Golden Stay: Solomon Islands’ star John Orobulu commits to Southern United, rejects Rewa deal

In a surprising turn of events, John Orobulu, the standout player of Southern United and the Solomon Islands national team, has confirmed he will remain with his current club for the remainder of the Telekom S-League season.

This news comes as a shock, as even the Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) stated the player was offered a deal with current Fijian champions Rewa and accepted it. However, the reality is different, with the national team striker staying on with Southern United; “John Orobulu will remain with Southern United FC for the rest of the season of 2024/25,” said Southern United’s president Baddley Alaha to Oceania Football Center.

Orobulu, 23, has had an impressive run, earning silver with the Solomon Islands in the last Pacific Games held at home, where he was the top scorer of the football tournament. He was also recently part of the national team at the OFC Nations Cup. Orobulu’s decision to stay with Southern United is expected to have a significant impact on their campaign.

In the last months a lot of buzz was around a possible move for the 23-year-old striker – he was linked to a move to Henderson Eels at the start of the season and even Fijian newspapers stated the player was set to join Nadroga’s outfit. Instead, the player opted to stay with the club that propelled him to the stardom in South Pacific and is expecting the right move to come before deciding his future.