OFC U-20 Championship 1980

The third edition of the OFC U-20 Championship was held in 1980 and doubled as qualification for the intercontinental play-offf or the 1981 FIFA World Youth Championship™ in Australia. The tournament was hosted by Fiji and was contested between six nations.

New Zealand progressed from Group A as winners after a 2-2 draw against Fiji and comfortable victory over Papua New Guinea, while Australia edged Tahiti 1-0 before thumping New Caledonia to reach the final. New Zealand won their inaugural OFC U-20 Championship title with a 2-0 victory over Australia in the final.

Tournament winners New Zealand failed to qualify for the 1981 FIFA World Youth Championship. Two loses to Argentina and a solitary win and draw against Israel in the intercontinental play-off wasn’t enough.

As hosts, Australia became the first nations to represent OFC at a FIFA World Youth Championships™. The 1981 FIFA World Youth Championship™ in Australia also doubled as the first FIFA event to be held in the OFC region.

Australia pulled off a famous 2-1 victory over Argentina in their opening game, before securing progression to the quarter-final with draws against both Cameroon and England. Their run came to an end at the hands of eventual champions West Germany in the quarterfinals, conceding a second half goal to fall to a 1-0 defeat.