Tahiti produced a strong second-half comeback to overcome Vanuatu 4-2 in their opening Group B match of the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship 2026.
The Tahitians were forced to recover from a first-half setback but responded with four goals after the break to secure a fifth consecutive tournament victory over Vanuatu, dating back to 2005.
Vanuatu looked set to head into halftime with the advantage after taking the lead in the closing stages of the first half. Under pressure from Rohan Masauvakalo, Tahiti captain Manatea Ahupu attempted to clear the danger, but the ball took an unfortunate deflection and ended up in his own net.
The goal gave Vanuatu confidence, but their hopes of holding onto the lead faded quickly after halftime as Tahiti capitalised on defensive mistakes.
Vanuatu goalkeeper Ezekiel Tasso gifted Tahiti an equaliser when his goal kick went straight to striker Esdras Jamet inside the penalty area. Jamet made no mistake, calmly finishing to bring the match level.
Just four minutes later, Tahiti completed the turnaround. Santiago Covic took advantage of another mistake while Vanuatu attempted to play out from the back, producing a composed finish into the bottom corner to put his side ahead.
Tahiti continued to punish Vanuatu on the counterattack, with Jamet scoring his second goal of the match in the 61st minute after racing clear following a quick transition.
Vanuatu refused to give up and reduced the deficit in the 77th minute when Franso Shem headed home from Mathew Naviti’s accurate cross, giving the qualifying winners hope of a late comeback.
However, Tahiti sealed the victory late in the match when Covic scored his second goal of the day, once again capitalising on a Vanuatu error during build-up play.
The result gives Tahiti an important opening win in Group B, while Vanuatu will look to respond when they face the Solomon Islands in their next match.
Tahiti’s next challenge will be a meeting with defending champions New Zealand as they continue their campaign in the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship 2026.
