New Zealand’s women’s football team, the Football Ferns, defeated Samoa 8–0 in their opening Oceania World Cup qualifier in Honiara.
The match was played in very hot conditions, with temperatures in the high 30s, and included regular cooling breaks. The strong win gives New Zealand a confident start to their journey towards next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Kelli Brown was the star of the first half. She scored just 30 seconds after kick-off, added another goal 13 minutes later, and completed her hat-trick in the 37th minute. It was especially exciting because Brown had never scored for New Zealand before.
The Football Ferns kept attacking in the second half. Captain Katie Kitching scored the fourth goal in the 65th minute after several earlier shots had been stopped by Samoa’s goalkeeper. Soon after, she was replaced by teenager Pia Vlok, who made her debut for the national team.
New Zealand’s fifth goal came from a cross by Charlotte Lancaster that bounced off a Samoa player into the net. Manaia Elliott then scored her first goal for the national side, and quickly added another with a powerful long-range strike just before the 90-minute mark. Deven Jackson sealed the victory with a goal in added time.
Coach Michael Mayne made many substitutions to keep the team fresh in the heat. He said the standard of women’s football in the Pacific is improving and expects tough matches ahead. New Zealand’s next Group A game will be against the Solomon Islands on Monday night.
