but doesn’t make a good connection and Inia saves easily
11′ Frank makes room on the edge of the Cook Islands area for a shot but hits it straight to Inia
13′ A loose ball reaches Iwai at the far post but he slices his shot wide of the Cook Islands goal
15′ Iwai tries his luck from a long way out but the effort is ambitious and goes well wide
15′ GOAL!!! Cook Islands 0 Vanuatu 1: Vanuatu go ahead when Alex Saniel taps home at the far post after Frank goes past several challenges in the box and pulls the ball back
19′ Vanuatu are having all the ball and Cook Islands are finding it hard to break out of their own half
20′ Alphonse Toa shoots from distance for Vanuatu but his effort is deflected away
25′ Andrew Vanva volleys towards the Cook Islands goal from a long way out but can’t find the target
26′ Toa controls on the edge of the Cook Islands box and volleys but the strike does not go close to threatening the goal
29′ Cook Islands are being starved of possession but are defending resolutely and making it hard for Vanuatu to find a way through
29′ Iwai sends in a deep cross from the left for Vanuatu but there is too much weight on it to find a team mate
31′ Kimiora Samuela clears a dangerous situation for Cook Islands
32′ Terei George goes down injured for Cook Islands and play is held up while he receives treatment
34′ George hobbles off to receive further treatment as play restarts
35′ GOAL!!! Cook Islands 0 Vanuatu 2: Vanuatu go two goals ahead when Frank receives a pull back in the box and smashes a low shot home
36′ George comes back on and appears well enough to continue
37′ Frank tries to score his second of the afternoon but completely misses the ball with his attempt from the edge of the area
39′ Frank curls a free kick around the Cook Islands wall but the effort goes straight into the arms of Inia
40′ Inia dives to palm a Frank effort onto the near post and out
42′ Saniel picks up an injury for Vanuatu and play is held up while he receives treatment
44′ Play restarts and Saniel comes back on
45′ Etienne Naieu shoots from distance for Vanuatu but Inia makes a straightforward save
45′ Two minutes of additional time will be played
45′ + 1′ Franks breaks into the Cook Islands box and blazes an effort wide from close range
The first half comes to an end
The second half kicks off
46′ SUBSTITUTION: Vanuatu make a change at half-time, Ray Iwai being replaced by Justin Koka
48′ Substitute Koka heads towards the Cook Islands goal but can’t create the power to trouble Inia
50′ Vanuatu have a free kick in a promising position just outside the box but Saniel puts it over the cross bar
53′ Napat shoots for Vanuatu but Ford Henry blocks the effort with a good piece of defending
53′ Inia keeps out a Remy Kalsrap drive at his near post for Cook Islands
55′ Franck creates a opportunity for himself not far outside the Cook Islands area but his shot goes wide
56′ Toa breaks forward and shoots but can’t find the Cook Islands net with his low strike
57′ Henry bundles the ball out to deal with a threatening situation in the Cook Islands box
59′ GOAL!!! Cook Islands 0 Vanuatu 3: Vanuatu finally score again when a powerful Naieu strike takes a slight deflection and goes in
61′ Frank gets the ball onto his right foot to shoot in the Cook Islands box but Maro Bonsu-Maro comes across to make a good tackle
64′ SUBSTITUTION: George is replaced by Cahjun Willis for Cook Islands
70′ Temata defends well to halt Koka’s progress in the Cook Islands box
71′ Toa picks up an injury for Vanuatu and leaves the field to receive treatment
72′ Toa comes back on and seems to have recovered
73′ Vanuatu captain Jaison Thomas blasts a free kick well over the cross bar
74′ SUBSTITUTION: Naieu is replaced by Bong Kalo for Vanuatu
76′ Henry receives a talking to from referee Albert Maru for a challenge but escapes a booking
77′ Substitute Kalo hits the resulting free kick over the Cook Islands cross bar
81′ Cook Islands goalkeeper Inia dives to save a low strike from Toa
83′ SUBSTITUTION: Dwayne Tiputoa is replaced by Morgan Wichman for Cook Islands
85′ SUBSTITUTION: Napat is replaced by Andre Bule for Vanuatu
86′ Inia comfortably gathers a Saniel drive for Cook Islands
87′ GOAL!!! Cook Islands 1 Vanuatu 3: Cook Islands have their first goal of the tournament when a Temata free kick causes trouble in the Vanuatu box and substitute Wichman bundles the loose ball home from close range
90′ SUBSTITUTION: Takuina Tararo is replaced by Antonio Tuaiti for Cook Islands
90′ Three minutes of additional time will be played
90′ + 2′ Cook Islands have a great chance to score again but Bonsu-Maro can’t beat Vanuatu goalkeeper Charlie Waivui
The final whistle is blown
Cook Islands 1 – 3 Vanuatu
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