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2000 OFC Nations Cup Final
Event	2000 OFC Nations Cup
Date	28 June 2000
Venue	Stade Pater, Papeete
Referee	Harry Attison
	← 1998 2002 →

The 2000 OFC Nations Cup Final was an association football match that took place on 28 June 2000 at the Stade Pater, Papeete. It was the final of the 2000 OFC Nations Cup which was the fifth edition of the OFC Nations Cup, an international competition for national teams in the Oceania Football Confederation.

It was contested between Australia and New Zealand in what was a repeat of the 1998 final which New Zealand won. This was also New Zealand's third appearance in a continental final after also appearing in the 1973 final which they won.^[1] For Australia, this was their fourth appearance in the final with Australia also winning the 1980 and 1996.^[1] After both teams won their respective groups, Australia defeated Vanuatu while New Zealand defeated the Solomon Islands.^[2]

In the final, goals from Shaun Murphy and Craig Foster gave Australia a 2–0 win over New Zealand to record their third OFC title. This also meant that as winners of the Nations Cup, they also qualified for the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup which was held in South Korea and Japan as representative of the OFC.

Route to the final

Australia

Round

New Zealand

Opponent

Result

Group stage

Opponent

Result

Cook Islands

17–0

Match 1

Tahiti

2–0

Solomon Islands

6–0

Match 2

Vanuatu

3–1

Group A winner

Team	Pld	W	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Australia	2	2	0	23	0	+23	6
Solomon Islands	2	1	1	5	7	−2	3
Cook Islands	2	0	2	1	22	−21	0

Final standings

Group B winner

Team	Pld	W	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
New Zealand	2	2	0	5	1	+4	6
Vanuatu	2	1	1	4	5	−1	3
Tahiti	2	0	2	2	5	−3	0

Opponent

Result

Knockout stage

Opponent

Result

Vanuatu

1–0

Semi-finals

Solomon Islands

2–0

Australia

As finalists in the 1998 OFC Nations Cup, and the OFC's top-ranked side, the "Socceroos" were given entry straight into the tournament finals. They progressed comfortably through the group stage, accounting for Cook Islands and Solomon Islands comfortably 17–0 and 6–0 respectively. In the semi-final, they played Vanuatu, winning 1–0 in a match that was closer than expected. Australia's Clayton Zane was the tournament's top scorer going into the final, with 5 goals.

New Zealand

Like Australia, New Zealand were given direct entry into the tournament finals, as 1998 OFC Nations Cup champions and the OFC's second ranked side. They beat both Tahiti and Vanuatu by 2 goals to progress from the group stage. In the semi-finals, they played Solomon Islands and won 2–0 to move through to the final.

Pre-match

Analysis

Despite New Zealand having won the 1998 OFC Nations Cup final, Australia went into the game as favourites, ranked 15 spots ahead of New Zealand in FIFA World Rankings.

Match

First half

Australia was the better side for much of the match, although New Zealand did create some chances. Australia took the lead 5 minutes from half time, as Shaun Murphy scored off a Stan Lazaridis corner.

Second half

Australia's ascendency continued, and when Danny Tiatto's cross was finished by Craig Foster midway through the second half, the result was all but secured for Australia.

Match details

28 June 2000

18:00

Australia	2–0	New Zealand
Shaun Murphy 40' Craig Foster 66'	Report

Stade Pater, Papeete

Attendance: 300

Referee: Harry Attison

Australia

New Zealand


AUSTRALIA:
GK	1	Zeljko Kalac
RB	2	Kevin Muscat
CB	3	Shaun Murphy	40'
CB	5	Tony Popovic
LB	7	Danny Tiatto
RM	8	Stan Lazaridis
CM	4	Paul Okon
CM	6	Craig Foster	66'	80'
LM	13	Brett Emerton
CF	9	David Zdrillic
CF	11	Paul Agostino		80'
Substitutes:
MF	14	Aurelio Vidmar		80'
FW	15	Clayton Zane		80'
Manager:
Frank Farina


NEW ZEALAND:
GK	1	Jason Batty
CB	2	Che Bunce
CB	3	Sean Douglas
CB	5	Jonathan Perry
RWB	6	Gavin Wilkinson	27'	70'
LWB	18	Scott Smith
CM	7	Simon Elliott
CM	10	Chris Jackson
CM	12	Mark Atkinson		77'
CF	8	Chris Killen
CF	13	Kris Bouckenooghe
Substitutes:
MF	16	Raf de Gregorio		70'
FW	9	Paul Urlovic		77'
Manager:
Ken Dugdale