The Cook Islands National Women’s Team played their deciding match against Samoa, ending it with a 1-0 score to Samoa. Despite the lost, the Cooks will still progress to the Quarter Finals.
Finishing second runner up in their pool, Cook Islands will play the winner of Group C on Sunday 24thJuly to confirm their spot in the semifinals. Samoa had secured a 1-0 lead over the Kuki girls in the first half, but the team still held their ground and made sure no more balls reached the back of the net. Young Kimberly Uini led her backline along with defender Teretia Teinaki, making sure to keep out any through balls out of the goal.
Coming back on field second half, the Cook Islands were eager and took control of the ball in the first minutes of the 45-minute half. Samoa made many attempts to take another shot but were just short of another goal, as the Kuki girls made sure to protect the goal at all times, which ended their decider in a one nil loss but still qualifying to play in the quarter-finals.
Phillips tells OFC interviewers last night that he is very pleased with the ladies’ performance, “To hang in there like they did I am really proud of their effort” says Phillips.
The Kuki girls have on last hurrah this week against what looks to be a match against Fiji girls, “Unless the Soloman Islands win convincingly New Caledonia in their final group stage fixture” OFC media explains.
