Photo Credit: OFC Media via Phototek\/<\/p>\n
9 September, 2024.<\/strong> Samoa have advanced to the second round of the FIFA World Cup 26\u2122 Oceania Qualifiers with an extra-time victory over Tonga in Apia.<\/p>\n A Jefferson Fa\u2019amatau header in stoppage time of the first half of extra-time settled a back-and-forth affair and sends Jess Ibrom\u2019s side into Group B when qualifying resumes next month.<\/p>\n It was the home side that dominated for most of the opening half, though were unable to sufficiently test Semisi Otukolo in the Tonga goal.<\/p>\n Nathan Viliamu had a good early chance, reacting first when Otukolo failed to claim a cross from out wide, though the forward was unable to keep his effort down and the ball sailed over the bar.<\/p>\n Captain Andrew Setefano had two good chances in quick succession to break the deadlock. First, denied by an outstanding close range save by Otukolo, who made himself big to deny the defender from a matter of yards out, before Setefano\u2019s header from a corner was cleared a combination of goalkeeper and crossbar.<\/p>\n Samoa\u2019s profligacy was punished in the dying minutes of the half, as Kilifi Uele\u2019s side grabbed a crucial opening goal.<\/p>\n Ulafala Sonasi was on hand to make the most of the Samoan\u2019s defence\u2019s failure to clear their lines, latching onto a brilliant ball from captain Hemaloto Polovili and finishing well past Paul Taupau.<\/p>\n Samoa reacted well in the early stages of the second period. Luke Salisbury fired over before Jarvis Vaai smacked an effort against the cross bar from the inside-left position as Jess Ibrom\u2019s side looked for a quick response.<\/p>\n Dauntae Mariner was the next to go close to an equaliser. With left-footed free-kick whistled past Otukolo\u2019s left-hand post with the \u2018keeper struggling to get across.<\/p>\n Tonga were content to sit deep and hit on the break and it almost paid dividends for them when Sonasi found himself on the edge of the Samoa area, only to shoot tamely at Taupau.<\/p>\n With only minutes left on the clock \u2013 and to delight of the increasingly nervous home support \u2013 Samoa finally found their leveller. A corner from the right was headed out as far as Luke Salisbury and the left-back\u2019s looping shot evaded Otuloko, crossing the line via the underside of the crossbar.<\/p>\n It would prove to be the final action of regulation time, and heading to extra-time with both sides showing significant signs of fatigue.<\/p>\n With the heat not letting up, both teams could be forgiven for a ponderous extra-time period. Samoa\u2019s Harry Chote going the close, heading inches wide from a free-kick when left unattended.<\/p>\n Deep into stoppage time of the first period of extra-time and Samoa found the goal they were desperate for. A free-kick on the left from Jarvis Vaai was drifted into the box and Jefferson Fa\u2019amatau\u2019s flicked header found a way past Otukolo.<\/p>\n Tonga: 1 (Ulafala SONASI 45+1) Photo Credit: OFC Media via Phototek\/ 9 September, 2024. Samoa have advanced to the second round of the FIFA World Cup 26\u2122 Oceania Qualifiers with an extra-time victory over Tonga in Apia. A Jefferson Fa\u2019amatau header in stoppage time of the first half of extra-time settled a back-and-forth affair and sends Jess Ibrom\u2019s side into […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":29250,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[6],"tags":[59,4224,4223],"class_list":["post-29248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","tag-featured","tag-fifa-world-cup-26-oceania-qualifiers","tag-samoa-overcome-tonga"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nSamoa: 2 (Luke SALISBURY 87\u2032, Jefferson FA\u2019AMATAU 105+3\u2032)
\nHT: 1-0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"