NZ teens trounced by Solomon Islands

The New Zealand under-17 men’s football team has suffered the country’s equal-worst loss to a Pacific Island nation.

The team was beaten 5-0 by the Solomon Islands in Honiara on Wednesday, during group play at the Oceania Under-16 Championship.

New Zealand’s only previous on-field loss at age-group level since Australia left the region in

2006 was in the Oceania Under-20 Championship in 2008, when a team playing most of the game with 10 men lost 2-1 to Tahiti.

The under-23 men’s team had a win over Vanuatu turned into a loss during Olympic qualifying in

2015 after fielding an ineligible player.

At senior level, the All Whites have had two losses in the past 12 years, to Fiji with an understrength team in a dead rubber in

2008, and to New Caledonia in the semifinals of the Oceania Nations Cup in 2012.

New Zealand’s women’s teams have never lost to Pacific Island opposition.

A New Zealand under-16 men’s team lost 5-0 to the Solomon Islands during a friendly tournament in Sydney in 2002.

The loss left New Zealand under-17 coach Jose Figueira stunned. ‘‘It will be a game that we won’t forget,’’ he said. ‘‘This is a tremendous learning experience for our boys against a really powerful, attacking team that is pretty relentless.’’

Solomon Islands coach Stanley Waita said: ‘‘It is a massive win for us. My message to my boys was we had nothing to lose, so we play positive and attack at all times, I am proud of them as they did what I told them to.’’

Despite the defeat, the New Zealand under-17 team will advance to the semifinals with a draw or a win in their final group game, against Papua New Guinea tomorrow.