PNG through to semi-finals after beating Tonga

Sports

PAPUA New Guinea are through to the semifinals against Samoa on Wednesday after defeating Tonga 3-2 in a penalty shootout in the Oceania Football Confederation Women’s Nations Cup quarterfinals at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva, Fiji, on Saturday.
The Nicola Demaine-coached side fought back from two goals down at halftime to lead 3-2 in the extra time after a 2-2 draw at the end of regulation time.
Tonga’s Jazmine Loto’aniu’s extra-time equaliser forced the tie into a penalty shootout where PNG goalkeeper Fidelma Watpore’s heroics earned a spot in the semifinals.
Demaine’s second-half changes paid off through Ramona Padio’s 63th-minute strike and fellow substitute Meagan Gunemba’s goal seven minutes later.
Padio put PNG ahead minutes into extra time, but their celebration was short-lived following Tonga’s equaliser.
“Trailing 0-2 wasn’t ideal,” Demaine said.
“But I knew we had it in us to come back, so I wasn’t too worried at halftime.
“I would have been happier if we had won in extra time.
“But you can’t fault Tonga.
“They put lots of balls forward, they knew what their strengths were and they played to them.
“But we have practised a lot of penalties, with the walk and everything and I think that paid off.
“You have got to take your hat off to Fidelma.”
Demaine hailed her side’s resilience.
“To play 120 minutes when you’ve got another game in three days and Samoa already played 90 (minutes), it’s not really ideal,” she said.
“But having come through a test of character, I guess we’ll have enough in us to come through and play the next game,” she said after the game on Saturday.