Vanuatu captain Teaonui Tehau led the side well from midfield. Photo: Oceania Football Confederation
Tahiti have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 26 Oceania Qualifiers semi-finals from Group B alongside New Zealand, after they defeated Vanuatu 2-0 in Auckland on Monday afternoon.
The Iron Warriors needed just a draw to secure second spot.
But they managed to get the full points, beating a Vanuatu side that enjoyed majority of possession and territorial advantage, during the two 45 minutes spells at Mount Smart Stadium.
Defensive resilience paid dividends for Tahiti, who were forced to defend for long periods in the second half.
Goalkeeper Teave Teamotuaitau made a string of impressive saves to deny the Vanuatu attack and later won the Man of the Match award.
Playing with the wind in the first half, Tahiti dominated the early exchanges.
Manuarii Shan forced Dick Sablan in the Vanuatu goal into making an early save, but during the resulting corner Jonathan Spokeyjack turned the ball into his own net.
The early setback made a difficult task that much harder for Vanuatu who went into the game needing to win to deny Tahiti a place in the semis due to their inferior goal difference.
Benoit Mathon then found the back of the net from the penalty spot, early in the second half to seal the deal.
The spot kick was awarded after Vanuatu goalkeeper Dick Sablan took out Eddy Kaspard inside the box in the 65th minute as he was attempting to tap the ball in from five metres out.
Vanuatu captain Brian Kaltak led his team from the back line. Photo: Oceania Football Confederation
Captain Teaonui Tehau led the side well from midfield, as they piled the pressure on Vanuatu early in the first half.
Tehau said Vanuatu was a tough team to beat but he was overjoyed they managed to win.
"It was a tough game for us as Vanuatu kept coming back and they played well," he said through a translator.
"But congratulations to the players we kept on playing our game and we secured the win that we need to go to the semi-finals."
Coach Samuel Garcia said they now look forward to meeting New Caledonia in the semi-finals in March.
"They are a strong team and we know how they play, they know us too," he said.
"We are going to prepare for that game and look forward to playing them."
Vanuatu captain Brian Kaltak said it was tough to take and disappointing.
But at the same time he was proud of his players and how they fought all the way until the final whistle, he said.
"It's a a lot of facts and a lot of lessons to be learned,"
But I think the boys did the best that they can do. I am proud of the boys and the courage they have to compete in this competition."
He said they were in the game but they just could not finish their set ups.
"We did our best and stuck to our game plan and the little mistakes cost us the game.
"We can only learn from this," he said.
He also congratulated Tahiti on their win, and said he believes they can win against New Caledonia.
"I am very proud of them."
"They can make their way to winning the semi-final and go all the way to the final," he said.
Vanuatu coach Juliano Schmeling conceded they did not get the result they wanted and that the team had not managed to turn opportunities into goals.
"It was a tough game and definitely the result was not the result we wanted as we expected a victory," he said.
"In the second half we played much better and created more chances, players playing and creating the game but we could not put the ball in the net.
"We got punished in the end with a penalty but am happy for the boys and they fought until the last minute."
He also congratulated Tahiti and wished them well.
"Very good team, solid team and they competed very well with us," he said.
"They did what they needed to do and I congratulate them."
Vanuatu captain Brian Kaltak congratulated Tahiti on their win, and said he believes they can win against New Caledonia. Photo: Oceania Football Confederation
New Caledonia and Fiji qualify from Group A.
Meanwhile, in Group A action, the semi-finalists are New Caledonia and Fiji.
The two teams fought to a 1-1 draw in Port Moresby on Sunday afternoon to qualify as the two top teams.
That means New Caledonia, as the top team from group A, will line up against Tahiti, the runner-up from Group B, and Fiji, as the runner-up from Group A, meets New Zealand, the best team in Group B.