AS Tiga Sport Seal OFC Men's Champions League 2025 Semi-final Spot With Draw Against AS Pirae

The Tahitian side led at the half-time break, but Tiga came from behind, and profited from the dismissal of two Pirae players to claim the draw that keeps their tournament hopes alive.

It marks the first time the New Caledonian club will play in the semi-finals of the competition and is made even more remarkable by the fact that AS Tiga Sport hadn't played a competitive match since May 2024, prior to their arrival in the Solomon Islands.

Both sides knew it was a virtual quarter-final, Tiga Sport capable of progressing with just a draw, but AS Pirae needing a win to reach the last four.

Tiga Sport made the more aggressive start through the first half hour, but were reduced to half-chances, as Matatia Paama formed a rock in the heart of the Tahitian side’s defence.

Instead, AS Pirae began to build an attacking presence down the other end and took the lead against the run of play in the 34th minute.

Etienne Tave stuck his head on the end of a pinpoint delivery from Yohann Tihoni at the near post, nodding the ball into the bottom left corner of the net for Pirae’s first goal from open play of the group stage campaign.

That gave the Tahitians the advantage in the race for a semi-final spot, and the opening goal gave them a lift.

Twice Thomas Schmidt was forced into action soon after, first from Desire Ngiamba, and then from Kali’i Lenoir, to keep Pirae to just the one goal lead.

Tiga came closest to a first-half goal themselves, when the crossbar was left shaking down the other end by Gutacene Wadra, as the contest unfurled into an open affair just before the break.

In need of a response with the clock ticking down on their OFC Men’s Champions League campaign, the New Caledonian representatives picked up the pace in their search for an equaliser in the second half, mainly inspired by Gérard Waia.

First, he wriggled through the opposition defence near the hour mark, only to launch his effort over the crossbar with a speculative effort from long range.

Waia came a lot closer moments later, forcing Decoret to tip the ball onto the frame of the crossbar following a direct free kick off the right flank.

Eventually he would have his say though, stealing possession and bursting away on the counter-attack, before going down under a slide tackle from Paama in the penalty box to earn Tiga Sport a penalty.

Mikael Partokridomo stepped up to take, slotting the ball past the right arm of Decoret into the bottom left corner of the net, to level the scores in the 65th minute.

That signalled an AS Pirae capitulation, and they were reduced to ten men three minutes later when Taniava Barsinas cleaned out Joseph Tchacko, receiving a straight red card.

Etienne Tave, the goalscorer, followed Barsinas off the pitch fifteen minutes later for a second yellow card, further depleting Pirae to nine.

It proved the hammer blow in the Tahitian side's chances, and with a numerical disadvantage, they failed to create the chances required to win the game and progress.

Patrick Tepa went down in the penalty box late on, but referee Facundo Tello waved away any penalty appeals, and Tiga Sport were happy to lock up shop and secure the point that would secure their semi-final spot.

The New Caledonian side join Auckland City FC in progressing from Group A and await the winner of Group B in Wednesday's semi-final back at Lawson Tama Stadium.

AS Pirae 1 (Etienne TAVE 26’)
Tiga Sport 1 (Mikael PARTOKRIDOMO 65’)
HT 1-0

© Scoop Media