Port Vila Premier League is arriving to its sixth gameweek and there will be some important matches this weekend, including a huge clash of titans between Tafea and Ifira Black Bird on this Friday. Scroll down and read Oceania Football Center’s preview for this round!
Tafea vs Ifira Black Bird
The most important match of the league so far happens this Friday. Tafea and Ifira Black Bird are currently sharing the first position of the league table with eleven points each. Despite being a very promising and balanced clash Ifira BB might be considered the favourites because Tafea is going to have many absent players for this match. Waiwo Kalmet, Lucien Hinge and Allista Kalip are suspended, Eddison Stephens is injured and will probably miss today’s match. Some other players will also miss this game because of work commitments. “The team will have to deal with all the absent players, it is an opportunity for the young players to prove themselves.” said Tafea’s manager Robert Calvo. Anyway Ifira Black Bird players are aware that they need to focus on the game “That is the 90 minutes who tells the winner” said Ifira BB player Johnathan Spokeyhack. This clash is also very important for Erakor Golden Star because they may end the weekend as league leaders depending on the results of this round.
Yatel vs Erakor Golden Star
Yatel comes from three straight draws and they now face a strong Erakor Golden Star that is still unbeaten. This match is very important for both teams. Depending on the weekend results, Yatel may overtake Tupuji and Erakor may take the lead of the Premier League – “We are looking at that. Their game will be tough” said Erakor’s coach Kalo Noel Benjamin. Just like Tafea, Erakor is going to have some important players missing this match. “Our defensive midfielder Eli Thomas is suspended and Jackson Tasso is not recovered from injury yet” stated Benjamin. With Tasso’s absence, Jesse Kalopong must be the team’s captain. Yatel is showing they can be a competitive side in the league and they might be a good challenge for Erakor.
Sia Raga vs Mauwia
Sia-Raga did not lose the last two matches against Galaxy and Yatel and they probably will not lose to Mauwia this weekend. Nevertheless they know it is necessary to play seriously against Mauwia if they want to take the three points home – “We are looking forward for another win this Saturday […] Every team is still in the chase for points.” said Sia-Raga’s assistant coach Vaagahu Harper. Sia-Raga is another team that is suffering with injuries this season but they have some players back for this clash – “We have some injured players that played against Galaxy FC which did not join the team that played Yatel FC but they are ready now.” said Harper. “Our preparation went well this week and we added much more physical work to our game which we are planning to use this Saturday” he complemented.
Galaxy vs Tupuji Imere
Galaxy did not win their last three games and they really need to recover if they still want to keep up with the leaders. Current league’s top scorer Kensi Tangis is still injured and may not play against Tupuji Imere. On the other hand Tupuji has some good news: The return of Azariah Soromon and Alex Saniel. Soromon is back to the team after representing Vanuatu at OFC Futsal Nations Cup held in New Caledonia while Alex Saniel is back from New Zealand. The return of these two players adds a lot of power to Tupuji’s attack – “We expect a very tough game but with the help of Azariah and Alex Saniel I think we will try our very best as a team to get these three points” said Tupuji’s player Elkington Molivakarua. Will Tupuji win to get closer to other teams in the table or Galaxy will take home the three points? We will check it on Saturday!
Oceania Football Center 