Fiji put 16 past Tuvalu to win first World Cup qualifier

Fiji produced a 16-goal rout while the Solomon Islands were not far behind in creating a deluge of goals on the opening day of the 2010 World Cup qualifying on Saturday.

Fiji beat newcomers Tuvalu 16-0 while the Solomon Islands hammered American Samoa 12-1 in the South Pacific Games, which serve as the first stage of the Oceania qualifiers for the 2010 finals in South Africa.

New Caledonia beat Tahiti 1-0 while Vanuatu ended the day with a 4-0 win over a Samoan side captained by Chris Cahill, elder brother of the Everton midfielder Tim Cahill.

The top three finishers at the Games will progress to a group competition which starts in October.