(Photo Credit: OFC Media via Phototek Tahiti captain Raimana Li Fung Kuee and Solomon Islands captain James Naka)
Solomon Islands coach Gideon Omokirio is adamant his side can turn the tables on Tahiti in tomorrow’s OFC Beach Soccer Nations Cup final in Papeete.
The two sides played a high octane entertaining match on day two of the tournament with the hosts prevailing 10-3 in a result that perhaps didn’t reflect the closeness of the contest.
Tahiti’s goalkeeper Jonathan Torohia, who was the world goalkeeper of the year in 2015, was named player of that match as he pulled off a string of big saves to deny the Solomon players.
Omokirio felt the match would put them in good stead as the Solomon Islands chase a 5th Oceania crown but first for more than a decade.
“We will certainly raise our intensity of play on Saturday and also our accuracy and the chances. Any chance we get we score. That was the difference.(In the round robin match) So we are very happy that we saw their game and we will play a better match on Saturday,” Omokirio said.
Vastly experienced Tahiti captain Raimana Li Fung Kuee says his side is in a good place having had a difficult match against Fiji (5-3) in their final round robin match.
” We gave the younger players a lot of game time and it was a good test. The final will be a different game to the round robin match against the Solomon Islands. They may change their tactics to try to block our game and I think it will be a great final. Li Fung Kuee said.
The winner of the final will represent Oceania at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Dubai in February.
The final kicks off at 4pm on Sunday afternoon (TAHT), with the Play-off for 3rd place taking place earlier in the afternoon at 2pm (TAHT).