THE Solomon Islands football team has continued their winning streak against Fiji since March 2023 with a 2-1 victory in this year’s International Friendly first leg at the Lawson Tama stadium.
Despite being 35 places ahead of the Fijian team, the Solomon Islands players, led by coach Felipe Vega-Arango, have shown consistency and are currently ranked 131 on the World Ranking, while Fiji is ranked 168.
Felipe Vega-Arango, who will not renew his contract when it expires in June, has played a significant role in transitioning young players into the team for the future.
During the opening leg of the two International Friendly matches, the Solomon Islands started with a young team against an experienced Fijian side led by veteran Roy Krishna.
Felipe said, “The decision was made because young players have very little experience in international football, and we don’t have many opportunities to test them. Today was the day to field and test them.”
Although Fiji showed dominance in the opening half and took an early lead through Mohammed Raheem, the Solomon Islands remained resilient and held on until halftime, trailing by only one goal.
In the second half, the Solomon Islands returned determined to get their momentum back.
Felipe made some changes in the central midfield and introduced Solomon Warriors trio Alvin Hou, Gagame Feni, and Tigi Molea, who eventually came out with an equalizer and a late winner in extra time.
“We have clear chances, as did the Fijian team. We had to make a couple of substitutions in the second half after analysing the first and adjusting a bit to our positioning. The two substitutes scored the winning goal, so I’m happy with their performance.”
Both nations will go head-to-head again this Thursday 21 March at 1 pm at the iconic Lawson Tama stadium.
