Solomon Islands’ star Raphael Lea’i to explore new opportunities as contract with Velež Mostar ends

Finally the Solomon Islands’ football star Raphael Lea’i will be able to return to club football as his contract with his former club FK Velež Mostar from Bosnia and Herzegovina is set to expire. The player was unable to join any football club unless a compensation fee could be paid to his parent club in Europe, but the contract is set to expire by the end of this month – exactly on 31th May, 2024. After that, the play will be considered a free agent, being able to sign for any football club. The details were confirmed by FK Velež Mostar staff in interview to Oceania Football Center.

In 2023, Lea’i had the chance of his career after achieving success with Solomon Islands national team and his domestic club Henderson Eels. The player caught the attention of FK Velež Mostar, one of the most traditional clubs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he attended trials and signed his first professional contract. But after allegeled adaptation problems from the youngster, he departed from the club on August, 2023. Lea’i was impressing in Bosnia and becoming slowly a fan favourite of the locals in Mostar – the player managed to score his first professional goals and even recorded assists in national league matches.

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Since his departure and return to Honiara, the player was unable to play any club football, although he featured for Solomon Islands national team in friendly matches and in the Pacific Games held in home soil where his nation ended up in the second place losing to New Caledonia in the goal medal match.

Currently, Lea’i is training with the national team gearing up for the upcoming OFC Nations Cup to be played in Vanuatu and Fiji. The Bonitos are grouped alongside New Caledonia, New Zealand and hosts Vanuatu – being the group hosted in Port Vila.

There were not official offers already presented to the player of public knowledge, although Oceania Football Center found out Lea’i is being scouted by clubs from Australia and a possible move to the neighbouring country is on the cards in the next months. The striker, that is still only 20-years-old, has a lot in his future and a move overseas is seen as must for his development as footballer to help the betterment of football in his country.