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.