Making their first appearance at the FIFA U-17 World Cup, Fiji marked a proud moment in their footballing history, despite going down 6-0 to Tunisia in their campaign opener at the Aspire Zone in Doha.
Fiji showed early composure and defensive structure against a confident Tunisian side. The young Fijians absorbed pressure well in the opening stages, with goalkeeper Melvin Prakash standing strong at the back as the Fiji backline held firm during Tunisia's waves of pressure.
However, the breakthrough came in the 30th minute when Tunisia capitalised on a swift counterattack down the left for Wassim Slama to open the scoring. The North Africans doubled their advantage just six minutes later through another move from the flanks, taking control of the match before halftime.
Fiji regrouped well after the break showing determination as they tried to regain momentum, but Tunisia's intensity and attacking precision continued to rise. Fiji came closest to scoring when Tukai Ravonakula fired a volley on target, only to be denied by the Tunisian goalkeeper.
Four more goals followed in the second half as the North Africans extended their lead and sealed a dominant victory. Despite the scoreline, Fiji showed moments of promise and resilience, with their defensive line working tirelessly against sustained pressure.
Fiji will now aim to bounce back and refine their performance as they prepare to face Belgium in their second group match on Friday (NZT).