Brian Kaltak exclusive: Glory ambitions, Pacific pathways and the problems facing Vanuatu football

Brian Kaltak has established himself as one of the Pacific’s most successful footballers, but as another A-League season approaches, the Vanuatu international believes the game in his homeland still has significant ground to make up.

Speaking exclusively to Oceania Football Center, the Perth Glory defender discussed his preparations for the 2026/27 season, the future of football in Vanuatu, the development of the next generation of Pacific players and when supporters might see him wearing his country’s colours again.

For Kaltak, the immediate focus is Perth.

After an outstanding first season in Western Australia, in which he was named Glory’s Most Glorious Player as well as the club’s Members’ and Players’ Player of the Year, the 32-year-old is preparing for another campaign in purple.

“Pre-season is going strong. We are all looking forward to the season starting,” Kaltak told Oceania Football Center. “Some new players have been added to the squad and they are settling in well. It will be an exciting season for us.”

Kaltak arrived at Perth in 2025 following three highly successful seasons with Central Coast Mariners. His time in Gosford included two A-League Championships, the 2023/24 Premiership and the AFC Cup title, transforming a player who had spent years trying to break into professional football into one of the competition’s established defenders.

His ambitions at Glory, however, remain straightforward.

“For now, my focus is with Perth Glory. I want to help the team be successful this season.”

While Kaltak prepares in Australia, Vanuatu are competing in Fiji at the MSG Prime Minister’s Cup without their star defender. The defending champions have taken a significantly changed squad into the competition, providing opportunities for a younger group of players.

Kaltak has been following them from afar.

“It is our new generation of players that are coming through, and it is good to see them do well with Team Vanuatu and also the national team,” he said. “I would like to wish them all the very best for this tournament.”

But when the conversation moved from individual players to the state of domestic football in Vanuatu, Kaltak offered a much more critical assessment.

Asked whether he had seen improvements through his involvement with football development back home, he made an important distinction between grassroots development and the national competition.

“I don’t see any improvement at all with our local football. I think we need to improve that,” he initially said, before clarifying: “Our national league, I mean. Grassroots have made some progress over the years.”

It is a significant assessment from arguably Vanuatu’s most prominent active footballer.

Kaltak believes the issue goes beyond the quality of players. For him, the structure surrounding the game needs to change, and development cannot remain concentrated primarily around Port Vila.

“Football in general in Vanuatu is lacking structurally,” he said. “There are a lot of things that need to be done, and Vanuatu Football itself cannot solve the issue. We need a long-term plan to develop and strengthen football around Vanuatu, not just Port Vila.”

He went further, arguing that lasting reform will require cooperation beyond football administration alone.

“From what I’m seeing now, and to have the power to make this work for the long term, the Vanuatu government has to step in with Vanuatu Football to make it work,” Kaltak said. “Strengthening football all around Vanuatu.”

Against that backdrop, Kaltak sees the new OFC Professional League — and Vanuatu United’s participation in it — as an important opportunity to create the pathway currently missing for local players.“Yes, it’s a good pathway for our local talent to showcase their talent, and the league itself promotes our football from Oceania to the next professional level,” Kaltak said.

His support for the competition also connects with a wider question facing Pacific football: whether a stronger professional environment within Oceania can eventually produce more players capable of moving into competitions such as the A-League.

His comments carry particular weight because his own career illustrates what can be possible for players emerging from the Pacific.

Kaltak did not make his A-League debut until 2022, but subsequently became a championship-winning defender with Central Coast Mariners and an established starter in Australian professional football. Now at Perth, he believes others from the islands can eventually follow the pathway that he and Fiji great Roy Krishna have helped establish.

“Maybe in the future there will be some Pacific Island players in the A-League following our footsteps.”

Whether Kaltak himself will soon return to international football is less certain.

Asked when Vanuatu supporters could expect to see him representing the national team again, his answer was simple: “I don’t know yet.”

When Oceania Football Center noted the difficulty of balancing club responsibilities with national-team matches staged outside FIFA international windows, Kaltak agreed.

For now, that leaves one of Vanuatu football’s biggest questions unanswered.

Kaltak remains closely connected to the national game and is watching the emergence of the country’s younger generation, but his immediate professional priority is a Perth Glory side preparing for a new A-League campaign.

At the same time, his message for football back home extends well beyond his own availability.

For a player who has experienced the transition from Pacific football to the professional game at its highest level in the region, developing the next Brian Kaltak will require more than discovering talented players. In his view, Vanuatu needs the long-term structures capable of giving those players a pathway — across the entire country.

PNG make early statement as women’s MSG Prime Minister’s Cup gets underway in Fiji

The second edition of the Women’s MSG Prime Minister’s Cup kicked off in Suva on Thursday, with defending champions Papua New Guinea immediately sending a warning to their Melanesian rivals while Solomon Islands and Vanuatu shared the points in the tournament opener.

Papua New Guinea produced the standout performance of the first day, defeating hosts Fiji 4-0 at HFC Bank Stadium in a rematch of last year’s final.

The Bilums wasted virtually no time taking control of the contest.

PNG opened the scoring after only three minutes and doubled their advantage three minutes later, leaving Fiji with an enormous task before the match had properly settled.

The defending champions continued to dictate proceedings and added a third goal in the 38th minute, taking a commanding 3-0 advantage into halftime.

Any hopes of a Fijian response after the interval were quickly extinguished. Papua New Guinea struck again in the 47th minute to make it 4-0 and put the result beyond doubt.

It was a particularly significant opening statement considering the recent history between the two sides.

Fiji and PNG met in the inaugural women’s MSG Prime Minister’s Cup final in Port Moresby last year, when the Bilums won 3-0 to become the competition’s first champions. Thursday’s result therefore extends PNG’s recent superiority in the fixture and puts Ericson Komeng’s team in an excellent early position to defend their title.

The Bilums arrived in Fiji with much of their established senior core, including Ramona Padio, Marie Kaipu, Meagan Gunemba, Betty Sam and Yvonne Gabong, alongside younger players being integrated into the national setup.

The tournament also serves an important purpose beyond the regional trophy for Papua New Guinea. The country remains alive in qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup and will compete in the inter-confederation playoff tournament later this year, making competitive matches in Fiji another valuable part of their preparation.

For the hosts, meanwhile, the heavy opening defeat leaves little margin for error over the remaining three round-robin fixtures.

Fiji had entered the competition hoping to challenge again after reaching last year’s final but were unable to contain PNG’s explosive start. Their attention will now turn towards Vanuatu on Sunday as they look for their first points of the tournament.

Solomon Islands fight back to deny Vanuatu

The opening match of the women’s competition produced a much tighter encounter as Solomon Islands and Vanuatu drew 1-1.

Vanuatu took the advantage during the first half and went into the break leading 1-0.

Solomon Islands, however, responded after halftime to level the match and ensure both sides opened their campaigns with a point.

For Solomon Islands, the result continues a difficult period since their historic OFC Women’s Nations Cup triumph in 2025.

The Solomons entered the MSG tournament searching for their first senior international victory of 2026 after failing to reproduce the results that made them continental champions last year. While Thursday did not provide that breakthrough, recovering from a goal down ensured they avoided beginning another tournament with defeat.

Vanuatu can also take encouragement from the performance.

They arrived in Fiji after a winless campaign in the second round of Oceania’s 2027 Women’s World Cup qualifiers, but showed enough organisation to lead the reigning Oceania champions for a significant portion of Thursday’s contest.

The 1-1 draw leaves both nations level behind PNG after the first day and means their subsequent matches could become decisive in the race for the top two positions.

New Caledonia enter next

New Caledonia were the only team not in action on the opening day.

They will begin their first-ever Women’s MSG Prime Minister’s Cup campaign on Sunday against Papua New Guinea, providing the defending champions with what should be another important test.

New Caledonian women’s football arrives at the tournament during a remarkable period of progress. Their U-20 side recently became the country’s first women’s team to compete at a FIFA tournament, while the U-16 team has just secured historic qualification for the 2027 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

Senior international football now provides the next opportunity for that momentum to continue.

Sunday’s second matchday will see New Caledonia face Papua New Guinea, before Fiji meet Vanuatu later in the evening.

All five nations play each other once during the round-robin stage, with the two highest-ranked teams advancing to the final on October 3.

After only one day, Papua New Guinea have already made their intentions clear: the inaugural champions have no intention of surrendering their Melanesian crown easily.

MSG Prime Minister’s Cup 2026: the complete guide to Melanesia’s battle in Fiji

International football returns to the heart of Melanesia this September as Fiji hosts the 2026 MSG Prime Minister’s Cup, bringing together five neighbouring nations in a competition that carries considerably more history and importance than its relatively low international profile might suggest.

For somebody approaching Pacific football for the first time, the tournament can be understood as a Melanesian championship. Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia will meet in Suva, with regional pride at stake but also something increasingly important for every participant: the construction of the teams that will eventually attempt to qualify for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

The men’s competition begins on September 18 at HFC Bank Stadium and continues until October 3. Every country plays the other four once, with the two highest-ranked teams progressing to the final.

There are no easy conclusions to make before the first ball is kicked. Fiji arrive with the region’s biggest international name but a coach deliberately looking beyond immediate results. Solomon Islands are beginning an ambitious project under Ben Cahn. Papua New Guinea have brought back several established internationals after losing last year’s final. Defending champions Vanuatu have changed coach and lost important members of the side that won the trophy. New Caledonia, meanwhile, have effectively brought a completely different national team from the one that came within one match of the 2026 World Cup.

It makes the 2026 tournament one of the most intriguing editions since the competition was revived.

What exactly is the MSG Prime Minister’s Cup?

The tournament is the modern continuation of the old Melanesia Cup, one of the traditional competitions of Oceanian international football.

The first Melanesia Cup was played in 1988. Seven editions were staged between 1988 and 2000, and the competition was significant enough to serve at times as a pathway towards the OFC Nations Cup.

Fiji were the dominant force of that era, winning five editions — 1988, 1989, 1992, 1998 and 2000. Vanuatu won in 1990 and Solomon Islands in 1994.

After disappearing for more than two decades, the competition returned in 2022 as the MSG Prime Minister’s Cup, organised within the framework of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

Papua New Guinea won the revived tournament in Vanuatu in 2022. Solomon Islands took the trophy in New Caledonia in 2023, PNG regained it in Honiara in 2024, and Vanuatu produced a memorable triumph in Port Moresby last year.

The 2025 final provides the immediate background to this year’s competition. Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea drew 2-2 before Vanuatu prevailed 5-4 on penalties, ending a 25-year wait for another Melanesian title.

Fiji therefore remain the historically dominant country with five titles, but remarkably have not won the competition since 2000.

There is another important development in 2026. The women’s MSG Prime Minister’s Cup, introduced in Papua New Guinea last year, is also being staged alongside the men’s competition. Papua New Guinea are the defending women’s champions. For the first time in Fiji, the event therefore provides an extended showcase for both men’s and women’s international football across Melanesia.

The format

The men’s tournament is unusually simple.

There are five teams and only one group. Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia each play four matches. After the round-robin phase, the top two meet again in the final on October 3.

That structure gives considerable importance to every match. There is no separate semi-final stage in which a team can recover from finishing third or fourth. Dropped points during the league phase can immediately become costly.

The opening fixtures are particularly interesting. Papua New Guinea face Vanuatu in a repeat of last year’s final, while hosts Fiji meet Solomon Islands in what is probably the most anticipated match of the first round.

New Caledonia enter one matchday later against Solomon Islands.

The men’s schedule is:

September 18: Papua New Guinea v Vanuatu; Fiji v Solomon Islands.

September 21: New Caledonia v Solomon Islands; Fiji v Vanuatu.

September 24: Solomon Islands v Vanuatu; Papua New Guinea v New Caledonia.

September 27: Vanuatu v New Caledonia; Fiji v Papua New Guinea.

September 30: Papua New Guinea v Solomon Islands; Fiji v New Caledonia.

October 3: Final.

All of the matches are scheduled to be played at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.

FIJI — home advantage, Roy Krishna and the beginning of something bigger

For outsiders, Fiji might initially appear to be the obvious reference point. They have the greatest historical record in this competition, are playing at home and have Roy Krishna, unquestionably one of the most recognisable footballers the Pacific has produced.

But head coach Stéphane Auvray is approaching the competition from a wider perspective.

The former Guadeloupe international has repeatedly made clear that Fiji are building towards the next World Cup cycle rather than assembling a team simply to maximise their chances of winning one tournament in 2026.

Auvray has described success as something that will ultimately be measured when the decisive stages of the 2030 qualification campaign arrive. Before that, he wants what he calls smaller victories: finding the correct players, creating a national-team culture, establishing a recognisable style and exposing Fiji’s emerging talents to higher levels.

That philosophy can be seen clearly in his 20-man squad.

Krishna remains the captain and reference point. The veteran forward is Fiji’s record goalscorer and remains capable of changing international matches through his movement, intelligence and finishing. Around him are established national-team players including Tevita Waranaivalu, Gabiriele Matanisiga, Sitiveni Cavuilagi, Sterling Vasconcellos and Australia-based defender Scott Wara.

But the squad also contains a fascinating younger group.

Ryan Naresh, Maikah Dau and Abdullah Khairati have moved directly from Fiji’s recent OFC U-19 campaign into the senior squad. Their inclusion is not simply cosmetic. Auvray has openly spoken about exposing younger players now so that Fiji develop the group that will eventually contest future senior competitions and the Olympic qualifying cycle.

“I believe these young players have abilities. They have a mindset, they’re hungry; they want to prove something and they want to represent the country,” Auvray told the Fiji Sun.

He has also warned that Fiji may need time during the tournament before their combinations become natural.

“I think we will probably start to roll by game two or three,” he said.

Preparation has been unusual because the national camp followed immediately after the Battle of the Giants, one of the biggest tournaments in Fiji’s domestic calendar. Several players therefore arrived with significant match load rather than needing competitive minutes.

Auvray said recovery became a major part of the preparation because some players had already played five matches over a very short period. The advantage is obvious: most of his domestic players arrive match sharp. The risk is fatigue.

There is also a growing connection between Fiji’s national team and Bula FC, the country’s professional representative in the OFC Pro League. Auvray works with both structures, providing him with considerably more contact time with many of the players than is normally possible for a Pacific national-team coach.

Players to watch: Roy Krishna remains the obvious name, but Nabil Begg’s development deserves attention, while Maikah Dau represents one of Fiji’s most interesting young attacking prospects. Abdullah Khairati offers another intriguing case after developing partly in Canada, and Scott Wara brings Australian experience into the defence.

What to expect: a Fiji side still under construction, probably trying to control matches more deliberately than some previous national teams, but with considerable questions over how quickly a young group can turn Auvray’s longer-term ideas into results. The home crowd and Krishna’s presence ensure there will still be expectations.

SOLOMON ISLANDS — Ben Cahn starts the road towards 2030

Perhaps no team arrives with its intentions stated as explicitly as Solomon Islands.

New head coach Ben Cahn has already identified the 2030 FIFA World Cup as the long-term objective of the national programme.

Cahn previously worked with the national side during this year’s FIFA Series in Indonesia before taking permanent charge. Fiji will now provide his first competitive tournament as senior national-team coach.

His idea goes considerably beyond the 20 players selected for the MSG Cup.

Cahn wants to build a national-team pool containing approximately 50 to 60 realistic candidates over the next three or four years. Players from the Telekom S-League, the country’s youth national teams, futsal and overseas football are all being monitored.

Nearly 40 players were involved during the latest preparation period before the group was reduced.

There is, however, no suggestion that the long-term project provides an excuse for poor immediate results.

Asked about the objective in Fiji, Cahn’s response was straightforward:

“The aim is to win.”

He also delivered an important message concerning selection.

“No one gets the shirt because of a name, they have to earn that.”

The squad illustrates the mixture Cahn is trying to create.

Raphael Lea’i remains the biggest individual attacking talent. After already playing professionally in Europe and being one of the leading figures of his generation in Solomon Islands football, Lea’i is still only entering what should be the strongest years of his career.

Atkin Kaua provides creativity and technical quality, while Don Keana and William Komasi know Fijian football well through their club careers. David Supa is another player already based in Fiji and was allowed to join the national team there after his club commitments prevented him from attending the complete Honiara camp.

Rovu Boyers offers recent New Zealand experience after his involvement with South Island United in the OFC Pro League and Christchurch United.

Then there is Jayroll Patty.

Only days after captaining Solomon Islands at the OFC U-19 Championship, Patty has been brought directly into the senior national-team environment. He scored a hat-trick against New Caledonia during the youth competition and represents exactly the type of transition Cahn wants to create between the country’s youth teams and the Bonitos.

Several members of the squad have also been involved with Solomon Kings, the country’s OFC Pro League side, meaning that the coach inherits a group containing players who have already spent extensive time together.

The opening match against Fiji is therefore much more than a difficult first fixture. It is an immediate examination of where Cahn’s project stands against a host nation undergoing a similar rebuilding process.

Players to watch: Raphael Lea’i is the obvious danger, but Atkin Kaua can dictate attacking phases and Rovu Boyers brings a different midfield profile. Jayroll Patty is worth monitoring as one of the young players making the jump towards senior football. Don Keana, meanwhile, has repeatedly shown his ability to score from midfield.

What to expect: technical football, individual flair and an attempt to turn Solomon Islands’ enormous talent base into a more structured senior national-team programme. Their attacking ceiling is high. The question is whether Cahn can create stability quickly enough.

VANUATU — champions without several of the men who made them champions

Vanuatu arrive carrying the trophy, but this is not quite the same team that lifted it in Port Moresby.

Last year’s triumph ended a 25-year drought since Vanuatu won the old Melanesia Cup in 1990. They defeated Papua New Guinea on penalties in the final and returned home as regional champions.

The title defence begins with a major change.

Lars Hopp, who coached the successful 2025 campaign and subsequently led Vanuatu United during the inaugural OFC Pro League season, is no longer in charge of the national team.

Former Vanuatu international Richard Iwai has stepped into the position.

Iwai is an important figure in Vanuatu football in his own right. A prolific former international forward, he later moved into coaching and has worked alongside some of the country’s strongest club structures. Shortly before the tournament he also received his OFC C Licence, satisfying the coaching qualification requirements necessary for his role on the international touchline.

Vanuatu completed approximately three weeks of national-team preparation before travelling. Iwai reported strong attendance and no training absences through injury during that period, while several selected players remained active in domestic knockout competitions.

However, availability has significantly altered the squad.

The biggest absence is Alex Saniel.

Saniel enjoyed an outstanding 2026 with Vanuatu United and finished as the inaugural OFC Pro League Golden Boot winner with 11 goals. He was also part of the successful 2025 MSG team, but will not defend the title as he prepares to move to Australia for club football.

Michel Coulon is unavailable because of a family health situation, while Jason Thomas is absent because of a family wedding.

Those absences leave Iwai with a different attacking structure and place greater responsibility on players such as Azariah Soromon and John Alick.

Soromon remains one of Vanuatu’s most dangerous attacking footballers when fit and confident. John Alick provides technical quality from deeper positions, while goalkeeper Kaloran Firiam brings continuity from the title-winning team.

Kathy Iamak also merits attention after establishing himself as an increasingly important figure, and younger players including Henry Namatak and Andrew Malaki now have an opportunity to move closer to the centre of the national-team project.

Perhaps no opening game could be more appropriate: Vanuatu begin against Papua New Guinea, immediately revisiting the 2025 final.

Players to watch: Azariah Soromon, John Alick and Kaloran Firiam are the established references. Kathy Iamak could become particularly important in a reshaped team, while Henry Namatak is one of the younger names with an opportunity to increase his international status.

What to expect: defending champions who should not be confused with an unchanged champion team. Vanuatu still possess enough experience and talent to trouble anyone, but replacing Saniel’s goals and adapting to Iwai’s leadership are significant challenges.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA — experience returns for another attempt at the trophy

Papua New Guinea have been the most successful country since the competition returned.

The Kapuls won the 2022 revival and were champions again in 2024. They reached the 2025 final on home soil and came within a penalty shootout of retaining the trophy.

That record gives PNG an unusual degree of continuity in this particular competition.

Bob Morris has named a 20-man group mixing experienced internationals with players emerging through Lae City, Morobe Wawens, Hekari and the wider domestic system.

Ronald Warisan remains one of Oceania’s most experienced international goalkeepers. Daniel Joe brings years of senior football into the defence, while Ati Kepo and Oberth Simon provide another layer of international experience.

The return of Tommy Semmy is particularly significant.

Semmy spent several years playing abroad, especially in New Zealand and Australia, before returning to Papua New Guinea football with Hekari. At his best, his pace and direct running give PNG an attacking weapon very few Melanesian defenders enjoy facing.

Yagi Yasasa has also developed through Australian football with Bendigo City, while Hossain Kaio gives Morris another player with experience in Australia.

Rex Naime is especially interesting because he arrives after playing in Fiji with Labasa. That gives him familiarity with the conditions and some of the players PNG will face.

PNG were already in Fiji several days before the start of the competition and therefore have had time to settle before their opening rematch against Vanuatu.

Their preparations were not completely straightforward. PNGFA acknowledged that there had been challenges surrounding participation before the men’s and women’s delegations were eventually able to travel. Once there, however, the focus shifted towards reversing what happened in last year’s final.

Players to watch: Tommy Semmy provides the obvious explosive threat, while Yagi Yasasa’s experience in Australia makes him increasingly relevant. Ati Kepo remains a proven scorer at this level, Rex Naime knows the Fijian game well and Ronald Warisan’s experience in goal can become crucial in close matches.

What to expect: probably one of the more physically imposing teams in the competition, with significant senior experience through the spine. PNG’s recent record in the MSG Cup should give the group confidence, but there is also pressure to turn another deep run into a third title.

NEW CALEDONIA — almost an entirely new national team

No participant arrives in circumstances remotely comparable to New Caledonia.

Only months ago, the Cagous were one game away from the FIFA World Cup.

New Caledonia became the first Melanesian national team to reach the FIFA intercontinental playoff, eventually losing 1-0 to Jamaica in March. That squad included a substantial group of players based in France and elsewhere overseas, among them some of the most accomplished footballers available to any Pacific national side.

Almost none of them are coming to Fiji.

Financial constraints have prevented the Fédération Calédonienne de Football from bringing its overseas contingent back for the MSG Cup.

New coach Félix Tagawa initially identified a pool of approximately 50 potential players, including around ten based in metropolitan France. With the federation unable to finance those returns for this tournament, he worked instead with a domestic preliminary group and eventually selected an 18-man squad composed entirely of locally based footballers.

The scale of the transformation is remarkable.

Of the 26 players who went to the intercontinental playoff against Jamaica, only goalkeeper Mickaël Ulile and forward Pierre Iékawé are in the MSG squad.

Angelo Fulgini, Georges Gope-Fenepej, César Zeoula, Jekob Jeno, Pierre Bako, Didier Simane, Joseph Athale and Germain Haewegene are among the major absentees.

For Tagawa, however, this creates a different kind of opportunity.

The former Hienghène Sport coach knows the domestic game intimately. His most famous achievement came in 2019, when he guided Hienghène to the OFC Champions League title and subsequently to the FIFA Club World Cup.

He now begins his senior national-team tenure by discovering how much depth exists underneath New Caledonia’s overseas generation.

Players such as Brice Dahite, Aymard Tidjite and Stephane Wahaga come from the local system Tagawa knows well. Pierre Iékawé will carry much of the attacking responsibility, while Mickaël Ulile provides rare continuity from the World Cup playoff squad.

New Caledonia’s tournament therefore needs to be interpreted differently. The Cagous who play in Fiji should not automatically be viewed as representative of the strongest New Caledonian XI currently available. Instead, this is an audition for locally based players hoping to remain in the national setup when the overseas contingent becomes available again.

Players to watch: Pierre Iékawé is the most recognisable attacking name, while Mickaël Ulile offers experience in goal. Brice Dahite and Aymard Tidjite are among the domestic players with an opportunity to make a stronger case for future selection.

What to expect: uncertainty. The potential talent in New Caledonian domestic football is considerable, but Tagawa is working with a dramatically changed squad. Their performances may tell us as much about New Caledonia’s depth as about its immediate international standing.

Five teams, five rebuilds

The most striking feature of this MSG Prime Minister’s Cup is that every team is simultaneously trying to win and trying to discover what comes next.

Fiji are deliberately introducing younger players and trying to define the group that Stéphane Auvray wants for the next cycle.

Solomon Islands have given Ben Cahn the task of constructing a deeper, more organised programme with the stated dream of reaching the 2030 World Cup.

Vanuatu are defending champions but have changed coach and lost important members of the winning side.

Papua New Guinea are combining familiar internationals with another emerging generation after reaching three of the four decisive stages since the competition’s revival.

New Caledonia have effectively been forced to conduct a domestic talent experiment because their overseas stars are unavailable.

That makes the competition particularly difficult to read.

Reputation alone may not tell us very much.

Players an international audience should know

Roy Krishna remains the tournament’s genuine international headline name. His career in New Zealand, Australia and India and his record for Fiji separate him from almost every other player at the event.

Raphael Lea’i is arguably the most naturally gifted attacker among the younger generation. His career has already taken him from Solomon Islands to professional football overseas, and he remains central to the Bonitos’ attacking potential.

Tommy Semmy brings years of New Zealand and Australian football back into the PNG national team. Few players in the competition possess his combination of pace, strength and experience.

Azariah Soromon has long been one of Vanuatu’s most dangerous attacking players and now carries additional responsibility without Alex Saniel.

Pierre Iékawé is one of only two members of New Caledonia’s World Cup playoff group included for Fiji, making him one of the few connections between the country’s historic 2026 campaign and Tagawa’s experimental MSG squad.

Then there is the next layer: Maikah Dau, Abdullah Khairati and Ryan Naresh for Fiji; Jayroll Patty for Solomon Islands; Henry Namatak for Vanuatu; Yagi Yasasa and Rex Naime for PNG; and the large group of domestic Cagous trying to convince Tagawa that they belong alongside New Caledonia’s overseas professionals in the future.

For many of them, the MSG Cup can change their position inside their national team within two weeks.

Matches that could shape the tournament

Papua New Guinea against Vanuatu immediately stands out. It is the rematch of the 2025 final and provides a direct comparison between the defending champions under new leadership and a PNG side determined to erase the memory of that penalty shootout.

Fiji against Solomon Islands on the opening night is equally important. Both countries possess major expectations, both are under coaches trying to create new national-team identities, and both will understand how damaging an opening defeat could become in a five-team table.

Fiji against Vanuatu carries another layer because many players from both countries have become familiar through Bula FC and Vanuatu United’s involvement in the inaugural OFC Pro League. The two countries also met twice in Port Vila in June, when Vanuatu won 2-1 before the second match finished 2-2.

Solomon Islands against Vanuatu is traditionally one of Melanesian football’s most technically interesting matchups, with players from the two countries frequently meeting each other at club level across the Pacific.

And Fiji-New Caledonia on the final round could become particularly significant if qualification for the final remains unresolved.

Why this tournament matters outside Melanesia

The MSG Prime Minister’s Cup is not the OFC Nations Cup and does not carry the same direct global consequences as World Cup qualifying.

Its importance lies elsewhere.

International football opportunities can be limited for Pacific nations. Geography makes travel expensive, domestic seasons vary considerably and assembling overseas-based players is not always financially possible. A concentrated tournament involving four international matches therefore provides coaches with something extremely valuable: meaningful time with their players.

This year it is even more relevant because Oceania has entered a different football environment.

New Zealand’s automatic qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup demonstrated the value of the confederation’s direct World Cup place, while New Caledonia’s progression to the intercontinental playoff showed that a Melanesian team can move much closer to the world’s biggest tournament than historically seemed possible.

The 2030 cycle has consequently already entered the vocabulary of coaches such as Cahn and Auvray.

For the next generation of Fijian, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, PNG and New Caledonian internationals, the work towards that campaign is beginning now rather than in the year qualifying starts.

What should we expect?

Expect a tournament where familiarity and unpredictability coexist.

Many of these footballers already know one another. Solomon Islanders play in Fiji. Papua New Guineans have played in Fiji and Australia. Vanuatu and Fiji players have spent the year competing through the OFC Pro League. New Caledonia’s domestic standouts regularly meet in a small but technically productive football environment.

Yet the teams themselves are changing rapidly.

There is enough attacking quality for open games, but the round-robin format may also encourage caution once the table begins to take shape. With only the top two reaching the final, goal difference and points lost against direct rivals could become decisive.

Fiji have the crowd. Vanuatu have the trophy. Papua New Guinea have the strongest recent MSG record. Solomon Islands have arguably the most intriguing new project. New Caledonia have the tournament’s biggest unknown quantity.

And that is what makes the 2026 edition particularly compelling.

The MSG Prime Minister’s Cup may remain largely invisible to the wider football world, but for five Pacific nations it will provide two weeks of international football, national rivalry and a first serious glimpse at the players who could define Melanesia’s next World Cup cycle.

John Alick goes from Ba’s domestic treble straight into Vanuatu’s MSG title defence

Vanuatu international John Alick has linked up with the national team camp in Fiji after completing a hugely successful domestic campaign with Ba FC, adding another experienced figure to Richard Iwai’s squad ahead of the 2026 MSG Prime Minister’s Cup.

Alick arrives with considerable momentum. The 35-year-old midfielder joined Ba during the mid-season transfer window after spending the opening part of 2026 with PNG Hekari in the inaugural OFC Pro League, and his move proved to be part of a remarkable revival for the Men in Black. Ba went on to capture the Fiji FACT, Extra Premier League and Battle of the Giants, completing a domestic treble before turning their attention towards the Inter-District Championship.

The Vanuatu midfielder made his impact almost immediately after arriving in Fiji. In his first Fiji FACT match for Ba, Alick opened the scoring against Nadroga with a spectacular long-range strike as the Men in Black recorded a 4-1 victory. Ba eventually went all the way in the competition, defeating Navua on penalties in the final to end a 16-year wait for the Fiji FACT trophy.

The success continued in the league. Ba secured their first national championship since 2019 and a record-extending 22nd league title before completing the treble last weekend with a 2-1 victory over Rewa in the Battle of the Giants final at Govind Park. It was Ba’s 18th BOG crown and their first since 2018.

Alick expressed his satisfaction after the latest achievement, telling Fiji media: “I’m really very proud. Ba FC have been treating me well. I’m proud to be part of the team; we have won our third title this season.”

There is little time for the midfielder to celebrate, however. With the BOG completed on Sunday, Alick has now moved into the Vanuatu national-team environment as the defending champions prepare for another campaign against Melanesia’s leading national sides.

His presence is particularly important in a considerably reshaped Vanuatu squad. Coach Richard Iwai will be without several established names, including Alex Saniel, Brian Kaltak, Jason Thomas and Michel Coulon, leaving Alick alongside Azariah Soromon, Kathy Iamak, Kaloran Firiam and Tony Kaltack as some of the most experienced players available to the new national-team coach.

Vanuatu begin their campaign against Papua New Guinea on Friday, September 18 at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva, immediately recreating the 2025 MSG Prime Minister’s Cup final. Vanuatu won that encounter on penalties after a dramatic 2-2 draw to claim their first title in the competition in 25 years. Richard Iwai’s side will then face Fiji, Solomon Islands and New Caledonia, with the top two nations advancing to the final on October 3.

For Alick, the tournament represents the continuation of an unusually busy and successful year across the Pacific. After representing Hekari in Oceania’s first professional league, he crossed to Fiji and helped Ba restore themselves to the top of the domestic game. He now enters another challenge carrying the responsibility of helping Vanuatu defend the regional crown they captured twelve months ago.

From U-17 World Cup qualification to the senior team: Lea’i brothers share Solomon Islands training ground

Only weeks after George Lea’i helped Solomon Islands qualify for their second FIFA U-17 World Cup, the youngster has already been given an opportunity to experience the next level of international football — alongside his older brother Raphael Lea’i.

The two brothers trained together with the Solomon Islands senior national team in Honiara, providing a striking image of two different generations of the Lea’i family sharing the same national-team environment.

George was among the players from the successful Solomon Islands U-16 side invited into senior training by head coach Ben Cahn, who has made integrating the country’s most promising youngsters into the wider national-team programme part of his plans for the future.

Cahn recently confirmed that members of the U-16 squad had been brought into the senior environment following their impressive campaign at the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship in Papua New Guinea.

“We’ve had a good look at the U-16 boys who obviously did a great job to qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar. We’re bringing them in, they’ve done really well, it’s been very positive,” Cahn said.

For George, the invitation comes shortly after achieving something his older brother knows particularly well.

Back in 2018, Raphael was one of the outstanding players of the Solomon Islands team that qualified for the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil, the country’s first appearance at a FIFA outdoor football tournament. Eight years later, his younger brother has helped the Solomons reach the same global stage.

George played an important role throughout the 2026 OFC U-16 Championship and was part of the side that secured Oceania’s final qualification berth for the 2027 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar. After losing to Fiji on penalties in the semifinal, Solomon Islands faced hosts Papua New Guinea in a decisive third-place playoff.

The young Kurukuru came from behind to draw 1-1 before winning 4-1 on penalties, securing Solomon Islands’ second U-17 World Cup appearance and their first since Raphael’s generation competed in Brazil.

George was already attracting attention before qualification was secured. The younger Lea’i was a major attacking presence during the tournament, with OFC highlighting his speed and threat from the left wing during the semifinal against Fiji.

Now the brothers’ respective journeys have briefly converged.

At 22, Raphael is already one of the established attacking figures of Solomon Islands football. After emerging through that historic U-17 generation, his career has taken him from domestic football to Europe and back into the Pacific, while he has become a regular member of the senior national team. He is part of Cahn’s 20-man squad for the upcoming MSG Prime Minister’s Cup in Fiji.

George remains at a very different stage. His immediate international challenge will be preparing for Qatar 2027, but his presence at senior training suggests the national-team staff are already looking beyond the age-group distinction when identifying players capable of eventually strengthening the Bonitos.

It fits directly into Cahn’s wider project. The coach wants to expand the senior national-team pool to around 50 to 60 players over the next three or four years, monitoring footballers from the S-League, overseas competitions, futsal and the Solomon Islands youth national teams.

That makes the sight of Raphael and George training together more than simply an interesting family moment.

Eight years separate Solomon Islands’ two qualifications for the FIFA U-17 World Cup. A Lea’i has been involved in both. Raphael was part of the generation that opened the door in 2018; George is now part of the generation that has taken Solomon Islands back onto the world stage.

And this week in Honiara, for the first time, those two stories met on the same senior national-team training pitch.

From BOG disappointment to national duty: Gabriele Matanisiga turns focus to Fiji’s MSG Cup challenge

Gabriele Matanisiga is already looking ahead.

Only days after the disappointment of Rewa’s defeat in the Battle of the Giants final, the defender has shifted his attention to a new responsibility: representing Fiji at the 2026 MSG Prime Minister’s Cup on home soil.

The timing creates an interesting contrast. Matanisiga arrives in the national camp after falling short in one of Fiji’s biggest domestic matches, but the setback has not changed his mentality. Speaking to Oceania Football Center, he made clear that moving forward quickly is part of life in football.

“This is football, and if you want to improve and learn fast in your football career, you have to move forward despite anything,” Matanisiga told OFCe.

“Losing is part of the game, and if you give your best then you don’t have to worry and think too much. To represent my nation is a bonus for me. Whatever you do, always do it from your heart.”

That response says much about the mindset he is bringing into Fiji’s regional campaign.

For players involved in both club and international football, there is often little time to dwell on disappointment. Rewa’s BOG run ended in frustration, but for Matanisiga the immediate reward was a place in Stéphane Auvray’s squad for one of the most important tournaments on Fiji’s short-term calendar.

And this time, Fiji will have home advantage.

Matanisiga believes that could make a significant difference for the Bula Boys.

“Preparations are going well, and to host this tournament and play at home will boost the morale of the boys, as families and their loved ones will come to support the team,” he said.

That sense of occasion matters.

The MSG Prime Minister’s Cup is not just another tournament for Fiji. It is a chance to compete for a regional title in front of home supporters, while also giving Auvray more time to shape the squad in a competitive environment. For players like Matanisiga, it is also an opportunity to strengthen their place in the national setup.

The Rewa defender suggested that Auvray is already making a positive impact on the group. Asked about the coach’s work so far, Matanisiga said the Frenchman has introduced good and new ideas, and that he believes the team is learning from the changes being implemented.

That is an important detail in itself. Fiji’s current national-team cycle is still developing, and the MSG Cup represents one of the first major competitive tests of Auvray’s approach. His squad selection has combined experienced names with players still trying to establish themselves more firmly at senior international level, and Matanisiga is part of that group trying to grow within the project.

As a defender, his role will be especially important in a tournament expected to feature several physical and direct opponents. Fiji will need discipline at the back, strong communication and the ability to cope with different attacking styles throughout the competition.

Matanisiga also knows Fiji will not have an easy path.

When asked about the opposition, he singled out Solomon Islands as a particularly strong side.

“Solomon Islands is a good team,” he said.

That brief answer reflects a reality Fiji are well aware of. The regional field is unlikely to offer comfortable matches, and Solomon Islands in particular have the talent to trouble any side in Melanesian football. With Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and New Caledonia also involved, the competition promises to be demanding from the beginning.

For Matanisiga personally, however, the tournament represents something more than just fixtures and results.

It is a chance to respond.

Coming straight from a painful domestic defeat into a national-team environment can either weigh on a player or sharpen him. His comments to OFCe suggest he has chosen the second path. Rather than carrying frustration from the BOG final, he appears determined to treat the call-up as motivation and an opportunity to keep progressing.

That mentality may be exactly what Fiji need.

Tournaments on home soil often bring pressure as much as excitement. Support can lift a team, but expectations also increase. Players who can stay balanced, recover quickly from setbacks and focus on the larger objective become especially valuable in that environment.

Matanisiga now has the chance to show he can be one of them.

The Battle of the Giants final did not end the way he wanted. But the next chapter has already begun, and it comes in a Fiji shirt.

On home soil, with family, friends and supporters in the stands, the Rewa defender will hope the disappointment of BOG gives way to something much bigger in the MSG Prime Minister’s Cup.

Danford Fiumae’s rapid rise continues as Solomon Islands teenager targets MSG breakthrough and professional future

Danford Fiumae has travelled a long way in a short time. From playing football on the streets and grass fields of Auki, the young midfielder has progressed through Solomon Islands futsal and youth football, earned his first senior national-team call-up and is now preparing for the 2026 MSG Prime Minister’s Cup with another ambition in mind: proving he belongs at international level.

The Green Shield midfielder is one of the youngest players selected by Ben Cahn for the tournament in Fiji and arrives with a particularly interesting background. Fiumae’s development did not begin exclusively in the 11-a-side game. He was already representing Solomon Islands in futsal as a youngster, helping the national U-14 side reach the semi-finals of the 2020 FFA National Futsal Championship in Australia.

Speaking directly to Oceania Football Center, Fiumae described a journey that began in Malaita and has been shaped by his family, education and football.

“My name is Danford Fiumae. I’m a young footballer from Malaita, Solomon Islands, who started playing football on the streets and grass fields of Auki. My journey began at a young age and, through hard work, commitment and the support of my family, I have tried to balance education and football,” Fiumae told OFCe.

Primarily a defensive midfielder, Fiumae describes his game as one based around control of the ball combined with an aggressive approach without possession.

“I play as a defensive midfielder. My game is built around ball control and aggressiveness,” he explained.

His progression accelerated considerably during 2026.

After establishing himself with the Solomon Islands U-19 side, Fiumae received his first call-up to the senior national team for the FIFA Series in Indonesia earlier this year. At only 18 at the time of the selection, he travelled with a squad containing many of the country’s established internationals for matches against St Kitts and Nevis and Bulgaria.

Fiumae did not make his senior debut during the tournament, but he believes simply experiencing the environment represented an important step in his development.

“It was great news and I was excited about it. I didn’t play, but I had the privilege of experiencing that professional environment,” he told OFCe.

Asked what stood out most from being around the senior setup, his answer was perhaps less obvious than tactical or technical development.

“I learned many things, but the most important thing was time management,” Fiumae said.

That exposure was followed by another major tournament with the Solomon Islands U-19 team. Fiumae was part of the squad that competed at the OFC U-19 Men’s Championship in Samoa, where the country reached the third-place playoff but narrowly missed qualification for the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

For Fiumae, it was his first experience of playing in a World Cup qualifying competition.

“With the U-19s it was a good experience. It was my first time playing in World Cup qualifiers, so it was a great experience for me as a young footballer,” he said.

His development has also continued at club level with Green Shield FC.

The club produced one of the strongest starts to the 2026 S-League season and spent much of the opening round at the top of the table. Fiumae believes training and competing alongside players with experience at a higher level has accelerated his learning.

“So far it has been a great first round for us. I have learned a lot playing alongside some of the Solomon Kings players like Clivert Sam, Gordon Iro and Jayroll Patty,” he told OFCe.

Green Shield’s strong opening has also raised expectations around the club. Even after Central Coast handed them a heavy setback in their most recent meeting, Fiumae remains convinced his side can challenge for the championship.

“Yes, I believe we can win the title this year, but we have to work hard if we want to achieve it,” he said.

The immediate focus, however, has shifted from club football to the national team.

Cahn included Fiumae in his 20-man squad for the MSG Prime Minister’s Cup as part of a group that combines established internationals with several younger players. The Solomon Islands coach has spoken repeatedly about expanding the pool available to the Bonitos over the coming years, and Fiumae is one of the clearest examples of that process.

After watching from the bench during the FIFA Series, the midfielder now hopes the MSG Cup provides his opportunity to step onto the field for the senior side.

“I want to get a chance to perform and showcase what I’m capable of doing on the pitch,” Fiumae said when asked about his expectations for the tournament.

The opportunity would complete another stage in a progression that has already taken him from junior futsal to U-19 international football and the senior national-team environment in the space of only a few years.

But Fiumae is already looking further ahead.

Despite his involvement with Solomon Islands at multiple levels, he has not yet received an opportunity to move overseas. His next major personal objective is therefore clear: earn his first professional contract and test himself in a professional football environment.

“My plan is to sign a professional contract with a professional club and continue improving and excelling in football,” he told OFCe.

That ambition fits naturally with the direction Solomon Islands football is beginning to take. The creation of Solomon Kings and the OFC Professional League has provided young local players with greater exposure to professional standards, while Cahn’s national-team project is attempting to establish clearer connections between youth football, the S-League, professional competition and the Bonitos.

Fiumae is still near the beginning of that pathway.

Six years ago, OFCe first wrote about him as a young futsal player from Malaita competing in Australia and meeting one of his football idols, Kurukuru star Jack Wetney. In 2026, the same player is now training alongside Solomon Islands’ leading senior internationals and preparing for his first competitive tournament with the Bonitos.

The next step could come in Fiji.

And for a youngster whose football began on the grass fields of Auki, the possibility of wearing the Solomon Islands senior shirt on the international stage represents another significant moment in a rise that is only beginning.

“It’s hard to remain a champion”: Etonia Dogalau on Ba’s treble, Fiji omission and what comes next

Ba have returned to the top of Fijian football in emphatic fashion in 2026, and Etonia Dogalau has been one of the players directly involved in a season that has restored the Men in Black’s status as the country’s dominant domestic force.

With the Fiji FACT, Extra Premier League and Battle of the Giants already secured, Ba have completed a domestic treble and still have the Inter-District Championship ahead. The achievement is particularly significant considering the droughts broken along the way: Ba ended a seven-year wait for the national league title and lifted the BOG for the first time since 2018.

Dogalau played an important role in the most recent of those successes. After missing Ba’s opening BOG matches, he returned for the decisive group-stage encounter against Lautoka and opened the scoring in a 3-1 victory that kept the Men in Black alive. He struck again in the semifinal against Suva, helping Ba win 2-1 before Ravinesh Kumar’s side defeated Rewa in the final at Govind Park.

Speaking exclusively to Oceania Football Center, however, Dogalau placed much of the credit for Ba’s remarkable season away from the players themselves. For him, the support surrounding the squad has been fundamental.

“The recipe for our success is the never-ending support of our families, their sacrifice and their love. We are seen by everyone, but our families are behind the curtains, not only supporting us, but Ba as well,” Dogalau said.

He also highlighted the contribution of Ba president Praneel Dayal, whose support he believes remains firmly in the players’ minds when they represent the club.

“When we play, we always remember our president, Mr Praneel Dayal, who has done so much for this team.”

Ba’s season is not finished. The IDC offers the Men in Black the opportunity to add another trophy to an already exceptional campaign, although Dogalau is under no illusion about how difficult maintaining their success will be.

“That’s the plan, but in order to accomplish it we have to work hard for it because every team will be coming stronger in the IDC,” he explained. “Our coach always tells us that it’s easy to become a champion, but it’s hard to remain a champion.”

That message also applies to Dogalau personally. Despite his contribution to Ba’s success and calls from supporters for his inclusion, the attacker was not selected in Fiji’s 20-man squad for the 2026 MSG Prime Minister’s Cup, which begins on home soil this week.

Rather than criticising the decision, Dogalau responded with a notably measured assessment of his situation.

“I’m not sure what to say, but maybe it means that I need to work a bit harder to earn that spot. At the end of the day, this happens in football. It’s about how we come back stronger individually as footballers.”

Asked what supporters could expect from the next stage of his career, Dogalau again returned to the same theme.

“Only time will tell. I know I need to work harder.”

The omission comes at an interesting moment in his season. Dogalau has just played an important part in Ba’s BOG triumph, including goals in two of the matches that ultimately decided their tournament, while Fiji coach Stéphane Auvray has opted for a squad combining established internationals with several younger players as part of a wider rebuilding process.

For Dogalau, therefore, the immediate answer is not to dwell on the national-team decision but to continue performing for a Ba side that still has another major target ahead.

And his final message was reserved for the supporters who have followed the Men in Black through the club’s difficult years and their return to the top.

“Just one thing: Ba fans, keep trusting us boys because we are trying our very best to deliver for the people of Ba.”

With three trophies already secured and the IDC still to come, Ba have delivered plenty in 2026. For Dogalau, the challenge now is exactly the one his coach has repeatedly placed before the squad: becoming champions was difficult, but remaining there may be harder still.

John Orobulu breaks silence after Solomon Islands omission: “I respect the coach’s decision”

John Orobulu has spoken to Oceania Football Center about his absence from the Solomon Islands squad for the 2026 MSG Prime Minister’s Cup, responding calmly after his omission became one of the main talking points among supporters following Ben Cahn’s selection.

The Ba striker was not included in the 20-man squad that travelled to Fiji despite entering the selection period after another highly productive spell in Fijian football. Several Solomon Islands supporters questioned his absence after the squad announcement, with Orobulu’s name appearing repeatedly in discussions over players who had missed out.

Speaking directly to OFCe, however, the 26-year-old made clear that he accepts the decision and intends to respond through his performances.

“I wasn’t selected for the national team this time. I respect the coach’s decision, and I’m just focusing on training and getting better. Hopefully, I’ll get another opportunity in the future. Now I support the team and wish them all the best,” Orobulu told Oceania Football Center.

His omission attracts particular attention because of the numbers he has produced over the past two seasons.

Orobulu finished the 2025 Fiji Premier League as the competition’s leading scorer with 19 goals in 18 matches for Rewa, helping the Delta Tigers win the national championship. After subsequently joining PNG Hekari for the inaugural OFC Professional League, his scoring numbers decreased during a period in which he told OFCe he was frequently used away from his preferred centre-forward position.

His return to Fiji with Ba changed the picture quickly.

Despite joining the Men in Black after the beginning of the 2026 league campaign, Orobulu scored seven Premier League goals and played an important role in Ba reclaiming the national championship. His contribution included a hat-trick in the 6-0 victory over Tailevu Naitasiri that sealed Ba’s record 22nd league title.

His impact extended beyond the league.

During the Fiji FACT, Orobulu produced one of his most impressive individual performances of the season by scoring four times in Ba’s 6-0 victory over Nasinu, a result that sent the Men in Black into the semi-finals. Ba eventually won the competition, and later added the Battle of the Giants to complete a remarkable domestic campaign.

Orobulu also scored Ba’s winner against Nadi in their opening BOG fixture, continuing a season in which he remained regularly involved in decisive moments.

Those performances inevitably brought his name back into the national-team discussion.

It is not a new environment for the striker. Orobulu made his breakthrough with the Bonitos in 2023 and quickly produced one of the most prolific tournaments by a Solomon Islands forward in recent years. He scored eight times during the Pacific Games in Honiara, including five against American Samoa and twice against New Caledonia in the final, finishing as the tournament’s Golden Boot winner as Solomon Islands claimed silver.

His most recent national-team involvement, however, dates back considerably further than his current club form might suggest.

Orobulu was recalled by then-coach Josh Smith for the 2024 MSG Prime Minister’s Cup in Honiara, after previously being left out during part of the World Cup qualifying campaign. Records show him featuring against Vanuatu, Solomon Islands B and Papua New Guinea during that tournament, with his last recorded senior national-team appearance coming against PNG on December 18, 2024.

He did not feature for Solomon Islands during the 2025 MSG Prime Minister’s Cup in Port Moresby and has consequently gone through the subsequent period outside the national side despite continuing to score regularly at club level.

The situation is different now in one important respect: Solomon Islands have a new head coach and a new national-team project.

Cahn has repeatedly stressed that selection will be based on current readiness rather than reputation. Speaking to the Island Sun before announcing his MSG squad, the coach said almost 40 players had been assessed before the group was reduced to 20.

“For the final squad, we go to the MSG Cup, the aim is to win, so we have to take the players that are most ready at the moment,” Cahn said.

He also sent a clear message to those outside the squad.

“We’re watching. No one gets the shirt because of a name, they have to earn that.”

Cahn selected Raphael Lea’i, Fordney Junior, Bobby Leslie, Jayroll Patty, Rooney Riuqaemai and Ali Mekawir among his attacking options for the tournament, leaving Orobulu outside a competitive group despite his recent scoring record.

The coach is entitled to make that choice, and Orobulu himself has not publicly challenged it. His response to OFCe instead places the focus firmly on what comes next.

Yet the questions raised by supporters are understandable.

Few Solomon Islands forwards have matched Orobulu’s club scoring output during the past two years. He was the leading goalscorer in Fiji’s national league in 2025, returned to the country and scored seven league goals for champions Ba in 2026, produced a four-goal performance during their Fiji FACT campaign and already has eight goals for the Solomon Islands senior side.

At 26, he is also at an age where his international career could still have considerable time ahead of it.

Cahn has spoken of building a pool of 50 to 60 players capable of representing Solomon Islands over the next three or four years as part of the country’s ambition to challenge for qualification to the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Orobulu’s record means it would be difficult for his name to disappear from that wider conversation.

For now, though, the striker will watch the MSG Prime Minister’s Cup from outside the squad.

His message contains no confrontation and no complaint — only respect for the decision and the intention to earn another opportunity.

Whether that opportunity arrives will depend on Cahn.

Orobulu’s response can only come on the pitch.

PICTURE: Shane Wenzlick/Phototek

Perth Glory hand Matt Ellis A-League opportunity after Auckland City and OFC Pro League journey

New Zealand winger Matt Ellis has taken another major step in his career after joining Perth Glory’s A-League Men squad, adding another Kiwi to the Australian top flight ahead of the 2026/27 season.

The 25-year-old arrives in Western Australia with considerable experience in New Zealand and Oceania football, most notably through his time with Auckland City. Ellis has been part of the Navy Blues’ success both domestically and on the continental stage and was included in their squad for the expanded FIFA Club World Cup in the United States in 2025, where he featured against Portuguese giants Benfica and Argentina’s Boca Juniors.

His move to Perth completes an interesting progression over the past year. Ellis helped Auckland City claim the 2025 New Zealand National League title, scoring the opening goal in the Grand Final against Wellington Olympic before the Navy Blues eventually prevailed on penalties.

He later joined Auckland FC’s squad for the inaugural OFC Pro League, giving him another opportunity to test himself in the region’s new professional competition before returning to Auckland City during 2026.

Ellis’ background makes him a particularly interesting addition for Perth Glory. Rather than reaching the A-League through the traditional Australian pathway, he has built his reputation through New Zealand domestic football and Oceania competitions before earning an opportunity in Australia’s professional league.

Capable of operating on the wing and in attacking areas, Ellis brings mobility and experience from high-level matches despite only now making the move across the Tasman. He has also previously represented New Zealand at U-23 level, adding international youth experience to a career which has increasingly taken him into bigger competitions.

For Perth Glory, the signing provides another attacking option as the club continues preparing its squad for the new A-League Men campaign.

For Ellis, however, the move represents another significant progression. After representing Auckland City on the Club World Cup stage, winning major honours in New Zealand and experiencing the new OFC Pro League environment, he will now have the chance to establish himself in the A-League Men.

The move is also another example of a player developed through the New Zealand and Oceania football system finding a pathway into one of the region’s major professional competitions.