Tongan gold medal dream alive Featured
Tongan captain Penateti Feke scores against the Solomons
8 December, 2017. Tonga is refusing to give up hope of winning the gold medal in women's football at the Pacific Mini Games.
The team rebounded from a first up defeat to Fiji to outclassing Solomon Islands 3-1 at Korman Stadium on Thursday.
Mele Akolo opened the scoring in the 29th minute and scored again seven minutes into the second half.
Captain and striker Penateti Feke sealed the result with an impressive strike shortly before full-time.
Coach Tiane Koaneti said his players were hungry for goals and attacked all game.
"It was a must-win this game, given we came here for the gold," Koaneti said.
"We have a tough one left to go against Vanuatu and we know it's going to be tough but we haven't deviated from our aim when we came from Tonga.
"We're here for the gold and we will keep going."
Vanuatu and Fiji played out a goal-less draw in the late match which leaving the Melanesian rivals locked at the top of the table with one round to go.
Both teams have four points from two matches with five goals for and none against.
Tonga are a point back in third place with a goal difference of minus three, while Solomon Islands are yet to pick up a point.
Monday's final round matches pits Vanuatu against Tonga and Fiji up against Solomon Islands, with the Tongans needing to beat the hosts by at least four goals and hope Fiji come unstuck.
"We put up a good fight against Fiji [in a 5-0 loss in the first round] but the past three months we have worked our hearts out and we're not leaving without something," Koaneti said.
-RNZI
