New Zealand secure passage to London

New Zealand have won through to their second successive Men’s Olympic Football Tournament by edging a 1-0 win against Fiji in the Oceania final in Taupo. A lone Greg Draper penalty on 18 minutes was enough for the Kiwis on home turf to get the better of the Fijians in a tight contest. Fiji were not without their chances and skipper Esava Naqaleca smashed a powerful header off the crossbar a minute into the second half, with Zibraaz Sahib repeated the feat three minutes later. New Zealand, missing several key players, endured a similarly tough semi-final before defeating Vanuatu 3-2, while Fiji enjoyed easier passage to the decider with a 3-0 win against Papua New Guinea. Only three spots remain for London 2012 with the CONCACAF qualifiers to be completed early next month and the final ticket to be contested in a play-off between Senegal and an Asian representative in late April at the City of Coventry stadium.