2017 OFC U-17 Championship

The 2017 OFC U-17 Championship was the 17th edition of the OFC U-17 Championship, the biennial international youth football tournament organized by the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) for players aged 17 and below. The tournament was held in Tahiti between 11 and 24 February 2017.

2017 OFC U–17 Championship
Championnat d'Océanie de football des moins de 17 ans 2017
Tournament details
Host country Samoa (preliminary stage)
 Tahiti (final stage)
Dates4–8 July 2016 (preliminary stage)
11–24 February 2017 (final stage)
Teams8 (final stage)
11 (total) (from 1 confederation)
Venue(s)2 (in 2 host cities)
Final positions
Champions New Zealand (7th title)
Runners-up New Caledonia
Tournament statistics
Matches played15
Goals scored73 (4.87 per match)
Top scorer(s)New Zealand Charles Spragg (7 goals)
Best player(s)New Zealand Charles Spragg
Best goalkeeperNew Zealand Zac Jones
Fair play award New Zealand
2015
2018

In March 2015, FIFA decided that the OFC gets two slots at every FIFA U-20 and U-17 World Cup.[1] So the top two teams qualified for the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India.

Format

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The qualification structure is as follows:[1]

Teams

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All 11 FIFA-affiliated national teams from the OFC entered qualification. It is only the third time all 11 OFC member associations have entered an Oceania competition since 2006.

Seeding Teams No. of teams
First round entrants 4
Second round entrants 7

Squads

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Venues

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The final round of the tournament were played in two venues in Tahiti.[2]

Pirae Mahina
Stade Pater Stade Mahina
17°43′51″S 168°18′56″E / 17.7308985°S 168.315498°E / -17.7308985; 168.315498 (Port Vila Municipal Stadium)
Capacity:11,700 Capacity:2,500
 
 
Pirae
 
Mahina
2017 OFC U-17 Championship (Tahiti)

Match officials

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Referees
  •   Salesh Chand
  •   Médéric Lacour
  •   Matt Conger
  •   Nelson Sogo
  •   Hamilton Siau
  •   George Time
  •   Norbert Hauata
  •   Kader Zitouni
  •   Roger Adams
  •   Arnold Tari
Assistant Referees
  •   John Pareanga
  •   Noah Kusunan
  •   Tevita Makasini
  •   Folio Moeaki
  •   Sione Teu
  •   Marc Sinyeue
  •   Gareth Sheehan
  •   Wase Bafinu
  •   Malaetala Sofe
  •   Denson Sale[3]

First round

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The preliminary tournament was hosted by Samoa between 2 and 8 July 2016. Due to unforeseen circumstances, matchday one was postponed from 2 to 4 July, and matchday 2 was postponed from 5 to 6 July.[4] The winner qualified for the final tournament.

All times are local, WST (UTC+13).

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Samoa (H) 3 2 1 0 6 1 +5 7 Second round
2   Cook Islands 3 2 0 1 6 5 +1 6
3   Tonga 3 1 1 1 5 4 +1 4
4   American Samoa 3 0 0 3 1 8 −7 0
Source: OFC
(H) Hosts
Tonga  2–3  Cook Islands
Faivailo   45'
Tokotaha   90+1' (pen.)
Report Tomasi   19' (o.g.)
Tiputoa   20'
Ngametua   89'
Attendance: 200[5]
Referee: Averii Jacques (Tahiti)
Samoa  3–0  American Samoa
Sauiluma   4'
Tumua   68', 73'
Report

American Samoa  1–3  Cook Islands
Pouli   29' Report Tiputoa   21', 25'
Ngametua   90+3'
Tonga  1–1  Samoa
Kau   71' Report Mano   3'

American Samoa  0–2  Tonga
Report Kau   11'
Kite   32'
Cook Islands  0–2  Samoa
Report Savelio   90+1'
Sauiluma   90+4'
Attendance: 300[10]
Referee: Averii Jacques (Tahiti)

Second round

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The final tournament was scheduled for 11–24 February 2017 (originally 15–29 January 2017).[11] Tahiti were announced as the host in December 2015.[12]

The draw was held on 18 July 2016.[13] The eight teams were drawn into two groups of four teams. There was no seeding, except that hosts Tahiti were assigned to position A1 in the draw. The top two teams of each group advanced to the semi-finals.

All times are local, TAHT (UTC−10).

Group A

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   New Caledonia 3 2 1 0 7 5 +2 7 Knockout stage
2   Papua New Guinea 3 1 1 1 7 7 0 4
3   Tahiti (H) 3 1 1 1 3 3 0 4
4   Vanuatu 3 0 1 2 5 7 −2 1
Source: OFC
(H) Hosts
New Caledonia  3–2  Papua New Guinea
Gope-Fenepej   5', 31'
Iwa   90+3' (pen.)
Report Kapai   35'
Kerobin   64'
Tahiti  1–0  Vanuatu
Vivi   11' Report
Attendance: 1,600

Papua New Guinea  3–3  Vanuatu
Pukue   16'
Kerobin   45+4' (pen.), 81'
Report Ngwele   25', 55'
Maguekon   83'
Tahiti  1–1  New Caledonia
Beaumert   45+3' Report Caihe   90+1'
Attendance: 1,500
Referee: Salesh Chand (Fiji)

Group A matches of matchday 3 were moved from Stade Mahina, Mahina to Stade Pater, Pirae due to adverse weather conditions.[14]

Vanuatu  2–3  New Caledonia
Tari   84'
Napau   88' (pen.)
Report Thahnaena   37'
Gope-Fenepej   72'
Iwa   75' (pen.)
Attendance: 500
Papua New Guinea  2–1  Tahiti
J. Allen   71'
Simongi   87'
Report Kaspard   10'
Attendance: 1,500

Group B

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   New Zealand 3 3 0 0 18 1 +17 9 Knockout stage
2   Solomon Islands 3 1 1 1 14 3 +11 4
3   Fiji 3 1 1 1 4 6 −2 4
4   Samoa 3 0 0 3 0 26 −26 0
Source: OFC
Samoa  0–11  New Zealand
Report Spragg   5', 20', 40', 90+4'
Ebbinge   10'
Sinclair   21'
Palmer   67', 70', 90+3'
Whyte   86'
Mata   89'
Attendance: 527
Fiji  1–1  Solomon Islands
Dau   4' Report Mana   52'
Attendance: 550

New Zealand  2–1  Solomon Islands
Williams   3'
Spragg   84'
Report Kaoni   48'
Attendance: 500
Fiji  3–0  Samoa
Matalau   9'
Dau   17', 62'
Report
Attendance: 800
Referee: Arnold Tari (Vanuatu)

Solomon Islands  12–0  Samoa
Mekawir   9', 19', 30'
Toata   29'
Kaoni   45+4', 67', 80', 88'
Keana   53', 65'
Allen   57', 79'
Report
Attendance: 300
New Zealand  5–0  Fiji
M. Jones   12', 90+1'
Just   41'
Mata   76'
Spragg   90+4' (pen.)
Report

Knockout stage

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Bracket

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Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
21 February – Mahina
 
 
  New Caledonia3
 
24 February – Pirae
 
  Solomon Islands2
 
  New Caledonia0
 
21 February – Mahina
 
  New Zealand7
 
  New Zealand2
 
 
  Papua New Guinea1
 

Semi-finals

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Winners qualified for 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

New Caledonia  3–2  Solomon Islands
Bako   23'
Jeno   68'
Longue   80'
Report Toata   62'
Allen   90+4'

New Zealand  2–1  Papua New Guinea
Pukue   3' (o.g.)
Whyte   90+3'
Report Kerobin   34'
Attendance: 1,000

Final

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New Caledonia  0–7  New Zealand
Report
Attendance: 2,000

Goalscorers

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7 goals
5 goals
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
1 own goal

Awards

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The Golden Ball Award is awarded to the most outstanding player of the tournament. The Golden Glove Award is awarded to the best goalkeeper of the tournament. The Golden Boot Award is awarded to the top scorer of the tournament. The Fair Play Award is awarded to the team with the best disciplinary record at the tournament.[15]

Award Recipient
Golden Ball   Charles Spragg
Golden Glove   Zac Jones
Golden Boot   Charles Spragg (7 goals)
Fair Play Award   New Zealand

Qualified teams for FIFA U-17 World Cup

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The following two teams from OFC qualified for the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup.[16]

Team Qualified on Previous appearances in tournament1
  New Zealand 21 February 2017 7 (1997, 1999, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015)
  New Caledonia 21 February 2017 0 (Debut)
1 Bold indicates champion for that year. Italic indicates host for that year.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Competition calendar outlined". Oceania Football Confederation. 10 December 2013. Archived from the original on 2016-09-24. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  2. ^ "Historic event on the cards". Oceania Football Confederation. 25 January 2017.
  3. ^ "OFC U-17 Championship Programme 2017". OFC (via issuu.com). Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  4. ^ "Circumstances prompt schedule change". Oceania Football Confederation. 1 July 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-07-16. Retrieved 2016-07-01.
  5. ^ "2016 OFC U-17 Championship Preliminary Match Summary: Tonga – Cook Islands" (PDF). Oceania Football Confederation.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "2016 OFC U-17 Championship Preliminary Match Summary: Samoa – American Samoa" (PDF). Oceania Football Confederation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-09. Retrieved 2016-07-04.
  7. ^ "2016 OFC U-17 Championship Preliminary Match Summary: American Samoa – Cook Islands" (PDF). Oceania Football Confederation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-09.
  8. ^ "2016 OFC U-17 Championship Preliminary Match Summary: Tonga – Samoa" (PDF). Oceania Football Confederation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-09. Retrieved 2016-07-07.
  9. ^ "2016 OFC U-17 Championship Preliminary Match Summary: American Samoa – Tonga" (PDF). Oceania Football Confederation.[permanent dead link]
  10. ^ "2016 OFC U-17 Championship Preliminary Match Summary: Cook Islands – Samoa" (PDF). Oceania Football Confederation.[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ "OFC Executive Committee decisions". Oceania Football Confederation. 23 April 2014. Archived from the original on 13 September 2016.
  12. ^ "Competition calendar outlined". Oceania Football Confederation. 10 December 2015. Archived from the original on 2016-09-24. Retrieved 2016-06-15.
  13. ^ "Tough journey for U-17 hopefuls". Oceania Football Confederation. 19 July 2016.
  14. ^ "Pater to host Group A". Oceania Football Confederation. 18 February 2017.
  15. ^ "New Zealand defend U-17 crown". Oceania Football Confederation. 25 February 2017.
  16. ^ "New Caledonia, New Zealand bound for India". FIFA.com. 22 February 2017. Archived from the original on February 22, 2017.
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