OFC Champions League 2020

Appearances: Two
Best Campaign: Winners (2019)
Qualified as: Mobile Super League 2019 Champions
Full squad

Hienghène Sport had a really fantastic 2018/2019 season. They did the treble, winning the Super Ligue, the Coupe de Nouvelle Caledonie and, most impressively, the OFC Champions League 2018/2019. They also participated at the Fifa Club World Cup 2019 and they went very near to made a historical win against the Qatari host team Al-Sadd. They lost 3-1 only after extra time. They have reached another level of awareness, and they know that, at least in Oceania, they can match any opponent they come up against.

Last season, Hienghène Sport won the two Caledonian titles. In the Mobil Super League, they fought with AS Magenta until the last match of the season. The two teams finished the national competition with only 2 points between them. In the last match, Hienghène Sport kept the lead of the league by easily winning 4-1 against Horizon Patho. Then, in the Coupe de Caledonie final, Hienghène beated AS Lössi 5-3, gaining the chance to play the 7th round of the Coupe de France.

In the last continental campaign, they won the competition in fratricide caledonian match against AS Magenta. The final, which was played in the Stade Numa at Nouméa in New Caledonia, was very hard fought by the two teams, and it was resolved by an extraordinary shot made by Antoine Roine at the 65th minute. Probably the most remarkable result for the Henghiène Sport came in the semi-final, in which they beated the Team Wellington – a team which, as a side based in New Zealand and as the reigning champions, were huge favourites to win the entire competition.

The squad is quite similar to the team who traveled to Qatar to play FIFA Club World Cup in December. Some of the players deserve to be named: the first is Joseph Athalé. We talked to him last month and you can read our interview here. Then there is captain Bertrand Kaï, who is probably the most experienced player in the team, should also not be forgotten, with his 23 goals in 41 appearances for the senior national team. Kaï is also one of only two Caledonians who have won the Oceania Footballer of the Year. The other one is for sure Christian Karembeu.

In the last days there were some bad news regarding the squad for the competition: some players will not be available for the competition due to their job commitments: Geordy Gony, Antony Kaï, Joris Gorendiawe, and Yewene Yewene. Gony scored against Team Wellington in the last Champions League. Miguel Kayara is listed in Hienghène’s squad but there are some rumours that he is not going to play the tournament. Their loss will be a difficult blow for the side in a tough group.

After getting known worldwide by playing so well the Club World Cup, Hienghène is now back to the oceanian Champions League as the title holders but they will have to face some difficult challenges. Hienghène Sport have been drawn into Group A, which, is the toughest one in this first phase of the competition. Their first match will be against the Vanuatuan ABM Galaxy FC, and the Caledonians need to win this one for sure because the other two are exceptionally tough.

Indeed the second match will be against the guinean Hekari United, who will have the home crowd on its side, while the third and final match will be the toughest one when the caledonians will face Eastern Suburbs AFC from New Zealand. In the end, the club’s target for this continental campaign must be first of all to pass this difficult group. If they achieve this goal, they will surely believe it’s possible to win the competition again. They are the runners up champions and they partecipated in the Fifa Club World Cup so they must know that they have the strenght to beat all the others oceanian teams.