New Caledonia, New Zealand, the Solomon Is, and Tahiti have advanced to the OFC final round as the top teams in the group phase of the OFC Nations Cup. They will also compete in the elimination phase to decide the OFC’s champion.

The surprising Tahitians were the only squad to finish with a perfect nine points, including a wild 4-3 win over New Caledonia. With fifteen minutes left to play, Tahiti were 3-0 up, and two New Caledonian players had been sent off. But the shorthanded side crawled back in with goals from Marius BAKO and Jacques HAEKO, only to see Tahiti shut the door with Roihau DEGAGE’s goal in the 87th.

Another unexpected result came today as the Solomons, tournament hosts, played to a 1-1 draw with New Zealand. The Solomons had lost all five previous encounters against the All Whites, but a second half equaliser by Benjamin TOTORI delighted the home crowd. Nonetheless, both sides were already safely through from Group B.

Tahiti face the Solomon Is, and New Zealand square off against New Caledonia in the tournament semifinals, with the final set for SUN 10 JUN 2012. Starting in SEP 2012, the same teams will compete in the final round of Brazil 2014 qualifiers, with the winner heading to the CONCACAF/​OFC playoff.