The Football Ferns kicked off their OFC Olympic Women's Qualifying Tournament campaign on a winning note at the FFS Football Stadium in Apia on 7 February, but their 3-0 win over Tonga in 35C degree heat was far from convincing. Indeed, Tonga kept their more illustrious opponents scoreless for all but the first sixteen minutes of this encounter, their resolute defensive effort deserving of such reward after they found themselves trailing just two minutes into the match. Macey Fraser's fancy footwork outfoxed an opponent, while her measured shot beat Tongan goalkeeper Madison Tenifa all ends up. The crossbar came to Tonga's rescue, however, only for Grace Jale, following in, to ram home the rebound. Inside the next five minutes, Jitka Klimkova's charges strayed offside almost as many times, while it soon became obvious that Tonga's game plan revolved around an eleven-woman defensive strategy, set up within thirty yards of the goal they were defending. Such a set-up requires a disciplined approach from back to front, but it was undone by Lavinia Afu in the twelfth minute when she felled Mackenzie Barry in the penalty area. Ally Green rifled home from twelve yards - 2-0. Three minutes later, it was 3-0, courtesy a super move. Brianna Edwards set the ball rolling, and a swift interchange among Claudia Bunge, Fraser, Liz Anton and Green duly followed. The last-mentioned laid the ball back to Fraser, who pinged a ball over the top for Jale to race onto and curl round Tenifa. More chances followed. Fraser, Anton and Jale combined for the benefit of Ruby Nathan, but Tenifa raced out to save at her feet, only just keeping the ball inside the penalty area in the eighteenth minute. Sixty seconds later, Tenifa directed a clearance to Ava Collins, who invited Jale to complete her hat-trick. Ana Lauteau blocked her goalbound effort on the line, while Collins herself was denied a goal five minutes later, Tenifa's double-save the source of her frustration. On the half-hour, Bunge and Anton combined to create another opening for Collins, but Tenifa again thwarted the striker, blocking at her feet as she raced in to meet the cross. Seconds later, Green and Anton combined with Fraser on the left flank, the last-mentioned delivering a measured cross to the far post which had Collins' name written all over it, only for Tenifa to get a hand to the ball and divert it to safety.

Still the Football Ferns pressed for more goals, Jale picking out Nathan with a cross which the striker headed goalwards after beating Tenifa in the air. The goalkeeper was relieved to find Melaia Polovili had her back - her goal-line clearance denied the reigning Oceania champions the fourth goal they craved in the 33rd minute. Six minutes later, Anton and Jale invited Fraser to let rip from twenty-five yards, only for Tenifa to turn her shot to safety. Tonga's goalkeeper then pulled off another double save, this time denying both Nathan and Green after Barry and Collins had combined to good effect down the right. On the stroke of half-time, Rebekah Stott and Fraser combined to engineer an opening for Nathan, but she shot straight at Tenifa from twenty yards, which, as it turned out, was the last time she would be called upon to frustrate the Football Ferns until second half stoppage time! That's because her ten Tongan team-mates did a brilliant job containing their much-vaunted opponents throughout the second spell. There was plenty of perspiration but little inspiration from the team in black, who, while not at full strength, should be capable of scoring far more than three goals against any of their Oceania rivals. It wasn't until the 83rd minute that New Zealand went close to adding to their three-goal haul, substitute Kate Taylor unleashing a fifteen-yarder inches over the bar after good work on the right by fellow replacement Betsy Hassett. She combined with Anton on the right soon after, Hassett's cross to the far post being headed past the upright by Nathan, who went close again in the dying minutes, as did Hassett. Neither troubled Tenifa, however, but a long-range effort from Fraser in second half stoppage time surprised the goalkeeper, who spilled the sphere and was relieved to see Indiah-Paige Riley's bid to belt the ball home fly narrowly over the bar. Thus it was Tonga's day in the sun, as they recorded their best-ever result against the Football Ferns, who will need to significantly improve on this showing throughout the remainder of the tournament. By their standards, this display was nowhere near acceptable. Tonga:          Tenifa; Lauteau (booked, 45), Tufui (Helu, 29 (Swift, 59)), M. Polovili, Afu; Feke (Faletau, 88), A. Polovili (Taufa'ao, 88), Makaafi, Filitonga, Hausia-Haugen; Vunipola Football Ferns:     Edwards; Barry (Foster, 46), Stott (Bowen, 63), Bunge, Anton; Collins (Hassett, 75), Cleverley (Taylor, 63), Fraser, Green (booked, 61 (Riley, 85)); Nathan, Jale Referee:     Ben Aukwai (Solomon Islands)