New Caledonia’s 36-year-old striker Georges Gope-Fenepej scored twice in his team’s 3-0 win over Tahiti in an Oceania qualifying semi-final yesterday, which left it one step away from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The 14-year international veteran collected the rebound from captain Cesar Zeoula’s saved shot in the 50th minute and delicately chipped the ball into the Tahiti goal from close range.
In the 75th minute, he launched a spectacular left-foot shot from 30m, catching the goalkeeper off his line.
Photo: AFP
Substitute Lues Waya added to the scoring in stoppage time as New Caledonia advanced to the Oceania qualifying final. They are to face the winner of the other semi-final between New Zealand and Fiji, which finished after press time last night.
“We’re all obviously football fans so to see someone like Georges play and the display he put on today is absolutely magnificent and wonderful,” New Caledonia coach Johann Sidaner said.
The winner of the Oceania qualifying series would gain direct entry to the World Cup for the first time. That means the victor in Monday’s final in Auckland, New Zealand, would join hosts Canada, the US and Mexico, and Japan, the first nation to qualify for the 48-team tournament.
The runner-up of the Oceania final would still have a chance to qualify through an intercontinental playoff.
The decision to award direct entry to Oceania offers an historic opportunity to some of soccer’s smallest nations. New Zealand, with a population of 5 million, ranked 89, is the largest and highest-ranked of the Oceania nations and has qualified twice before, in Spain in 1982 and South Africa in 2010.
Yesterday’s semi-final in Wellington brought together two French-speaking nations from the South Pacific: New Caledonia, ranked No. 152 and with a population of 290,000, and Tahiti, with a population of 281,000 ranked No. 153.
New Caledonia had to overcome political unrest in its homeland to qualify for yesterday’s match. Violent protests against voting reforms broke out last year, leaving 13 dead before the French army was deployed to restore order.
New Caledonia dominated a scoreless first half, except for a short period in the opening minutes when Tahiti’s Eddy Kaspard troubled the defense on the right side. Matatia Paama was a massive figure for Tahiti in a defense under constant pressure.
After Gope-Fenepej’s first goal, Tahiti had a chance through Teaonui Tehau, whose header was saved by goalkeeper Rocky Nyikeine. After the second, Eddy Kaspard seemed to have pulled one back for Tahiti, but was ruled offside.
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