OFC U-16 Women's Championship

The OFC U-16 Women's Championship (previously the OFC U-17 Women's Championship or OFC Women's Under 17 Qualifying Tournament) an Oceanic association football tournament held to determine the team that will appear in the Women's U-17 World Cup. The competition is organised by the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and was first held in 2010.

OFC U-16 Women's Championship
Founded2010
RegionOceania (OFC)
Number of teamsvaries
Current champions New Zealand
(6th title)
Most successful team(s) New Zealand
(6 titles)
2024 OFC U-16 Women's Championship

There was no OFC qualifying tournament to the first world cup in 2008, as New Zealand classified automatically as hosts.[1]

The inaugural edition, held in New Zealand from 12 to 14 April 2010, was a group stage contested by only 4 of OFC's 11 teams to fill the only spot for the 2010 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. It was won by New Zealand, who won all their games without conceding a goal.[2] The 2016 edition was the first to play a knock-out stage. New Zealand won its third title.[3]

The edition held in August 2017 was an under-16 edition,[4] and the tournament was called the OFC U-16 Women's Championship, so was the 2023 edition.

Tournaments

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Because the 2014 World Cup was already held in March, no sufficient early date could be found for the OFC qualifier. The tournament was cancelled and New Zealand sent to the World Cup by default.

U17 format

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Year Host Final Third place match
Champions Score Runners-up Third place Score Fourth place
2010
details
  New Zealand  
New Zealand
Group stage  
Solomon Islands
 
Papua New Guinea
Group stage  
Tonga
2012
details
  New Zealand  
New Zealand
Group stage  
Papua New Guinea
 
Cook Islands
Group stage  
New Caledonia
2016
details
  Cook Islands  
New Zealand
8–0  
Papua New Guinea
 
Fiji
3–2  
New Caledonia
2020
details
  Tahiti Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic[5]
2022
details
  Tahiti[6] Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic[7]

U16 format

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Year Host Final Third place match
Champions Score Runners-up Third place Score Fourth place
2017
details
  Samoa  
New Zealand
6–0  
New Caledonia
Semifinalists:   Cook Islands and   Fiji
2023
details
  Tahiti  
New Zealand
1–0  
Fiji
 
Tahiti
5–3  
Tonga
2024
details
  Fiji  
New Zealand
4–0  
Samoa
 
Tonga
1–0  
New Caledonia

Performances by countries

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Team Winners Runners-up Third-place Fourth-place Losing semifinalists Total (top four)
  New Zealand 6 (2010, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2023, 2024) 6
  Papua New Guinea 2 (2012, 2016) 1 (2010) 3
  Fiji 1 (2023) 1 (2016) 1 (2017) 3
  New Caledonia 1 (2017) 3 (2012, 2016, 2024) 4
  Solomon Islands 1 (2010) 1
  Samoa 1 (2024) 1
  Tonga 1 (2024) 2 (2010, 2023) 3
  Cook Islands 1 (2012) 1 (2017) 2
  Tahiti 1 (2023) 1
Total 6 6 5 5 2 24

Awards

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Tournament Most Valuable Player Top goalscorer(s) Goals Golden Golves Fair play award
2010   Hannah Wong 8 Not awarded Not awarded
2012   Briar Palmer   Hannah Carlsen
  Jasmine Pereira
6   Moeroa Nootai   New Zealand
2016   Michaela Foster   Hannah Blake 14   Francine Lockington   Cook Islands
2017   Maya Hahn   Kelli Brown 14   Lorenza Hnamano   Tonga

Champion's U-17 World Cup record

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New Zealand qualified for all the editions of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup:

  • In 2008, they receive an authomatic berth as host.
  • In both 2014 and 2022 editions, they qualified by default, as no OFC qualifier was held due to concerns about dates.
  • For the 2010, 2012, 2016, 2018 and 2024 editions, New Zealand qualified as Oceanian champions.
  • In 2018, New Zealand finished 3rd becoming their best ever finish at any edition.
  • Beginning in 2025, Oceania will have two teams which will feature a team other than New Zealand for the first time.
Legend
  • 1st – Champions
  • 2nd – Runners-up
  • 3rd – Third place
  • 4th – Fourth place
  • SF – Semifinals
  • QF – Quarterfinals
  • GS – Group Stage
  • R1 – Round 1, Group stage
  •    – Hosts
Team  
2008
 
2010
 
2012
 
2014
 
2016
 
2018
 
2022
 
2024
 
2025
Total
  New Zealand R1 R1 R1 GS GS 3rd GS Q Q 9
  Samoa Q 1

References

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  1. ^ "New Zealand ready to welcome the world". FIFA. 8 March 2007. Retrieved 4 June 2011.[dead link]
  2. ^ "Kiwis stroll to Oceania crown". OFC. 19 April 2010. Archived from the original on 23 April 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
  3. ^ "New Zealand qualify for Fifa under-17 World Women's Cup after winning Oceania title". stuff.co.nz. 24 January 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  4. ^ "Lutu standing out for Tonga". oceaniafootball.com. 21 April 2017. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  5. ^ "Women's U-17 event cancelled". Oceania Football Confederation. 5 June 2020.
  6. ^ "OFC tournaments update". Oceania Football Confederation. 28 July 2020.
  7. ^ "OFC competitions schedule update for 2022". oceaniafootball.com. Oceania Football Confederation. 8 October 2021.
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