The Polynesian Cup has never lived up to its name so well with first-round matches played in the Marquesas Islands and the Leeward Islands. Ligue 1 leader Dragon was notably on the move on Saturday to Nuku-Hiva to face AS Jeunesse Marquisienne. Last season on their home ground in Patoa, the Terre des hommes players created a small sensation by dominating Central with a score of 3-1. The Marquesans then lost in the quarter-finals to Pueu. Suffice to say that this move could be complicated to negotiate for the formation of Titioro.
Except that the men of Efrain Araneda started their match perfectly. Thanks to two goals from Gervais Chan Kat after the first quarter of an hour (2-0, 8th and 17th), Dragon took the game by the right end. Then at half an hour, the top scorer in Ligue 1, Roonui Tinirauarii, relieved his team a little more (3-0, 30th). AS Jeunesse Marquisienne will nevertheless reduce the mark before the break thanks to Nelson Fournier (3-1, 40th). In the second period, Dragon would definitely secure his victory with two new goals scored by Tinirauarii (4-1, 46th) and Manuarii Hauata (5-1.63rd). On arrival, a victory for the undefeated leader of Ligue 1 who therefore avoids the Marquesan trap.
Pirae in demonstration in Huahine, Tefana jostled by Samine
If Dragon was traveling to the Marquesas, the three-time reigning champion, Pirae, went to Huahine on Saturday where the oranges had an appointment, in Fare, with Team Mato. And the proteges of Raimoana Bennett did not go into detail against their opponents. A clear victory with the score of 17-0. Benoit Mathon notably scored a septuplet, with triplets also for Heirauarii Salem and Sandro Tau.
The trip to the Leeward Islands, on the other hand, was more eventful for Tefana. The yellow and green of Faa’a were traveling to Uturoa to face the emblematic club of Raiatea, AS Samine. And the footballers of the Sacred Island offered a good resistance to the current third in Ligue 1 by opening the scoring at the very end of the first period thanks to a goal from Teriimana Tairio (1-0, 45th). But in the process, Tefana picked up the score after the penalty from Tauatua Lucas (1-1, 45th + 1).
After the break, AS Samine regained the lead thanks to Ephraim Teipoarii (2-1, 46th) again plunging the Tefana players into doubt. As a good captain and on a new penalty, Viritua Tiaiho allowed the formation of Faa’a to equalize (2-2, 57th). And Tefana finally made the difference at the very end of the match thanks to an achievement by Kavai’ei Morgant (3-2, 90th). Sébastien Labayen and his men therefore come out in extremis and qualify for the rest of the competition.
In the other matches of this first round of the Polynesian Cup, Central got the better of Arue by winning 10-1, with in particular a quadruple from Allan Hnyeikone. The Olympic Mahina for its part, dead last in Ligue 1, regained confidence by dominating Excelsior with a score of 4-1.
Finally for the teams of Moorea it is a rather mixed assessment. Mira lost to Papenoo (4-2) and Tiare Hinano was dominated by Taiarapu FC (4-0). Only Tapuhute emerged victorious from his match against a club from Tahiti, in this case Mataiea beaten 3-1 by the formation of Haapiti. Tapuhute who is joined in the next round by Tiare Tahiti who disposed of Tiare Anani (8-0).