The Digicel Fiji Futsal team has failed to secure a spot in the final after losing to favorites Solomon Islands 4-1 in their 2023 Melanesian Futsal Cup fixture at the Vodafone Arena tonight..
Solomon Islands showed their precision and utter dominance throughout the one-sided affair.
Junior Mana drew first blood for the Solomon Islands just under three minutes after a lost ball from Fiji golden boy Ramzan Khan to capitalise.
The visitors played an aggressive campaign early, and milked rewards unsettling Khan to giveaway a foul for a dangerous tackle also getting shown the yellow card on the four- minute mark.
The Kurukuru had all the possession keeping Fiji on the defensive.
A chink finally gave way with Mana getting a double from point black with nine minutes left to half-time.
The Solomons stamped their dominance in the 14th minute after defending their goal to breakaway and score through a ranging Clifford Misitana to put them up 3-0.
Benjamin Mana scored their fourth soon after with to send them to half-time.
The aggressiveness of the game continued immediately at the restart with Fiji skipper Filipe Baravilala and Solomon forward Marlon Sia shown yellow cards on two different incidents for foul play.
Solomon had an opportunity to further the lead with from a direct free kick but Fiji stopper Kitione Baleloa was up to the task with less than six minutes to play.
Fiji would claim a consolation goal with a penalty kick from Khan in the dying minutes.
Solomon would hold to the final buzzer to claim the win.
Fiji will face New Caledonia in the third and fourth place playoff at 2pm tomorrow.
Fiji line-up: Ravinesh Anand Singh, Filipe Baravilala, Rajneel Singh, Ramzan Khan, Ratu Dau Substitutions: Kitione Baleloa, Vineet Nadan, Edwin Sahayam, Bruce Hughes, Prashant Chand, Ronish Singh, Aman Naidu, Kavinesh Lal, Aiyush Ashish Kumar
Solomon Islands line-up: Lodrick Afia, Junior Mana, Marlon Sia, Clifford Misitana, Elis Mana Substitutions: Anthony Talo, Calvin Do’oro, Elliot Ragomo, Benjamin Mana, Charlie Otainao, Arnold Maeluma, Junior Sammy Lalo, Coleman Makau, Owen Bunabo
