2003 OFC U-17 Championship

2003 OFC Under-17 Football Championship
Tournament details
Host countriesAmerican Samoa
Australia
Dates13 February – 1 March
Teams11 (from 1 confederation)
Venue(s)3 (in 3 host cities)
Final positions
Champions Australia (9th title)
Runners-up New Caledonia
Tournament statistics
Matches played27
Goals scored138 (5.11 per match)
Top scorer(s)Australia Richard Cardozo
(13 goals)
← 2001
2005 →

The 2003 OFC U-17 Championship was the 10th edition of the OFC's under-17 Championship. It was held in American Samoa, Australia and New Caledonia.

The winning side qualified for the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Finland.

Australia won their ninth (and third consecutive) title after beating New Caledonia 7–1 over two legs in the final.

Host selection

Solomon Islands were originally selected as the host nation for Group B, but agreed to move the Group to Australia due to safety concerns.

Australia and New Caledonia agreed to stage both legs of the final in New Caledonia.

Qualification

All member teams qualified automatically. Papua New Guinea withdrew before the tournament began.

The following teams participated in the tournament:

Venues

Matches were played in three cities: Veterans Memorial Stadium in Tafuna, Maroochydore Soccer Centre in Maroochydore and Stade Pentecost in Noumea.

Squads

Main article: 2003 OFC U-17 Championship squads

Nations named squads of up to 20 players for the tournament.

Group stage

Group A

Times are listed in Samoa Standard Time

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 New Caledonia 4 4 0 0 11 0 +11 12
 Fiji 4 3 0 1 18 3 +15 9
 Cook Islands 4 1 1 2 2 8 -6 4
 Samoa 4 1 0 3 3 10 -7 3
 American Samoa 4 0 1 3 1 14 -13 1
American Samoa 0–0 Cook Islands
Report
Attendance: 1,500
New Caledonia 2–0 Fiji
Vendegou 45' (pen.)
Wamowe 79'		 Report
Attendance: 1,500
Referee: Lencie Fred (Vanuatu)
American Samoa 0–3 New Caledonia
Report Boanemoa 32', 88'
Hnangeje 90'
Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Lencie Fred (Vanuatu)
Cook Islands 1–0 Samoa
Jim 42' Report
Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Andrew Moli (Solomon Islands)
Samoa 0–6 Fiji
Report Seru 46'
Vakatalesau 50', 86'
Prakashi 51'
Dunadamu 70'
Rao 73'
Attendance: 600
Referee: Nelson Sogo (Solomon Islands)
New Caledonia 4–0 Cook Islands
Hnangeje 14'
Wamowe 47', 50', 65'		 Report
Attendance: 600
Cook Islands 1–4 Fiji
Strickland 77' (pen.) Report Vakatalesau 2'
Dunadamu 25', 45', 50'
Referee: Andrew Moli (Solomon Islands)
American Samoa 1–3 Samoa
Ott 50' Report Manila 10'
Slater 37'
Faalavaau 62'
Referee: Nelson Sogo (Solomon Islands)
American Samoa 0–8 Fiji
Report Vakatalesau 7', 70', 74'
Wilson 10'
Rao 41'
Dunadamu 44'
Singh 75'
Nauer 76' (o.g.)
Attendance: 600
Referee: Lencie Fred (Vanuatu)
New Caledonia 2–0 Samoa
Hnangeje 54', 65' Report
Attendance: 600

Group B

Times are listed in Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST)

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Australia 5 5 0 0 33 2 +31 15
 Vanuatu 5 3 1 1 17 7 +10 10
 New Zealand 5 2 2 1 19 4 +15 8
 Solomon Islands 5 2 1 2 18 6 +12 7
 Tahiti 5 1 0 4 7 22 -15 3
 Tonga 5 0 0 5 1 54 -53 0
Australia 3–1 Solomon Islands
Cardozo 2'
Casey 15' (pen.)
Hilton 42' (pen.)		 Report Anisua 90'
Maroochydore Soccer Centre, Maroochydore
Attendance: 1,500
Referee: Neil Fox (New Zealand)
Tonga 0–11 Vanuatu
Report Maleb 2', 12', 26'
M. Peter 5'
Joe 17'
Harry 23', 44'
R. Peter 36'
Tabe 77'
Varaismaite 85'
Simeon 89'
Maroochydore Soccer Centre, Maroochydore
Attendance: 1,500
Referee: Intaz Shah (Fiji)
New Zealand 4–0 Tahiti
Scott 9'
White 15'
Bright 58'
Henderson 75'		 Report
Maroochydore Soccer Centre, Maroochydore
Attendance: 1,500
New Zealand 1–1 Vanuatu
Old 24' Report Maleb 49'
Maroochydore Soccer Centre, Maroochydore
Attendance: 350
Referee: Charles Ariiotima (Tahiti)
Australia 9–0 Tahiti
Paartalu 15', 17'
Casey 28', 35', 89'
Smits 49'
Cardozo 69', 81', 82'		 Report
Maroochydore Soccer Centre, Maroochydore
Attendance: 350
Referee: Gidas Bayung (Papua New Guinea)
Tonga 0–12 Solomon Islands
Report Totori 2', 70'
Anisua 9'
Fifi 28', 30', 89'
Joe 34'
Horoinima 43'
Haikai 57'
Anisi 58'
Ramoaea 68' (pen.)
Honitalo 90+1'
Maroochydore Soccer Centre, Maroochydore
Attendance: 350
Referee: Neil Fox (New Zealand)
Australia 4–0 Vanuatu
Hilton 41', 44', 79' (pen.)
Smits 65'		 Report
Maroochydore Soccer Centre, Maroochydore
Referee: Intaz Shah (Fiji)
Tahiti 1–5 Solomon Islands
Poroiae 59' Report Totori 16', 45'
Fifi 52'
Honitalo 62'
Joe 63'
Maroochydore Soccer Centre, Maroochydore
Attendance: 300
Tonga 0–13 New Zealand
Report Hayne 2', 31', 51'
Broderson 8', 39', 54'
Wheeler 28'
Scott 44'
Bright 56', 73', 85'
Henderson 82'
White 89'
Maroochydore Soccer Centre, Maroochydore
Attendance: 300
Referee: Charles Ariiotima (Tahiti)
Tahiti 4–1 Tonga
Poroiae 16', 68'
Horoi 56'
Teriitaumihau 89' (pen.)		 Report Pau 25' (pen.)
Maroochydore Soccer Centre, Maroochydore
Attendance: 1,000
Solomon Islands 0–2 Vanuatu
Report Kanegai 2'
Joe 76'
Maroochydore Soccer Centre, Maroochydore
Attendance: 1,000
Referee: Charles Ariiotima (Tahiti)
Australia 3–1 New Zealand
Smits 13'
Hilton 59'
Cardozo 90+2'		 Report Old 37'
Maroochydore Soccer Centre, Maroochydore
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Gidas Bayung (Papua New Guinea)
Solomon Islands 0–0 New Zealand
Report
Maroochydore Soccer Centre, Maroochydore
Attendance: 250
Referee: Intaz Shah (Fiji)
Australia 14–0 Tonga
Cardozo 1', 6', 28', 36', 41', 43'
Richardson 11', 37'
Sarkies 39'
Karavitis 52'
Totani 65'
Casey 72'
Hilton 75'
Martino 89'		 Report
Maroochydore Soccer Centre, Maroochydore
Attendance: 250
Referee: Neil Fox (New Zealand)
Vanuatu 3–2 Tahiti
Ligo 2'
Harry 34'
Kanegai 74'		 Report Tahi 15'
Sinjoux 67'
Maroochydore Soccer Centre, Maroochydore
Attendance: 250
Referee: Gidas Bayung (Papua New Guinea)

Knockout stage

Final

First leg

New Caledonia 1–3 Australia
Wamowe 67' Report Sarkies 24'
Cardozo 42', 47'
Stade Pentecost, Noumea
Attendance: 300

Second leg

New Caledonia 0–4 Australia
Report Leijer 52'
Paartalu 61'
Deegan 74'
Sarkies 82' (pen.)
Stade Pentecost, Noumea
Referee: Derek Rugg (New Zealand)


  • Australia qualified for the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Goalscorers

13 goals
6 goals
5 goals
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
  • American Samoa Ramin Ott
  • Australia Matthew Deegan
  • Australia Evangelos Karavitis
  • Australia Adrian Leijer
  • Australia Angelo Martino
  • Australia Oliver Totani
  • Cook Islands Frank Jim
  • Cook Islands Geoffrey Strickland
  • Fiji Sheikar Prakashi
  • Fiji Noa Seru
  • Fiji Aeron Singh
  • Fiji Joshua Wilson
  • New Caledonia Kenjy Vendegou
  • New Zealand Croyden Wheeler
  • Samoa Kennedy Faalavaau
  • Samoa Pio Manila
  • Samoa James Slater
  • Solomon Islands Augustine Anisi
  • Solomon Islands Leslie Haikai
  • Solomon Islands Jeffrey Horoinima
  • Solomon Islands David Ramoaea
  • French Polynesia Jeff Horoi
  • French Polynesia Tinomana Sinjoux
  • French Polynesia Jason Tahi
  • French Polynesia Matahi Teriitaumihau
  • Tonga Peni Pau
  • Vanuatu Charles Ligo
  • Vanuatu Manuel Peter
  • Vanuatu Raul Peter
  • Vanuatu John Mark Simeon
  • Vanuatu Georges Tabe
  • Vanuatu John Varaismaite
Own goals
  • American Samoa Albert Nauer (playing against Fiji)

References