The first matchweek of 2020 Telekom S-League will finish on this Wednesday with a clash between Marist FC and Honiara City. After finishing the last season in the seventh position, Marist FC staff and players are now looking for better results and they have a tough contest about newcomers Honiara City.
While Honiara City’s squad was already released, the official squadlist of Marist FC remains unknown. However it is known that youngster John Aeta is confirmed in the squad for this Telekom S-League season – “We are looking forward for the upcoming challenges in this season,” said Aeta.
John Aeta will play another Telekom S-League season for Marist FC
Despite being a 19-year-old full back, Aeta has already some good experience as he represented his country at youth level and senior level. He made his official debut for Solomon Islands National Football Team last year in the 2019 Pacific Games.
This clash between Marist FC and Honiara City is scheduled to take place at Lawson Tama Stadium in Honiara. This match will be livestreamed in Telekom S-League Facebook page.
Hekari United is working to get cleared the two Papua New Guinean internationals they recently signed for the second round of PNG National Soccer League. Raymond Gunemba and Nigel Dabinyaba are involved in a never-ending sitution about their transfer to Hekari United. According to Lae City’s chairman, both players were not released according to PNG National Soccer League transfer rules and are unable to join Hekari until further notice. This forced both players to not feature in the recent match of Hekari against Bougainville.
Raymond Gunemba and Nigel Dabinyaba – EMTV
The next weekend match for both players might be very special: Hekari United is sheduled to play against Lae City, their former club – a match that will be one of the most interesting football clashes from the last years in the country.
Hekari United fans can have high expecations on the availabilty of Gunemba and Dabinyaba for the match. Raymond Gunemba confirmed to Oceania Football Center his team already got in touch with PhNGFA requesting their release: “yes, everything is fixed. We are just waiting the letter from PNGFA to be cleared to play,” stated Gunemba.
Certainly, it will be very interesting to see how both players perform against their former club in the next weekend. Both Lae and Hekari are tied at the top of national league table with 26 points – this will be a crucial match as the two teams are strong contenders for the title.
Football fans in Fiji were expecting a good contest in the 2020 Battle of Giants group stage – high expectations were put in the shoulders of Rewa and Suva players as they were claimed to be the two heavy favourites of the tournament. Despite having problems in the first stage, Suva proceeded to the semi-finals while Rewa got the second place in the Group B to also grant a spot in the next stage.
The hosts Lautoka were knocked-out with three defeats as Ba topped the Group A, but had only one victory in the process. If all these four teams could not have a good competition, maybe it was time for the reigning champions Labasa to shine. Indeed, the Babasiga Lions could not play as expected from them in the tournament and were also knocked-out in the group stage. The question is: which district played the best football so far? Well, for those who did not expect, it is Nadi.
Nadi impressed in BOG group stage – FFA Media
The side coached by Kamal Swamy did not have any problems to surpass Navua in the opener of Battle of Giants as they smashed the opponents by 4-1. In the team second match, the Green Machine faced a strong Rewa side by a thunderbolt finish from Afraz Ali gave the win for the Jetsetters and the team final match in the pool they took on the hosts Lautoka – despite suffering an equaliser in the late stages of the game, captain Avinesh Suwamy was able to score in the final minutes to secure another win for Nadi.
Suwamy, a legend of football in the country, guided Nadi to its best performances so far in the season. The captain scored a hattrick in its final match against Lautoka – a total of four in the group stage – to give the team three wins in three matches. Nadi also have important players available for the coach Swamy, as Ame Votoniu, Sakaraia Naisua, Rusiate Matarerega and Navneel Nand.
Team captain, Avi is the current Fiji’s top goalscorer of the year with eight goals counting all senior tournaments played in the country. Despite being not an offensive player primarly, the 34-year-old midfielder is a key member of Swamy’s team that impressed everyone with its results in the BOG group stage. The strong Suva team that will take on Nadi in the semi-finals of the tournament will certainly need to take a look on Nadi’s performances and key players and seek for a strategy on how to stop the Green Machine.
One of the most important players from New Zealand, Chris Wood might be joining a new club soon. The 28-year-old striker is being linked to Lazio from Italy.
According to Corriere dello Sport Chris Wood has been offered to Lazio in a potential summer move and it was reported that the Italian team is working on the possibility of submit a bid to take Wood out of Burnley FC.
Chris Wood
The 2019-20 season was surely the best of his career. The striker from New Zealand scored fourteen goals in 32 matches in the English Premier League.
Lazio finished the Serie A in the fourth position with 78 points which means that I Biancocelesti will play the next UEFA Champions League.
The 2020-21 Ligue 1 VINI is set to begin in the next month and local teams are already training for the upcoming season of the major football league from Tahiti.
After a bad 2019-20 season, AS Central Sport is looking for better results and the club has recently announced the arrival of four new players to strengthen the squad: Florent Gaudy, Heremataarii Hatitio, Renan Leperf and Tamatiti Patia.
Gaudy, Hatitio, Leperf and Patia – AS Central Sport Media
The upcoming Ligue 1 VINI will count on twelve teams because there was no relegation in the last season as the league was called-off due to COVID-19 pandemics.
Henry Fa’arodo is a true legend when it comes to football in Oceania. The 37-year-old midfielder from Solomon Islands is currently playing for Hamilton Wanderers in the Lotto NRFL Premier Men’s in New Zealand after being the head coach of Solomon Warriors in the last Telekom S-League season.
Despite being in New Zealand, Fa’arodo always expresses his thoughts about football in his homeland on social media. The legendary player talked to Oceania Football Center about the 2020 Telekom S-League that kicked-off on Saturday. Scroll down to check!
What are your expectations for this Telekom S-League season, Henry? Do you expect a higher technical level?
I am expecting an evenly contested season. Technical level and structure will be the difference between teams especially in the first round. Teams that are good technically and tactically structured can be hard to beat.
I think to have players like Atkin, Benjamin, Alick and Gagame to name a few is good in a way to bring in the experience to teams that have a majority of young and upcoming talents. Also it will be good to see aspiring young talents rubbing shoulders with the experience players too. It is a learning curve.
How important is to have a well organised national league? What would you suggest for teams this season in order to improve the level of the game?
It is very important to have an organised national league and even national youth league. In terms of improving the level of the game for a club or team, I believe in the coaching team. His or their ideas, understanding of the modern game, philosophy and goal settings can make a difference in the level of the game. Through delivering sessions that will improve the players and make them more competent in their roles within the team structure and the style of play the coach wants his team to play.
How will you follow the league from New Zealand?
I will follow the league through the S-League page on Facebook.
Do you have any message for the local supporters of the Telekom S-League?
For the local supporters please support your teams, if you can assist the teams help them out. Even if it is volunteering, be a volunteer. And remember to be humble in winning and be positive in losing. Remember you and your actions will represent the teams and the clubs you support and follow.
Oceania Football Center would like to thank to Henry Fa’arodo for answering our questions!
The group stage of 2020 Battle of the Giants finished on Sunday. Four teams advanced to the semi-finals while the other four teams were knocked out of the tournament. One of the teams that left the tournament is Nasinu that lived a different story in the last weekend.
Nasinu’s first match in the tournament was a disaster. The Giant Killers lost to Ba by 7-3 in the opening day and team’s head coach Tagi Vonolagi was sent off in the first half due to sharp comments against the referees.
Vonolagi’s absence became a problem for the team as another person would have to coach the team in the remaining matches of the group stage, and this person was O’Neil Chand – the president of Nasinu Football.
Chand (left) coaching Nasinu in 2020 Battle of the Giants
Chand surprised everyone by leading Nasinu in the remaining two group stage matches: a 3-1 win against Suva and a 1-1 draw against Labasa. His side did not have an amazing performance but it was almost enough to book a spot in the semi-finals as Nasinu finished the tournament with four points in three matches – the same amount of points as group leaders Ba as you can check by clicking here.
The Giant Killers now turn their attentions back to the Vodafone Premier League that resumes later this month. You can check the current national league standings by clicking here.
After five months without a match the 2019-20 PNG National Soccer League resumed this weekend as five matches were contested on Saturday – two in Lae and three in Port Moresby. One of the most exciting matches of the weekend was contested by two rivals: Morobe United and Morobe Wawens.
This match marked the debut of Valentine Nelson for Morobe United. The 33-year-old joined the team in the last transfer window after leaving Lae City earlier in the year. He was in United’s starting eleven in the 3-1 loss against Wawens.
Valentine Nelson
Morobe United is currently in the ninth position with seven points in eleven matches. You can check the current PNG National Soccer League standings by clicking here.
The fourth matchweek of 2020 Mobil Super Ligue started on last weekend with four matches being contested at Numa-Daly Stadium. One of these matches was contested between AS Magenta and AS Mont-Dore and the final score was a surprising 3-3 draw.
This result was not so good for AS Magenta but they remain on top of the league with fourteen points in four matches – it is important to remember that the punctuation system is different in New Caledonia and Tahiti. On the other hand, it was a day to celebrate for AS Mont-Dore players, specially for youngster Titouan Richard.
Titouan Richard
Richard was the hero of the day by scoring a marvelous hat-trick to save his team from losing. The 19-year-old forward showed his talent to lead his team specially when AS Magenta was leading the clash by 3-1. Titouan was part of New Caledonia U17 National Team that played 2017 FIFA U17 World Cup held in India.
AS Mont-Dore is in the ninth position in the Mobil Super Ligue with five points in four matches. You can check the current league standings by clicking here.
Despite the debut of these important players the biggest moment of the match was starred by Joshua Oscar who celebrated his goal by paying a tribute to his teammate Nigel Malagian who is recovering from a stroke that he suffered couple of weeks ago.
Oscar also wrote the name of his uncle Ronald in his left fist as Ronald recently underwent surgery. The 29-year-old attacking midfielder scored one goal and delivered an assist in the match.
Joshua and his teammates are currently on top of the table with 26 points in eleven matches. You can see the current PNG National Soccer League standings by clicking here.
Oceania Football Center 