Football at the 1979 South Pacific Games

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Football at the 1979 South Pacific Games
Tournament details
Host countryFiji
Dates29 August – 7 September
Teams12 (from 1 confederation)
Venue(s) (in Suva host cities)
Final positions
ChampionsFlag of France.svg  Tahiti (3rd title)
Runners-upFlag of Fiji.svg  Fiji
Third placeFlag of the Solomon Islands.svg  Solomon Islands
Tournament statistics
Matches played20
Goals scored148 (7.4 per match)
← 1975
1983 →

Football was contested as part of the programme for the 1979 South Pacific Games which was hosted in Suva, Fiji from 28 August to 8 September 1979. It was the sixth edition of the men's football tournament at the multi-sport event organised by the Pacific Games Council.

Contents

The football tournament began with the first matches of the group stage on 29 August 1979 and ended with the gold medal match on 7 September 1979. Hosts Fiji and defending champions Tahiti contested the final. Tahiti defeated Fiji 3–0 to win the gold medal. In the bronze medal match, the Solomon Islands defeated New Caledonia 3–1.

Background

Football had been part of the South Pacific Games programme following the debut of the men's competition at the inaugural 1963 South Pacific Games in Fiji. [1]

New Caledonia held the record for gold medals having won the football tournament three times. Tahiti were the defending champions after defeating New Caledonia 2–1 after extra time in the gold medal match at the 1975 South Pacific Games in Guam. [1]

Neither Kiribati nor Tuvalu had fielded a football team before. [2] [3]

Format

A total of 12 teams took part in the competition. They were drawn into four single round robin groups of three teams. The group winners and runners-up would contest the quarter-finals The winners of the quarter-finals would contest the semi-finals which would decide the teams contesting the gold and bronze medal matches. A consolation tournament was held for the teams finishing third in the group stage and the losing quarter-finalists. [4]

Participants

Group stage

Group 1

Fiji won the group to progress to the quarter-finals alongside Papua New Guinea. [4]

TeamPtsPldWDLGFGAGD
Flag of Fiji.svg  Fiji 32110240+27
Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg  Papua New Guinea 32110150+15
Flag of Kiribati.svg  Kiribati 02002037–37
Papua New Guinea  Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg0–0Flag of Fiji.svg  Fiji
[4]
Fiji
Fiji  Flag of Fiji.svg24–0Flag of Kiribati.svg  Kiribati
Chand Soccerball shade.svg(8)
Janeman Soccerball shade.svg(7)
Salim Soccerball shade.svg(3)
Tubuna Soccerball shade.svg(2)
Waqa Soccerball shade.svg(2)
Vuilabasa Soccerball shade.svg
Khan Soccerball shade.svg		 [4]
Fiji
Papua New Guinea  Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg13–0Flag of Kiribati.svg  Kiribati
[4]
Fiji

Group 2

Tahiti won the group to progress to the quarter-finals alongside Tuvalu. [4]

TeamPtsPldWDLGFGAGD
Flag of France.svg  Tahiti 42200260+26
Flag of Tuvalu.svg  Tuvalu 22101521–16
Flag of Tonga.svg  Tonga 02002313–10
Tahiti  Flag of France.svg18–0Flag of Tuvalu.svg  Tuvalu
[4]
Fiji
Tuvalu  Flag of Tuvalu.svg5–3Flag of Tonga.svg  Tonga
Tealofi Soccerball shade.svg(5) [4]
Fiji

Group 3

The Solomon Islands won the group to progress to the quarter-finals alongside Wallis and Futuna. [4]

TeamPtsPldWDLGFGAGD
Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg  Solomon Islands 42200180+18
Flag of France.svg  Wallis and Futuna 2210137–4
Flag of Samoa.svg  Western Samoa 02002115–14
Solomon Islands  Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg12–0Flag of Samoa.svg  Western Samoa
Fiji
Wallis and Futuna  Flag of France.svg3–1Flag of Samoa.svg  Western Samoa
[4]
Fiji

Group 4

New Caledonia won the group to progress to the quarter-finals alongside the New Hebrides. [4]

TeamPtsPldWDLGFGAGD
Flag of France (1794-1815, 1830-1958).svg  New Caledonia 42200141+13
Flag of New Hebrides.svg  New Hebrides 2210143+1
Flag of Guam.svg  Guam 02002115–14
New Caledonia  Flag of France (1794-1815, 1830-1958).svg11–1Flag of Guam.svg  Guam
[4]
Fiji
New Hebrides  Flag of New Hebrides.svg4–0Flag of Guam.svg  Guam
Toto Nafu Soccerball shade.svg(2)
unknown Soccerball shade.svg(o.g.)
Michael Naugar Soccerball shade.svg		 [4]
Fiji

Quarter-finals

Fiji defeated Wallis and Futuna, Tahiti defeated the New Hebrides, the Solomon Islands defeated Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia defeated Tuvalu in the quarter-finals. [4]

Fiji  Flag of Fiji.svg5–0Flag of France.svg  Wallis and Futuna
Farouk Janeman Soccerball shade.svg(2)
Josaia Tubuna Soccerball shade.svg
Mohammed Salim Soccerball shade.svg
Feroz Khan Soccerball shade.svg		 [4]
Fiji
Tahiti  Flag of France.svg1–0Flag of New Hebrides.svg  New Hebrides
Errol Bennett Soccerball shade.svg [4]
Fiji
Solomon Islands  Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg3–2Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg  Papua New Guinea
Henry Suri Soccerball shade.svg50', 73'
Alick Bebeu Soccerball shade.svg55'		 [4] Hatsire Manhi Soccerball shade.svg25'
Daino Sami Soccerball shade.svg44'
Fiji
New Caledonia  Flag of France (1794-1815, 1830-1958).svg11–0Flag of Tuvalu.svg  Tuvalu
Jean Xowie Soccerball shade.svg(5)
Dera Suihuliwa Soccerball shade.svg(4)
Hilaire Kenon Soccerball shade.svg
Fouidja Soccerball shade.svg		 [4]
Fiji

Semi-finals

Fiji defeated the Solomon Islands and Tahiti defeated New Caledonia in the semi-finals. [4]

Fiji  Flag of Fiji.svg2–0Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg  Solomon Islands
Dewan Chand Soccerball shade.svg95', 115' [4]
Fiji
Tahiti  Flag of France.svg3–2Flag of France (1794-1815, 1830-1958).svg  New Caledonia
Errol Bennett Soccerball shade.svg(2)
Gilles Malinowski Soccerball shade.svg		 [4]
Fiji

Bronze medal match

The Solomon Islands defeated New Caledonia to win the bronze medal. [4]

New Caledonia  Flag of France (1794-1815, 1830-1958).svg1–3Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg  Solomon Islands
Bernard Ukeiwe Soccerball shade.svg [4] Wilson Maelaua Soccerball shade.svg(2)
Davidson Ngawaeramo Soccerball shade.svg
Fiji

Gold medal match

Tahiti defeated Fiji to win the gold medal. [4]

Fiji  Flag of Fiji.svg0–3Flag of France.svg  Tahiti
[4] Gérard Kautai Soccerball shade.svg53'
Errol Bennett Soccerball shade.svg66', 72'
Buckhurst Park, Fiji
Attendance: 22,000

Consolation tournament

Quarter-finals

Guam defeated Western Samoa, the New Hebrides defeated Papua New Guinea, Tonga defeated Wallis and Futuna and Tuvalu defeated Kiribati in the quarter-finals. [4]

Guam Flag of Guam.svg 4–2Flag of Samoa.svg  Western Samoa
[4]
Fiji
New Hedrides Flag of New Hebrides.svg 2–0Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg  Papua New Guinea
[4]
Fiji
Tonga Flag of Tonga.svg 1–0Flag of France.svg  Wallis and Futuna
[4]
Fiji
Tuvalu Flag of Tuvalu.svg 3–3Flag of Kiribati.svg  Kiribati
[4]
Penalties
4–2
Fiji

Semi-finals

Guam defeated Tuvalu and the New Hebrides defeated Tonga in the semi-finals. [4]

Flag of Guam.svg  Guam 7–2Flag of Tuvalu.svg  Tuvalu
[4]
Fiji
Flag of New Hebrides.svg  New Hebrides 7–1Flag of Tonga.svg  Tonga
[4]
Fiji

Fifth-place match

Despite being scheduled, it is believed that the fifth-place match never took place. [4]

Flag of New Hebrides.svg  New Hebrides vFlag of Guam.svg  Guam
Fiji

Goalscorers

There were 148 goals scored in 20 matches, for an average of 7.4 goals per match.

10 goals

9 goals

6 goals

5 goals

4 goals

References

  1. 1 2 Di Maggio, Roberto; Garin, Erik; Morrison, Neil; Schöggl, Hans (7 December 2023). "(South) Pacific Games and Mini Games". RSSSF. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  2. ↑ Courtney, Barrie (12 November 2020). "Kiribati - List of International Matches". RSSSF. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  3. ↑ Courtney, Barrie (12 November 2020). "Tuvalu - List of International Matches". RSSSF. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 Abbink, Dinant; Cruickshank, Mark; Morrison, Neil (1 April 2015). "South Pacific Games 1979 (Fiji)". RSSSF. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
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