New Zealand will compete in the women’s football tournament at the Paris Olympic Games after beating the Solomon Islands 11-1 in the final of the Oceania qualifying tournament yesterday in Apia, Samoa.
Hannah Wilkinson, who scored the first goal of the Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and Australia last year, was one of four players to score twice for New Zealand. The others were Grace Jale, Indiah-Paige Riley and Katie Kitching.
New Zealand led 5-0 at halftime.
The final saw New Zealand continue its dominance of a tournament in which it scored 32 goals and conceded two in five matches.
New Zealand is the sixth team to qualify for the Olympic women’s tournament after host France, Canada, United States, Brazil and Colombia. Australia and Japan are expected to qualify for the 12-team tournament later this month.
New Zealand has played in the Olympic tournament on four previous occasions but has won only two matches, against Cameroon in 2012 and Colombia in 2016. MDT/AP
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