Tonga restricted New Zealand's Young Ferns to a 4-0 victory at the Samoa Football Field in Apia on 2 August, as Alana Gunn's charges began their campaign to qualify for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Finals in Morocco. The Young Ferns were little troubled by their Tongan opponents in both teams' opening match of the OFC U-16 Women's Championship, although they did concede a handful of corners in response to the pace of strikers Sophiana Moala and India-May Mann. But by and large, it was an average performance from the victors, with plenty to work on in the coming days - the inaccuracy of passes and frequency of poor first touches were concerning, to put it mildly. Yes, it was their first game, but one hopes that the benchmark set in this display is far exceeded in subsequent fixtures. Better is expected. It took eight minutes for the Young Ferns to fire their first shot in anger, Lana Fili - one of three Australian-based Kiwis in this squad - firing narrowly across the face of goal following Isla Robson's break down the left. Seven minutes later, Cate Atkinson - another West Island resident - directed a twenty-yarder at Temaleti Taufaao after good work down the right by Ariana Vosper, an attack which sparked a steady spell of pressure from the Young Ferns. Robson steered one wide from the edge of the penalty area three minutes later, Charlotte Summers having engineered the opening, while captain Amelia Hitchcock twice went close in the next two minutes, firstly with a twenty-five yarder which sizzled narrowly past the post, then with a twenty-yarder which Taufaao grabbed greedily, the goalkeeper having gifted the midfielder possession via a poor goal kick. Taufaao's clearance on this occasion only delayed the inevitable, with the Young Ferns back on attack in a matter of seconds. Hitchcock played Summers in through the inside left channel, and the striker duly drew the 'keeper before slipping the ball beyond her. Alas for the Dunedin City Royals starlet, her effort lacked accuracy, and the outstanding Makelesi Malafu mopped up this time round. After Fili had seen a shot blocked upon being picked out by Robson, the latter broke the deadlock in the 25th minute with a fine shot on the turn on receipt of a near post cross from Summers. An injury to Losaline Tuutafatua broke up the flow of the game soon after, and it wasn't until late in the half that the Young Ferns rediscovered their rhythm. Robson had a second goal ruled out for offside, but wasn't to be denied, and doubled the tally of herself and her nation in the shadows of the half-time whistle. Vosper, who was replaced at half-time by the solidly performed Eden Chaytor, launched the ball downfield, prompting Taufaao to come hurtling out of her penalty area to send it back downfield with interest. That was the plan … the reality was Keystone Cops-esque! The goalkeeper missed the ball completely, and Robson didn't need a second invitation to latch onto it and steer home into an empty net from twenty-five yards - 2-0. Taufaao made partial amends by denying Summers

with virtually the last kick of the half, but was soon in the thick of the action following the resumption of play. Hitchcock played in Fili in the 51st minute, and she rounded the 'keeper only to see Ilaise Songomoli racing back to clear her goalbound shot off the line. Hitchcock stung the gloves of Taufaao soon after, to which Tonga responded through Mann, a swashbuckling run past two opponents which culminated in a shot which the hitherto untested Nienke Mei Lemmens saved in the 56th minute. After Fili had fired wide from twelve yards on the hour, the Young Ferns' Dutch-based goalkeeper produced a fine diving denial ten minutes later to thwart Mann once more, having directed a clearance straight to the striker, lurking some thirty yards from goal. Another New Zealand goal was called for to snuff out Tonga's hopes of mounting a comeback, and in the 67th minute, half-time substitute Mia Humphrey made it 3-0, firing past Taufaao on receipt of a cross from the eye-catchingly performed Bonnie Rice, who had entered the fray just three minutes prior. Within a minute, Hitchcock was twice prevented by Taufaao from making it four. Played through by Robson, the skipper's initial shot on the run was parried by the goalkeeper, who recovered quickly to tip Hitchcock's follow-up effort over the bar. Tonga continued to ask questions, Malafu's 75th minute free-kick forcing Lemmens to race out of goal to prevent Moala from capitalising upon it on the edge of the area. The goalkeeper prompted a swift counter-attack, Rice rampaging down the left before inviting Hitchcock to score, only for the skipper to scoop the ball over the bar from six yards. An unwelcome delay to proceedings soon followed, with the sideline match officials struggling to programme the digital boards used to announce substitutions - some four minutes elapsed before Miche Cloete could finally enter the fray at the expense of Lexi Hedington. In the final minutes, more good work by Rice culminated in an opening for the hat-trick-hunting Robson. Taufaao thwarted her twenty-yarder, then tipped another Robson effort to safety from similar range after the striker had swept past two opponents on receipt of a well-timed lay-off from Rice. Robson wasn't to be denied the match ball, however, and deep in stoppage time she squeezed the ball home twixt Taufaao and her near post after Humphrey had evaded two challengers along the dead-ball line. A 4-0 win marked a solid start to New Zealand's latest U-17 Women's World Cup qualifying campaign, but there's plenty of room for improvement from Alana Gunn's side, who face the Solomon Islands in their next group encounter on Tuesday. Tonga:          Taufaao; Ramsay (Fekau, 80), Tuutafatua (Tenifa, 37), Malafu; Vahe (Sau, 46 (Loti, 87)), Ta'ofa, Hale (Manning, 46), Mailangi, Songomoli; Moala (booked, 90), Mann Young Ferns:     Lemmens; Vosper (Chaytor, 46), Sharkey, Hedington (Cloete, 80), Besley; Toatelegese (Rice, 64), Hitchcock, Atkinson; Fili (Rennell, 64), Summers (Humphrey, 46), Robson Referee:     Kyllian Lelarge (New Caledonia)