Labasa Women managed a dramatic 1-1 draw against Auckland City at the opener of the OFC Women’s Champions League.
The match saw an intense defensive display from Labasa in the first half, with goalkeeper Selai Tikoisuva making two spectacular saves to deny Auckland City.
The deadlock was broken in the second half when Bree Johnson found the net for Auckland United.
With Labasa starting to press, a crucial moment came in the 72nd minute when Narieta Leba’s powerful shot hit the crossbar, narrowly missing an equaliser.
Just minutes later, Leba set another beautiful long pass to Anasimeci Volitikoro, but was fouled by Auckland City’s goalkeeper, Amberley Hollis, which earned Labasa a penalty.
Drama heightened when Labasa was awarded the penalty.
Vanisha Kumar stepped in to take the shot and confidently scored from the spot.
However, confusion arose as Unaisi Tuberi prematurely entered the penalty area, prompting the referee to initially disallow the goal.
After a brief discussion with the officials, led by Kumar and Tuberi, the referee reconsidered and allowed Kumar to retake the penalty.
Despite the hesitation, Kumar was ready to retake the penalty when in an unexpected turn, the referee awarded the initial penalty goal to Labasa, bringing the score to a 1-1 draw.
Despite moving into extra time, neither team could clinch a winning goal, ending the game in a draw.
