By: Battery Media
Charleston Battery forward Jesse Randall led New Zealand to qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games after winning the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Men's Olympic Qualifier.
New Zealand punched their ticket to the Olympics after a 9-0 victory over Fiji in the final in Auckland on Saturday. Randall recorded one goal and a hat trick of assists in the win.
Randall started all three matches played by the Oly Whites and was among their top performers in the tournament. He tallied four goals, scoring in each game, and three assists in a standout showing for his country.
New Zealand commanded the tournament with victories over Fiji (3-1), Vanuatu (8-0) and Fiji again in the final (9-0). Randall was efficient with his strikes, averaging one goal per 53 minutes played, not including the own goal he forced against Fiji in the final.
The Oly Whites will represent Oceania in the 2024 Summer Games, with potential opponents including the United States, Spain, Morocco and hosts France, among others. The competition will commence on July 24 and conclude with the final on August 9.
Randall is now slated to return to Charleston as the Battery look to solidify their spot in the USL Championship Playoffs. The Battery have seven games remaining in the regular season and will host San Diego Loyal SC on Sat., Sept. 9, at Patriots Point.
