Cook Islands begin new era at home as Rhys Ruka names rebuilt squad for historic Tahiti series

The Cook Islands men’s national team is preparing to play at home for the first time in 28 years, and the long-awaited return to Rarotonga will also provide the first look at a significantly reshaped side under new head coach Rhys Ruka.

Tahiti will visit the CIFA Complex for two internationals on September 26 and 30, ending an extraordinary absence of senior men’s international football from Rarotonga. The Cook Islands last played a home international in 1998, while the upcoming series will also be their first appearance of any kind since the 2024 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, a gap officially put at 747 days by the Oceania Football Confederation.

Ruka was appointed by the Cook Islands Football Association on a contract through to 2028, placing him in charge of a longer-term project built towards the OFC Men’s Nations Cup qualifiers and the next FIFA World Cup cycle. His first squad suggests that process will combine some of the most experienced figures in Cook Islands football with a young generation already developing in New Zealand, Australia and the domestic game.

The New Zealand-based coach arrives after one of the biggest achievements of his club career. Ruka led Fencibles United to their first Chatham Cup title earlier this month, defeating Cashmere Technical 2-1 in the final, having previously taken the Auckland club into the Northern League. He will leave Fencibles at the end of the season and has now been confirmed as Bay Olympic’s new men’s first-team coach for the 2027 season.

His connection to Cook Islands football, however, goes much further back. Ruka previously played for Tupapa Maraerenga, has coached the Cook Islands women’s national team and has also led the Aotearoa Māori men’s side. Earlier in his coaching career, he guided Manurewa to promotion into New Zealand’s Northern League.

For Ruka, the connection is personal as well as professional.

“Rarotonga has had a massively positive influence on my character and the way I see the world, so to be able to give back to the country that’s given me so much is a unique blessing and one that I’m very grateful for,” Ruka said after taking charge.

His first men’s squad contains 21 players and provides several indications of how he intends to construct the team.

One of the most significant inclusions is Benjamin Mata, the Wellington Olympic defender who returns to the Cook Islands set-up after a four-year absence. The former New Zealand youth international represented the country at the FIFA U-17 World Cup before committing to the Cook Islands and was trusted with the captain’s armband on his senior debut against Solomon Islands in 2022.

Mata has since become an established figure in New Zealand domestic football with Wellington Olympic and gives Ruka an experienced defender accustomed to competing regularly in the country’s senior game.

The goalkeeper department also illustrates the changing generation. Ngereine Maro has spent the 2026 season with Auckland United, while Emmett Connolly, 19, has continued his development in senior football with Western Springs after breaking into their first team in 2025.

They are joined by Tearii Scheel, who has made a particularly rapid rise through the Cook Islands pathway. Scheel was the Cook Islands U-16 goalkeeper earlier this year and represents Nikao Sokattak domestically, with the club itself celebrating his first senior national-team selection. Only months after representing his country at U-16 level, he is now part of Ruka’s senior group.

There are similar examples further up the pitch.

Dallas Rongokea captained the Cook Islands during the OFC U-19 qualifying tournament this year and has subsequently been connected with Wellington Olympic, while Joshua Barrymore-Uden, only 18, is already playing senior football in New Zealand.

Barrymore-Uden began his senior career with Melville United before moving to Hamilton Wanderers, whose own club communication identifies him as a men’s first-team player. He has competed across the Northern League and NRFL Championship and has also secured a place in a 2027 development programme aimed at helping him take the next step of his career into Australian football.

Another of the younger names is Eliakima “Kima” Webb, one of the emerging players from the Cook Islands domestic system. Webb has been selected for a CIFA scholarship at Mount Albert Grammar School in Auckland and has already gained OFC Champions League experience with Tupapa Maraerenga.

The squad therefore brings together several age groups that have recently represented the country at youth level rather than treating those national teams as isolated programmes. Rongokea, Barrymore-Uden, Webb and Scheel are among the clearest examples of players being moved towards the senior environment.

At the other end of the experience scale stands Grover Harmon, one of the most unusual figures in international football. Harmon remains an active Cook Islands international and Tupapa Maraerenga player while simultaneously serving as president of the Cook Islands Football Association. He also captained Tupapa during their recent OFC Champions League campaign.

Ruka has retained several players from the most recent senior cycle. Oscar Wichman, Tupaia Ringi, Dwayne Tiputoa, Ngametua Tuakana, Thane Beal and Dalziel Beal all bring previous senior international experience.

Ringi is currently part of Belconnen United’s NPL first-grade squad in Canberra, while Thane and Dalziel Beal have continued their football in Victoria.

Tremaine Rimene-Albrett also arrives after gaining valuable continental experience with Tupapa during their OFC Champions League campaign. Normally based with Western Suburbs in New Zealand, he reinforced the Cook Islands champions for the tournament and was among their attacking threats.

The overseas contingent extends well beyond New Zealand. Tacettin Kumsuz has been playing with UNSW FC during their first season in the NPL New South Wales and already made an immediate impact for the Cook Islands in 2024, scoring their only goal in the 3-1 World Cup qualifying defeat to Tonga. He has remained involved at first-team level in 2026, including appearances during the latter part of the NPL NSW season.

This time he has been selected alongside Kerim and Eren Kumsuz, creating one of the more unusual stories within the squad. Kerim has previously been around the national-team set-up and has a background in Australian senior football, while current records associate him with Tupapa Maraerenga, although competitive appearances for the club in 2026 have been difficult to establish.

Eren is a newcomer to the senior international environment. His clearest current football activity has been in Sydney with Machina FC in the Project Volta Super League, a six-a-side competition. No current conventional 11-a-side club has yet been firmly established.

Another intriguing inclusion is Cade Mapu, who continues to play competitively in Australia with Central Coast United while also working in the professional environment of Central Coast Mariners. His experience provides another different background within Ruka’s group.

Tione Nand, another product of the Cook Islands youth pathway, comes from Avatiu, while the squad also maintains a significant Tupapa Maraerenga presence through Harmon, Wichman, Tiputoa, Tuakana and Webb.

That mixture may prove important for Ruka. With limited international windows and relatively little time together, having players who already share club combinations while adding footballers accustomed to the faster environments of New Zealand and Australia gives the new coach a foundation from which to work.

Tahiti, however, represent a demanding first test.

The Toa Aito have won all ten previous meetings between the nations and defeated the Cook Islands 9-1 and 3-0 when the teams met twice in Tahiti in 2023. They also sit considerably higher in the FIFA rankings and possess a deeper pool of players with regular exposure to OFC and overseas competition.

For the Cook Islands, though, the importance of this window extends beyond the immediate scorelines.

Ruka has spoken about a longer-term process rather than a short-term rebuild. These Tahiti matches provide the first opportunity to establish combinations, determine which members of the younger generation are already capable of contributing at senior international level and reconnect the national team with a local audience that has been unable to watch them at home for almost three decades.

A generation of Cook Islands internationals has come and gone without experiencing a senior international in Rarotonga.

That changes now.

When Ruka’s new-look team walks onto the CIFA Complex pitch, the Cook Islands will be doing more than returning to international football after almost two years. They will bring together an emerging generation, returning overseas-based players and some of the country’s most experienced football figures at home for the first time since the last century — the first step in a new cycle that CIFA hopes can take the national team considerably further.

Cook Islands squad for Tahiti series

  • Benjamin Mata — Wellington Olympic AFC (New Zealand)
  • Emmett Connolly — Western Springs AFC (New Zealand)
  • Tacettin Kumsuz — UNSW FC (Australia)
  • Kerim Kumsuz — Tupapa Maraerenga FC (Cook Islands)
  • Eren Kumsuz — Machina FC, Project Volta Super League (Australia, six-a-side; no current 11-a-side club confirmed)
  • Thane Beal — Waverley Wanderers FC (Australia)
  • Dallas Rongokea — Wellington Olympic AFC (New Zealand)
  • Joshua Barrymore-Uden — Hamilton Wanderers AFC (New Zealand)
  • Grover Harmon — Tupapa Maraerenga FC (Cook Islands)
  • Oscar Wichman — Tupapa Maraerenga FC (Cook Islands)
  • Tupaia Ringi — Belconnen United FC (Australia)
  • Jeremiah Williams — West Coast Rangers U23 (New Zealand)
  • Dwayne Tiputoa — Tupapa Maraerenga FC (Cook Islands)
  • Dalziel Beal — Westvale Olympic FC (Australia)
  • Tremaine Rimene-Albrett — Western Suburbs FC (New Zealand)
  • Ngametua Tuakana — Tupapa Maraerenga FC (Cook Islands)
  • Cade Mapu — Central Coast United FC (Australia)
  • Ngereine Maro — Auckland United FC (New Zealand)
  • Tearii Scheel — Nikao Sokattak FC (Cook Islands)
  • Eliakima “Kima” Webb — Tupapa Maraerenga FC (Cook Islands)
  • Tione Nand — Avatiu FC (Cook Islands)

Ezekiel Vela embraces his Kapuls opportunity after first international goal

Papua New Guinea’s campaign at the 2026 MSG Prime Minister’s Cup has already brought Ezekiel Vela a moment he will not forget. The Gulf Komara centre-back scored his first international goal in the dramatic 2-1 victory over Vanuatu, an early reward for a player still establishing himself within the Kapuls setup.

Vela’s goal came during a remarkable late turnaround in PNG’s opening match of the tournament. Tony Kaltak had put Vanuatu ahead before Nalau Moses equalised in the closing stages, and Vela then completed the comeback only minutes later. For a defender relatively new to the national-team environment, it was an immediate opportunity to make his presence felt.

“Yes, it was my first goal and I’m super proud of myself. I am very happy,” Vela told Oceania Football Center.

The result gave PNG an encouraging start to the tournament, although the Kapuls were unable to maintain their perfect record in their second appearance, falling 2-1 against New Caledonia. With matches against Fiji and Solomon Islands still completing their round-robin programme, Vela and his teammates remain in the middle of a campaign in which every result can significantly change their position.

His arrival at international level also adds another name to a PNG squad combining established Kapuls with players attempting to build their place in Bob Morris’ team. Vela describes himself simply as a centre-back whose main strength is in aerial challenges, characteristics that have helped him progress through domestic football and eventually into the national setup.

“I am Ezekiel Vela. I play for Gulf Komara as a centre-back. I am good at challenging for the ball in the air,” he said.

Before joining Komara, Vela represented Central Amoana, which he identified as his first National Soccer League club. His performances there had already attracted attention several years before his current opportunity with the Kapuls. In 2022, he received the Most Valuable Player award during the Southern Conference presentation, an early individual recognition in his domestic career.

His development has not been restricted to the outdoor game either. Vela was also part of Gulf Komara’s campaign at the 2025 OFC Futsal Men’s Champions League in Fiji. He scored twice against Suva FC in the fifth-place playoff, although Komara eventually lost 4-3. Back in the domestic game with Komara, Vela believes his current environment has continued to help his progression.

“It’s good and I’ve learned a lot too,” he said when asked about his season with the club.

The MSG Prime Minister’s Cup has now given that development a much larger stage. PNG entered the competition looking to challenge again among Melanesia’s leading national teams, and Vela believes maintaining unity and work ethic within the squad is essential.

“To maintain as a group to achieve what we want. As a player, you must work hard to deserve what you want,” he said.

Asked whether the Kapuls could win the MSG title again, the defender remained confident in the group around him. “Yes. I trust the boys and the coaches for the hard work we are doing.”

For Vela personally, however, this tournament may represent more than the results PNG ultimately collect in Fiji. His first international goal has provided an early landmark in a national-team career he wants to extend well beyond this competition. His ambitions are straightforward: continue earning opportunities with the Kapuls and eventually test himself outside Papua New Guinea.

“To continue playing football to achieve more,” Vela said of what comes next. His ultimate goal is even clearer: “To play overseas and represent the PNG Kapuls.”

For a centre-back only beginning to establish himself at this level, scoring the decisive goal against Vanuatu was an important first step. What Vela does with the opportunity created by this MSG Cup could now be considerably more important than the goal itself.

Vanuatu United confirm Wanemut, Namatak and Malakai as Chiefs continue building new-look squad

Vanuatu United have continued shaping their squad for the next OFC Pro League season, officially confirming the additions of Vanuatu players Jack Wanemut, Henry Namatak and Andrew Malakai.

The announcements provide confirmation of a process that had already become visible during the club’s preparations in Port Vila. All three players had been seen around the Vanuatu United training group earlier this month, when OFCe reported on the considerable number of familiar domestic names being assessed as the Chiefs prepared for their second professional campaign.

Malakai’s arrival is particularly notable because Vanuatu United have confirmed that the midfielder earned his place after impressing during a trial period. The club described him as a player capable of bringing “magic” to the midfield, completing a rapid rise for a footballer who has increasingly entered the senior Vanuatu picture.

Malakai was part of the Vanuatu squad that won the MSG Prime Minister’s Cup in Papua New Guinea in 2025, scoring in the 2-1 semi-final victory over Solomon Islands. At club level, he has most recently represented Galaxy FC and was involved in their 2026 OFC Men’s Champions League campaign.

Namatak arrives with considerably more experience in Vanuatu’s domestic and regional football. A long-time Galaxy player, he has competed at OFC Champions League level across different campaigns and has also represented the national team. Vanuatu United presented him as an option to strengthen the right side of their defence, adding another player familiar with high-level competition in Oceania.

Wanemut adds another experienced defensive presence. The Erakor product has been around senior football in Vanuatu for more than a decade and has previously represented the national team. Vanuatu United described him as a “defensive rock” as the Chiefs continue reinforcing a back line that appears to be one of the priorities of their recruitment.

The three confirmations also reinforce the increasingly local core of Vanuatu United’s rebuilding project. Earlier in September, a sizeable group of established Vanuatu players had been training with the professional club, but at that stage their presence alone did not establish that they had signed. Wanemut, Namatak and Malakai can now definitively be moved from that list of players under observation into Vanuatu United’s squad.

More importantly, the Chiefs appear to be using the strength of Vanuatu’s domestic game as the foundation for their second OFC Pro League campaign. Rather than starting again with an unfamiliar group, Vanuatu United are bringing together players who have already shared dressing rooms at club and international level.

After a difficult beginning to their first professional season followed by a much stronger finish, the direction of the rebuild is becoming clearer. Vanuatu United are retaining the identity of a Vanuatu-based side while attempting to add enough established domestic quality and depth to become more competitive across an entire OFC Pro League campaign.

That also makes the coming announcements particularly interesting. Several other prominent Vanuatu players have been involved around the club during preparations, meaning Wanemut, Namatak and Malakai may not be the final pieces added to the Chiefs’ new-look squad.

Kaltak or Kaltack? Inside the Vanuatu football dynasty still deciding matches generations later

Two Vanuatu goals in the opening two rounds of the 2026 MSG Prime Minister’s Cup have carried a surname that has been appearing in the country’s football for generations. Tony Kaltack found the net against Papua New Guinea before Bill Kaltfer Kaltack scored the winner against Fiji. Different players, different matches, but members of the same remarkable football family.

For followers of Vanuatu football, the name is hardly new. Kaltak — or Kaltack, depending on the member of the family — has been attached to the national team, Erakor Golden Star and football across the Pacific for decades. The spelling may differ on team sheets and official records, but the family connection does not.

The story stretches back to an earlier generation. Ivoki Kaltack, himself a former Vanuatu international striker, is the father of Jean, Tony and Bill Kaltfer Kaltack. His generation helped establish a football tradition within the family and within Erakor, the community from which so many of its players emerged.

Ivoki represented Vanuatu and also spent part of his playing career in Tahiti. Years later, when his son Jean earned an opportunity to join Hekari United in Papua New Guinea, Ivoki travelled with him and publicly spoke about the pride that the achievement had brought to both their family and village.

Jean Kaltack would become one of the most recognisable attacking talents produced by that branch of the family. He represented Vanuatu from youth level through to the senior national team and played abroad with Hekari United, while also remaining closely associated with Erakor Golden Star. Goals were central to his reputation, including a prolific period with Vanuatu’s age-group teams.

Then came Tony Kaltack, another attacking player whose career has repeatedly brought him into the Vanuatu national-team picture. Tony established himself with Erakor Golden Star and earned particular attention during the club’s OFC Champions League campaigns. His ability to score from different areas of the pitch made him one of Erakor’s major attacking weapons.

The 2026 MSG Prime Minister’s Cup has provided another reminder that Tony remains capable of influencing matches for his country. Against Papua New Guinea, he broke the deadlock in the second half to put Vanuatu ahead. PNG eventually recovered to win 2-1, but another Kaltack had once again appeared on a Vanuatu scoresheet.

The family connection became even more visible three days later.

Against hosts Fiji, Bill Kaltfer Kaltack scored the only goal in Vanuatu’s crucial 1-0 victory at HFC Bank Stadium. It was not an isolated strike created from nothing. Vanuatu patiently exchanged passes inside the penalty area, moved Fiji’s defence and eventually created the opening for Kaltack to finish the move.

Bill’s full name provides another detail in a story already complicated by different surname spellings. Often referred to simply as Bill Kaltack, he is Bill Kaltfer Kaltack, another son of Ivoki and brother of Jean and Tony. He has represented Vanuatu internationally and has spent much of his domestic career connected to Erakor Golden Star.

His decisive contribution against Fiji was also not his first important MSG Cup moment. In the 2025 final against Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and PNG finished level after extra time and went to penalties. Bill Kaltfer Kaltack converted the decisive kick as Vanuatu won the shootout 5-4 and captured the MSG Prime Minister’s Cup.

Yet Jean, Tony and Bill are only one branch of the story.

Brian Kaltak, whose surname is generally written without the final “c”, belongs to the same football family. Brian is the son of Timothy Kaltack and cousin of Jean, Tony and Bill. Like Ivoki, Timothy was an important football influence inside the family, with Brian recalling how he followed his father to the football field as a child in Erakor.

Brian eventually took the family name further internationally than any of his relatives had before him. After years playing around Oceania, including spells in Fiji and New Zealand, the central defender broke into Australian professional football and established himself in the A-League. His rise provided Vanuatu with one of its most visible footballers abroad and extended the Kaltak-Kaltack story beyond the Pacific Islands competitions in which the family had already become so familiar.

There is also another member who should not disappear from the picture: Semici Kaltack.

Semici was already being presented by the Oceania Football Confederation as part of the Kaltack football lineage when he represented Vanuatu at the 2018 OFC U-16 Championship. OFC identified him specifically as the younger brother of Jean Kaltack and cousin of Brian Kaltak. Growing up in Erakor, Semici said that watching his brothers play had inspired him to follow the same path.

At that tournament he operated as an attacking midfielder and was considered one of the creative players in Vanuatu’s U-16 side. His presence showed that the family production line had not ended with Jean, Tony, Bill or Brian. Another Kaltack was progressing through Vanuatu’s national youth system, carrying both the surname and the connection to Erakor into a new generation.

The number of footballers within the family makes the story unusual even by the standards of communities with strong football traditions. Ivoki played for Vanuatu. His sons Jean, Tony and Bill Kaltfer followed him into high-level football. Timothy’s son Brian became a senior international and professional player abroad. Semici then emerged through Vanuatu’s youth national teams as Jean’s younger brother and Brian’s cousin.

At the centre of virtually every branch is Erakor.

The village and Erakor Golden Star have provided much more than a club badge beside the players’ names. They form the environment in which several members of the family learned the game. OFC itself has previously described the Kaltack name as almost synonymous with football in Vanuatu, particularly when documenting Tony’s performances for Golden Star and later Semici’s emergence with the national youth team.

That background also helps explain why spelling the surname is less straightforward than tracing the relationship. Brian is widely registered as Kaltak, while Jean, Tony, Bill Kaltfer and Semici regularly appear as Kaltack. Historical records involving Ivoki and other members of the family have also used variations. Trying to force everyone under one spelling risks creating an artificial distinction where the football history shows the opposite.

They are relatives, and the differences in spelling do not represent separate football families.

The 2026 MSG Prime Minister’s Cup has simply provided the latest chapter. Tony scoring against Papua New Guinea followed by Bill scoring the winner against Fiji means that, decades after the previous generation established the name in Vanuatu football, members of the family are still directly influencing senior international matches.

Brian’s professional career may have taken the surname to a different stage, while Jean produced his own international goals and Semici represents another continuation of the line. But the roots remain remarkably concentrated: one family, one community and several generations connected to the Vanuatu national team.

So whether a team sheet reads Kaltak or Kaltack, the wider story is the same. Ivoki, Timothy, Jean, Tony, Bill Kaltfer, Brian and Semici are not simply a collection of familiar surnames appearing throughout Vanuatu football history.

They are part of the same football dynasty.

All Whites held by Palestine as three players make New Zealand debuts

New Zealand returned to international action for the first time since the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 2-2 draw against Palestine in Chongqing, China, in a match that gave Darren Bazeley the opportunity to test the depth of his squad and hand three players their senior international debuts.

The All Whites twice took the lead during an open first half, with Ben Waine and Jesse Randall finding the net, but Palestine responded on both occasions through Assad Al Hamlawi and Oday Dabbagh. All four goals arrived before the interval, while a heavily changed New Zealand side spent much of the second half managing minutes and providing opportunities across the wider squad.

The draw should not be viewed simply as New Zealand failing to beat a lower-ranked opponent. Palestine arrived with a number of players carrying strong professional experience abroad, particularly in attack and midfield. Oday Dabbagh, one of the most established figures in the squad, plays his club football with Zamalek in Egypt and has built a strong international scoring record for Palestine. Al Hamlawi, meanwhile, has developed his career in Europe and is currently with Universitatea Craiova in Romania after previous spells in Sweden and Poland. Behind them, Palestine could also call on players attached to clubs in Egypt, Qatar, Peru and elsewhere, giving the side more individual quality than the FIFA ranking alone might suggest.

Bazeley nevertheless used the match primarily as an opportunity to widen his options. None of the players who had started New Zealand’s final World Cup match against Belgium were included in the starting XI against Palestine, with several established names either rested or initially kept on the bench.

One of those given an opportunity was George Stanger. The defender had previously been involved with the All Whites setup without making a senior appearance, but he was handed his debut from the start and took only a few minutes to have an influence on the game.

New Zealand went ahead after five minutes. Stanger played a ball over the Palestinian defensive line towards Waine, whose movement created the opening before he finished past goalkeeper Abed Yassin at the near post.

The early goal gave the All Whites an encouraging beginning and also showed the direct threat available through Waine. Palestine, however, gradually settled into the contest and demonstrated why their attacking unit required attention.

The equaliser arrived in the 27th minute. A corner delivered by Wajdi Nabhan found Al Hamlawi inside the area, and the striker headed home to make it 1-1. It was his first goal for the Palestinian senior national team.

Al Hamlawi is not an unknown quantity at club level. Born in Sweden, the 25-year-old has accumulated professional experience across several European competitions, including spells with Helsingborg, Śląsk Wrocław and his current club Universitatea Craiova. His physical presence and penalty-area movement provided Palestine with a genuine focal point against the New Zealand defence.

The All Whites responded eight minutes later.

New Zealand recovered possession high up the field and quickly turned the turnover into an attacking opportunity. Lachie Bayliss delivered the ball into the penalty area, where a scramble developed before Jesse Randall reacted quickest and finished to restore the lead at 2-1.

Again, however, Palestine found an answer.

Their second equaliser came in the 39th minute following another transition. Palestine won the ball and moved quickly forward before a cross reached Dabbagh, who converted to bring the score to 2-2 before halftime.

Dabbagh’s involvement was particularly significant because he represents one of the strongest individual threats in Palestine’s squad. The 27-year-old has played professionally in several countries and is among his country’s leading international scorers. His club career has included football in Kuwait, Portugal, Belgium and Egypt, and that experience was visible in the way he positioned himself to finish Palestine’s second goal.

There was quality elsewhere in the Palestinian side as well. Captain Mus’ab Al Battat has extensive international experience and has played club football in Qatar, while midfielders Hamed Hamdan and Ameed Sawafta are based in Egypt with Pyramids and Al-Masry respectively. Khaled Al-Nabris, another attacking option, is also playing in the Egyptian top flight with Ceramica Cleopatra. Palestine therefore brought a group containing players accustomed to competitive professional environments across Asia, Africa and Europe.

Their recent international development also provides useful context to the result. Palestine have increasingly built a squad combining players developed domestically with members of the diaspora and footballers based abroad. Against New Zealand, that mixture was evident in a lineup capable of responding immediately whenever the All Whites gained an advantage.

After the four-goal first half, the nature of the match changed considerably.

Bazeley began using the second period to distribute minutes across his squad. Wellington Phoenix goalkeeper Henry Gray replaced Michael Woud at halftime, giving Gray his first senior appearance for New Zealand. Woud himself had been making his first All Whites start since November 2023.

Further changes followed throughout the half. Callan Elliot and Tyler Bindon entered in the 56th minute, replacing Dane Ingham and Bill Tuiloma. Ten minutes later, Moses Dyer, Stipe Ukich, Marko Stamenić and Eli Just were introduced for Waine, Logan Rogerson, Alex Rufer and Bayliss. Callum McCowatt and Dalton Wilkins later replaced Owen Parker-Price and Randall.

Ukich’s appearance provided another notable moment. The 19-year-old had received his first All Whites call-up for this international window after impressing at club level in Croatia, and his introduction in the 66th minute gave him his first senior cap.

Together with Stanger and Gray, he became one of three New Zealand debutants on the night.

With so many substitutions, the second half naturally lost some of the continuity seen before the interval. Neither side managed to reproduce the same attacking rhythm that had generated four goals, and the score remained unchanged through to the final whistle.

For Bazeley, the match was therefore about more than the immediate result. New Zealand were beginning a new international period after the World Cup and deliberately used the opportunity to assess players who have been outside the regular starting group.

There were positives. Waine scored early, Randall took his opportunity, Stanger contributed an assist on debut and three players received their first senior international minutes. At the same time, twice losing an advantage will give Bazeley something to address before the remaining matches of the window.

Palestine deserve credit within that assessment as well. Their two equalisers were not simply products of New Zealand mistakes. Al Hamlawi and Dabbagh are experienced professional attackers, while the wider Palestinian squad contains players competing at a good level across several countries. They punished New Zealand when opportunities appeared and showed enough technical and attacking quality to make the 2-2 scoreline a reasonable reflection of an even contest.

The All Whites will next face China PR in Chongqing on September 28 before travelling to Japan for the Kirin Cup, where Panama will provide the next opposition on October 1. A further match against either Japan or Ecuador will follow on October 5.

The opening game of the tour therefore produced a mixed but useful night for Bazeley. New Zealand twice found themselves in front and could not hold the advantage, but the fixture provided significant minutes to the wider squad and introduced Stanger, Gray and Ukich to senior international football.

Against a Palestine side containing considerably more professional quality than their name or ranking may immediately suggest, it was also a useful reminder that this international window will offer very few straightforward matches.

New Caledonia respond against PNG as Read’s deflected strike seals first MSG Cup win

New Caledonia produced an important response to their opening defeat at the 2026 MSG Prime Minister’s Cup, beating Papua New Guinea 2-1 at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva to collect their first points of the tournament and move back into contention for a place in the final.

Brice Dahite gave the Cagous an early lead before Ati Kepo quickly answered for Papua New Guinea. The match remained level deep into the second half until Willy Read’s effort took a decisive deflection off Daniel Joe and ended in the PNG net, giving Félix Tagawa’s side the victory.

New Caledonia had started their campaign with a 2-0 defeat against Solomon Islands, a result which immediately placed pressure on a team playing only four matches during the round-robin stage. Against PNG, however, the Cagous needed only 11 minutes to take the lead.

Dahite opened the scoring to put New Caledonia 1-0 ahead and reward a positive beginning from the side. The attacker is one of the experienced figures drawn from the New Caledonian domestic game and among the locally based players being handed a greater international opportunity during a tournament in which most of the country’s overseas-based internationals are unavailable.

PNG responded only seven minutes later. Ati Kepo found the equaliser in the 18th minute, restoring parity and quickly cancelling New Caledonia’s early advantage.

Kepo’s goal appeared to put the match back on more comfortable terms for the Kapuls. Bob Morris’ side had entered the encounter after an impressive opening victory over defending champions Vanuatu, when two late goals overturned a 1-0 deficit and produced a 2-1 win.

Against New Caledonia, though, there would be no similar late rescue.

With the teams still locked at 1-1 after the interval, the importance of the match became increasingly clear. PNG had the opportunity to move to six points from two games and take a major step towards the final, while a second successive defeat would have left New Caledonia facing a very difficult route through the remainder of the tournament.

The decisive moment arrived in the 73rd minute.

Read received the opportunity to strike towards goal, and his effort took a significant deflection off PNG defender Daniel Joe before finding the net. The change of direction left PNG unable to keep the ball out and restored New Caledonia’s advantage at 2-1.

While the goal goes down as Read’s decisive contribution to the result, the deflection was crucial to the way the ball ended up in the net. PNG were unable to find another equaliser in the remaining minutes, allowing New Caledonia to protect the lead and secure their first victory of the competition.

The result carries added significance because of the unusual circumstances surrounding this New Caledonian squad. Only months earlier, the Cagous were competing in the FIFA intercontinental playoff after becoming the first Melanesian nation to reach that stage of World Cup qualifying. That historic campaign was built around a squad containing numerous overseas-based players.

The team sent to Fiji is considerably different.

Financial limitations prevented the federation from assembling most of its overseas contingent, leaving new national-team coach Félix Tagawa with a predominantly domestic-based squad. As a result, the MSG Cup has also become an important opportunity for players from the New Caledonian Super Ligue to demonstrate that they can remain part of the wider national-team picture.

Against PNG, players from that domestic environment delivered the moments that decided the contest. Dahite scored the opener, while Read’s second-half effort — helped into the net by Joe’s deflection — ultimately separated the sides.

For Papua New Guinea, the defeat represents a setback after an encouraging start to the tournament. The Kapuls had shown considerable resilience against Vanuatu, scoring twice late in the game to turn defeat into victory, but their second appearance produced the opposite outcome. This time, it was their opponent that found the decisive second-half goal and successfully protected the advantage.

PNG still showed enough to remain dangerous in the competition. Kepo’s quick response to the opening goal prevented New Caledonia from controlling the match early, and the contest remained finely balanced until the decisive deflection late in the second half.

The result also tightens the battle for the top two positions. With only the leading pair qualifying for the final, New Caledonia’s victory prevents PNG from opening a significant gap and keeps several teams firmly involved in the race.

For New Caledonia, the importance of the result goes beyond the three points. After an opening defeat and with a reshaped squad carrying far less international experience than the group involved in their recent World Cup qualifying campaign, the Cagous produced the response they needed.

Dahite gave them the platform, Read supplied the shot that produced the decisive deflection, and New Caledonia left Suva with their MSG Cup campaign very much alive.

Solomon Islands fight back three times as Javin Wae rescues another dramatic MSG Cup draw

Solomon Islands once again demonstrated their remarkable ability to survive difficult situations at the 2026 MSG Prime Minister’s Cup, coming from behind three separate times to draw 3-3 with defending champions Vanuatu in another dramatic encounter at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.

Vanuatu led through Andrew Malakai, Tony Kaltack and Jayson Bule, but every advantage was eventually cancelled out. Don Keana produced Solomon Islands’ first response, Raphael Lea’i scored the second, and captain Javin Wae completed the third comeback with another late goal to ensure the Bonitos remained unbeaten after three matches.

For Solomon Islands, the pattern is becoming extraordinary.

Ben Cahn’s team began their tournament by recovering from 3-1 down against Fiji to draw 3-3, with Javin Wae scoring deep into stoppage time. Against New Caledonia, Wae appeared again in added time to complete a 2-0 victory. Against Vanuatu, the central defender was once more required in the closing stages — and once again he delivered.

Before Wae could become the central figure, however, Solomon Islands spent almost the entire match chasing Vanuatu.

The defending champions went ahead in the 33rd minute through Andrew Malakai. The goal rewarded Vanuatu in a match carrying considerable importance for the race towards the final, but Solomon Islands found their first answer shortly before halftime.

Don Keana equalised in the 45th minute, ensuring the Bonitos entered the interval at 1-1 rather than having to begin the second half chasing the game.

That balance lasted only a few minutes.

Tony Kaltack restored Vanuatu’s lead three minutes after the restart, making it 2-1 and continuing his productive tournament. Kaltack had already scored against Papua New Guinea in Vanuatu’s opening match and again demonstrated his capacity to contribute offensively for the defending champions.

Solomon Islands were forced to respond for a second time.

This time the answer came from their biggest attacking name. Raphael Lea’i struck in the 67th minute to make it 2-2, scoring for the second consecutive match after also finding the breakthrough in the 2-0 victory over New Caledonia.

The equaliser might have shifted the momentum towards Solomon Islands, but Vanuatu refused to retreat.

Only five minutes later, Jayson Bule put the defending champions ahead for a third time. At 3-2 with the match moving into its closing stages, Richard Iwai’s side were within reach of a victory that would have taken them to six points and placed them in an excellent position to defend their MSG title.

They were unable to protect it.

With approximately four minutes of normal time remaining, Wae struck again.

The Solomon Islands captain made it 3-3 and completed an unusual match in which his team had never led but also never allowed Vanuatu to escape. Three Vanuatu goals produced three Solomon Islands responses.

Wae’s emergence as one of the tournament’s decisive players has been one of the most unexpected stories of the competition. Primarily a defender, he has now scored in all three Solomon Islands matches.

Against Fiji, his close-range header deep into stoppage time completed the recovery from 3-1 down. Against New Caledonia, he scored again in stoppage time to secure the 2-0 result. Now, against Vanuatu, another late intervention has preserved another point.

Three matches. Three goals. All of them arriving in the closing stages.

For a team featuring attacking players such as Lea’i, Atkin Kaua, Rovu Boyers and Don Keana, it is remarkable that one of the most decisive figures has been their captain from defence.

There is, however, another side to Solomon Islands’ tournament.

The Bonitos have now scored eight goals in three matches, but they have also conceded six. Their ability to recover has protected them repeatedly, particularly in the two 3-3 draws against Fiji and Vanuatu, but having to produce those recoveries also illustrates the defensive problems Cahn will want to address.

Against Fiji they allowed the hosts to establish a 3-1 advantage. Against Vanuatu they fell behind three different times.

Their attacking quality has so far been sufficient to repair the damage, but the margins will become increasingly dangerous as the tournament approaches its decisive stage.

Vanuatu can view the same match from almost the opposite perspective. The defending champions created enough to score three times against the tournament leaders and were ahead on three separate occasions, but they were unable to convert any of those advantages into victory.

It follows an opening match against PNG in which Vanuatu led 1-0 until the 85th minute before conceding twice and losing 2-1. They subsequently responded with a disciplined 1-0 victory over Fiji, but the inability to manage another advantage against Solomon Islands has cost them two more potentially valuable points.

The draw leaves Solomon Islands top with five points from three matches, while Vanuatu have four from three. PNG and New Caledonia sit immediately behind them on three points but have each played only twice, keeping the battle for the two places in the October 3 final extremely open.

Vanuatu will now face New Caledonia on September 27 in what has become a direct contest between two teams separated by a single point. Solomon Islands have a longer break before meeting PNG on September 30 in their final round-robin match.

For Cahn’s team, the equation is still favourable, but the lesson from their first three games is clear: Solomon Islands have repeatedly shown that they are extraordinarily difficult to finish off.

And whenever the match reaches its final minutes, Javin Wae is somehow becoming one of the most dangerous men on the field.

Vanuatu hit five past New Caledonia as Solomon Islands stun hosts Fiji at Women’s MSG Cup

The third matchday of the 2026 Women’s MSG Prime Minister’s Cup produced two significant results at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva, with Vanuatu delivering the biggest victory of their campaign so far before Solomon Islands defeated hosts Fiji to strengthen their position in the race for the final.

Vanuatu were emphatic in a 5-0 victory over New Caledonia, with Leimata Simon scoring twice and Elina Aruvuha adding a late brace. Later in the evening, Lorina Solosaia scored the only goal as Solomon Islands secured a valuable 1-0 win against the Fiji Kulas.

The results add further intrigue to the round-robin competition, in which all five Melanesian nations meet once before the top two advance to the final on October 3. Papua New Guinea, the defending champions, had started the tournament with consecutive victories, while Vanuatu and Solomon Islands entered Wednesday looking to keep themselves firmly in contention.

Leimata Simon leads Vanuatu rout

Vanuatu produced their most convincing display of the tournament against New Caledonia, taking control before halftime and eventually turning their advantage into a comprehensive 5-0 victory.

The breakthrough arrived in the 31st minute through Leimata Simon, one of the most established attacking players in the Vanuatu women’s setup. Only three minutes later, New Caledonia conceded an own goal, suddenly leaving themselves with a two-goal deficit after having remained in the contest for the opening half-hour.

Vanuatu therefore went into halftime 2-0 ahead and in control, but they had to wait until the 68th minute to extend the advantage. Simon struck again to complete her brace and effectively put the match beyond New Caledonia.

The closing stages then transformed a comfortable victory into a heavy one. Elina Aruvuha made it 4-0 in the 90th minute before scoring again three minutes into stoppage time to complete the 5-0 result.

Aruvuha’s late double also continued an excellent individual tournament. She had scored Vanuatu’s winner in their 1-0 victory over Fiji on Matchday 2, meaning she has now found the net in consecutive matches.

For Simon, meanwhile, the brace represented another reminder of her importance to Vanuatu. She finished as the leading scorer at the 2025 OFC Women’s Nations Cup with five goals, and her ability to provide goals at senior international level remains a major asset for the team.

Vanuatu’s progression through the tournament has also been notable. They began with a 1-1 draw against Solomon Islands, defeated Fiji 1-0 and have now followed that result with five goals against New Caledonia.

Solosaia strikes again as Solomon Islands defeat Fiji

The evening fixture was considerably tighter, but it ended with another important result as Solomon Islands edged Fiji 1-0.

With neither side able to break the deadlock during the opening hour, the decisive moment arrived in the 75th minute when Lorina Solosaia scored for Solomon Islands. The visitors protected their advantage through the closing stages to secure all three points.

It was another important contribution from Solosaia, who is emerging as one of Solomon Islands’ decisive players in the tournament. She had already scored the 74th-minute equaliser in the opening 1-1 draw against Vanuatu and has now produced goals in both of her country’s matches.

The victory carries additional significance for Solomon Islands after their breakthrough at continental level in 2025. They won the OFC Women’s Nations Cup in Suva last year, and the victory over Fiji gives them an important result as they attempt to add the Melanesian title to that success.

For Fiji, however, the tournament has become increasingly difficult. The Kulas opened with a 4-0 defeat against defending champions Papua New Guinea, were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Vanuatu on Matchday 2 and have now suffered another 1-0 loss against Solomon Islands.

Despite the much closer performances in their last two matches, the hosts remain without a point and have yet to score after three appearances.

Race for the final intensifies

Wednesday’s results leave the competition entering a decisive phase.

Vanuatu have now collected seven points from three matches, following their draw with Solomon Islands and victories over Fiji and New Caledonia. Solomon Islands, meanwhile, have four points from two games after following their opening draw against Vanuatu with Wednesday’s victory.

Defending champions Papua New Guinea remain very much at the centre of the race after winning their opening two matches, including a 4-0 victory over Fiji and a 4-1 success against New Caledonia.

The format leaves little room for mistakes: after the round-robin stage, only the top two teams will contest the final at HFC Bank Stadium on October 3. With Vanuatu making a major statement and Solomon Islands securing their first victory of the tournament, the battle for those two places is becoming increasingly tight.

The next matchday on September 26 will see New Caledonia face Solomon Islands before Papua New Guinea meet Vanuatu — a fixture that could have a major influence on who reaches the final.

Javin Wae to the rescue: two stoppage-time goals turn defender into Solomon Islands’ unlikely MSG hero

Solomon Islands entered the MSG Prime Minister’s Cup with some of Oceania’s most recognisable attacking players, but after two matches one of their most decisive goalscorers has been a defender.

Javin Wae has scored in stoppage time in each of Solomon Islands’ opening two matches in Fiji, first rescuing a point against the hosts and then putting the final touch on victory over New Caledonia.

The circumstances make his contribution even more remarkable.

Against Fiji, Solomon Islands looked in serious danger of opening Ben Cahn’s first competitive tournament with a defeat. Fiji moved into a 3-1 lead before the match changed dramatically in its closing stages.

Solomon Islands reduced the deficit and continued to push against a Fiji side that had been reduced to ten men. Deep into stoppage time, with defeat only seconds away, Wae emerged to score the equaliser.

The defender’s close-range header came after Solomon Islands kept the attack alive from a rebound, completing an extraordinary comeback and turning what had looked like a damaging opening defeat into a 3-3 draw.

It would already have been one of the most dramatic goals of the tournament.

Then Wae did it again.

Against New Caledonia, Solomon Islands encountered a very different match. There was no open exchange of goals and no early collapse to recover from. Instead, the Bonitos had to remain patient against an opponent that kept the match scoreless throughout the first half and well into the second.

Rafa Le’ai finally broke the resistance in the 76th minute, converting from close range to put Solomon Islands ahead.

New Caledonia then had to take greater risks in search of an equaliser, but the contest remained alive into stoppage time.

Once again, Wae appeared.

A Solomon Islands corner was sent into the penalty area in the 93rd minute and the defender attacked it in the air, directing a header into the net and making it 2-0.

The goals were different in significance but remarkably similar in timing.

Against Fiji, Wae rescued a point.

Against New Caledonia, he secured all three.

Both came after the 90th minute.

For a centre-back, it is an extraordinary way to begin a tournament.

It also gives Solomon Islands something valuable beyond the individual goals. International competitions are often decided by moments when matches appear to be finished, and the Bonitos have already taken three additional points across their first two games through their ability to keep playing into stoppage time.

The Fiji match could have ended in defeat. It became a draw.

The New Caledonia match could have remained a nervous 1-0 until the final whistle. Wae removed the uncertainty.

The defender is already familiar with Cahn’s demands through his involvement with Solomon Kings, where several national-team players have been exposed to a full-time professional environment through the OFC Pro League. One of the recurring challenges for Solomon Islands football has been translating individual technical ability into game management and consistent results at senior international level.

The opening two MSG matches have offered at least one encouraging response.

Solomon Islands did not disappear when they fell two goals behind against Fiji. They did not become impatient when New Caledonia kept them scoreless for 75 minutes.

And in both matches, they still had enough concentration and belief left at the end to score again.

Their next challenge against defending champions Vanuatu should provide a much stronger indication of how far that progress has gone. The two Melanesian rivals meet with both having taken momentum from their most recent performances and with places in the tournament final ultimately at stake.

Rafa Lea’i remains the headline attacking talent. Jayroll Patty and the other Solomon Islands forwards will continue to carry much of the creative responsibility.

But after two games, the man repeatedly appearing when the clock has almost expired is Javin Wae.

Two stoppage-time goals. Four important points influenced directly by a centre-back.

Sometimes a tournament produces an unlikely hero before anyone expects one.

Ben Cahn: “You can play possession-based football with islands players” — the plan to reshape Solomon Islands

Before Ben Cahn began working in Solomon Islands football, he was told there was a style that simply would not work: possession football.

The argument was that island players might possess individual flair, speed and attacking talent, but building a team capable of controlling matches consistently through the ball was another matter.

A full season with Solomon Kings has changed Cahn’s view completely.

“When I took the job, people told me you can’t play possession-based football with islands players. We showed they are very capable,” the Solomon Islands national coach told Oceania Football Center in an exclusive interview.

That statement goes to the heart of what Cahn is attempting to construct with the Bonitos.

His ambition is not simply to select the best Solomon Islands players and organise them for individual international windows. He wants the national team to develop a recognisable football identity built around intensity without the ball and control with it.

“I want to bring the passion for football in the Solomon Islands alive on the pitch. I want to play with intensity and aggression out of possession, but I want us to dominate the ball, control the game with possession and let the players show how good they are.”

For Cahn, that philosophy is also connected to player development.

“I have a responsibility to develop the players and give them opportunities to progress their careers. I believe that can only happen by playing and training in the way that we do.”

His introduction to the senior national team provided a difficult reality check.

Solomon Islands faced Bulgaria and St Kitts and Nevis during the FIFA Series, matches Cahn says revealed weaknesses extending far beyond tactical organisation.

He does not want to discuss everything that happened around that period publicly, describing it as a difficult time for both players and the wider group, but believes the lessons were important.

“The lessons that were learnt were more off the pitch. We’re working very hard to build a better programme to support the players and close the gap with bigger nations within the resources we have.”

Cahn said the Bulgarian coaching staff and senior players offered encouraging feedback about the way Solomon Islands attempted to play despite the scoreline.

“As hard as it is to believe with the scoreline, we actually dominated 25 minutes of that game. But there was a big gap in terms of game management, quality in both boxes and depth. We’re working every day to close that gap.”

Game management has become one of the central themes of his assessment of Solomon Islands football.

The first OFC Pro League season gave many Solomon Islands players something they had rarely experienced before: a professional environment, regular matches against quality opposition and fixtures arriving every few days.

Cahn believes Solomon Kings demonstrated that players from the country are fully capable of playing technically demanding football. The problem is reproducing that level consistently and learning how to convert good periods into victories.

“The gaps are in game management, deeply understanding the game and how to win matches, and being able to be at their best consistently, especially in the Pro League where the games come every few days. But the only way to close the gap is more games and more experience.”

His dual connection with Solomon Kings and the national team naturally raises another question: how much should one become an extension of the other?

Cahn does not avoid the relationship.

“It’s an inescapable fact that the two organisations will be intertwined. The Kings are a great resource for the national team. It’s very rare for any national team to have a large group of players together in a full-time environment.”

But he insists that playing for Kings will not become an automatic route into the national team.

“National team selection won’t be a certainty for Kings players, and players at other clubs will be monitored closely.”

That is particularly important because an increasing number of Solomon Islands players are competing overseas, especially in Fiji and Australia.

For Cahn, simply moving abroad does not automatically make a footballer more valuable to the national team.

“The quality of the competition is an important factor. Potential of the player, current form, current condition and, importantly, we only want players with the right character.”

One of the most interesting cases is John Orobulu.

The striker has been producing goals in Fiji and had previously worked under Cahn’s observation while playing for Hekari United in the OFC Pro League. He is not currently in the Solomon Islands squad, but Cahn made clear that the door remains open.

“John is on the radar. I watched him closely in the Pro League for Hekari. It’s not my place to comment on past issues.”

What happens next is up to the player.

“If he can continue the form he’s had in Fiji and produce those numbers consistently in the Pro League, he has every chance of being involved moving forward.” Recently, Orobulu talked to Oceania Football Center about being left out of the squad; the striker said he respects the decision and is ready to prove his worth to comeback to the national team.

The coach is also looking further down the age structure.

Jayroll Patty and Danford Fiumae are the two young players Cahn currently believes are closest to making the next step.

“They are both making great progress, and we will manage them carefully while they build the condition and consistency to play 60 minutes at international and professional level.”

Behind them is another generation already beginning to appear.

Cahn revealed that six U-16 players trained with the senior environment during the pre-tournament camp.

“There are a lot of other good young boys coming through. We had six U-16s training with us in our pre-tournament camp. Very, very exciting players. But we have to be patient. Lots of potential, but also lots of development needed.”

That patience sits alongside an ambitious target.

Cahn has spoken about the 2030 World Cup as the long-term objective for Solomon Islands, but he does not believe reaching that level will depend primarily on discovering another gifted attacker.

Asked what the country must improve collectively, his answer was deliberately broad.

“We want to improve everything, from professionalism, standards off the pitch, resources to support the team, along with the many tactical areas that we are consistently trying to improve. The answer is everything, always.”

The largest changes required before 2030, in his view, may not happen during matches at all.

“The biggest changes are off the pitch. This group is at a good age. There are top young players coming through. They need to be supported to give them every chance of succeeding.”

Cahn knows Solomon Islands has talent. That has rarely been the question.

His project is about creating the environment in which talent becomes a functioning international team — one capable of controlling matches, managing difficult moments and producing the same standards repeatedly.

And he intends to push that project far beyond the current MSG Prime Minister’s Cup.

“I will keep fighting for them, keep fighting to improve football in Solomon Islands as a whole and keep fighting to do everything I can to make the dream a reality.”

The dream is 2030.

The work required to reach it has already started.