This weekend is going to be a different one in New Caledonia as there will not be any match from Mobil Super Ligue – the top-tier of local football. However football goes on in the French territory as New Caledonia Cup’s Round of 32 is going to be contested this weekend.
Current champions Hienghène Sport are going to face AS Kirikitr while 2020 Mobil Super Ligue leaders Tiga Sport are going to have a tough clash against AS Lössi. Both matches will be contested at Stade Pentecost in Nouméa – the capital of New Caledonia.
Hienghène Sport’s players celebrating 2019 New Caledonia Cup title – FCF Media
Besides the clash between Tiga and Lössi, there will be another two another matches contested by two teams from Mobil Super Ligue: AS Wetr vs SC Ne Drehu and JS Baco vs Horizon Patho.
Fourteen matches will be played on Saturday while the remaining two are going to take place on Sunday. You can check the full schedule of New Caledonia Cup’s Round of 32 by clicking here.
Since the 26-year-old midfielder Jasnit Vikash joined Nasinu for the Vodafone Premier League – in the mid-season transfer window in Fiji – the player is enjoying a very good form. In his debut, the talented player scored a brace against the powerhouse Ba to collect very important points for his side in the national league. Despite Nasinu is only ranked 7th in the top-tier league so far, Vikash is certainly one of the stand-out players since the resumption of football in Fiji
Nasinu could not qualify for the semi-final stage of the 2020 Battle of Giants; one-goal deficit separated them from Suva that got a spot in the decisive part of the traditional tournament. Despite the failure in the group stage, Vikash netted three goals in the competition and ended up collecting the ‘Golden Boot’ award of the BOG.
Jasnit Vikash – Fiji FA Media
The good individual moment of Vikash did not end up there: the player returned to his former district in football Lami this time to represent them in the Inter-District Futsal tournament. Scoring three goals in the group stage, the talented Jasnit Vikash helped his side to proceed to the semi-final where they faced Rewa and beat the Delta Tigers in the penalty shootout – Vikash scored his penalty in the contest.
Despite falling short for Suva in the grand final match of the competition, Lami impressed all spectators and certainly Vikash was once again one of the stand-out players of the tournament. The player proved he can be useful for Fiji both in futsal and football as most of the football fans in the country were expecting to see Vikash in the list of Fiji national football team head coach Flemming Serritslev – the Danish coach named a training squad heading recently, where the only Nasinu player in the list was Sekove Naivakananumi.
Despite not appearing in the call up this time, if Vikash continues to perform at the current level certainly Serritslev will be interested to test the player in the upcoming training camps of the national team. While international football is still uncertain, the national team head coach is evaluating players in trainings and watching closely their performances in the competitions through the country. Jasnit Vikash can be sure if he keeps performing as he is, a national team call up will not be taking so much longer.
Recently, Oceania Football Center reported that New Caledonian internationalEmile Ounei signed for French side Avenir Lavitois. There are good news for the New Caledonia football fans: the striker scored in his debut for the club in a Coupe de France match against Coquelicots Montecho by 6-1. The former AS Magenta man netted one of the six goals in strong performance of the site that currently plays in Regional 3 – 8th tier of French football.
Ounei as AS Magenta player – OFC Media
A.S Stéphanoise will be the opponents of Avenir Lavitois in the second round of the Coupe de France – the match will be played this Sunday (30th Aug) in Lavit. The club currently counts on the former New Caledonia national team head coach Thierry Sardo from the sidelines, one of this first moves as Lavitois’ head coach was to grant the signing of Emile Ounei for the club.
After lots of talks between Liberato Cacace and Kevin Muscat’s coached-side – the Belgium’s top-tier club Sint-Truiden – it is confirmed by Stuff that the New Zealand international signed a three-year-deal with the club coached by former Melbourne Victory boss.
It is reported Cacace received many attention from European clubs – including proposals from English’s Championship teams – but the talented player decided to move for Belgium for the next season. “Cacace flew to Belgium to complete the deal shortly after the Phoenix were knocked out of the A-League finals series by Perth Glory on Saturday night“, said Stuff.
Liberato Cacace
The now former Wellington Phoenix player was named for ‘Opta Index Hyundai A-League Team of the Season’ and he is expected to enjoy regular first team football time in his new club in Belgium. Sint-Truiden finished 12th in the last season in Pro League in Belgium and hopes the quality of Cacace can put them in higher in the rankings of the upcoming season.
The Vodafone Futsal Inter-District Championship was contested at FMF Gymnesium over the past weekend by eight teams and Suva lifted the trophy after beating Lami in the final on Sunday. Although the tournament was a success, an unpleasant situation was repeated in this tournament.
It was reported by local media as two players tested positive for Marijuana and both players must be suspended from football for three months and fined. The names of these two players were not released yet.
Fiji FA logo
It is important to remember that earlier this month Saula Waqa and Manasa Nawakula from Ba were suspended after testing positive in drug tests during 2020 Battle of the Giants played at Churchill Park in Lautoka.
Despite the punishments, cases of players testing positive for drug use are recurrent in Fiji. The local federation must find a solution in order to keep the sport clean.
After being smashed by Henderson Eels in the last match, Laugu United had a tough challenge against Isabel United on Wednesday at Lawson Tama Stadium in Honiara during the third matchweek of 2020 Telekom S-League – the major football league from Solomon Islands.
Laugu and Isabel have scored twice each until the final minutes of the contest when Laugu’s midfielder Jeffery Bule passed the ball to Mathias Iani who scored a marvelous goal from outside the box in the 87th minute to put his side ahead. You can check his goal by clicking here.
Mathias Iani scored a marvelous goal against Isabel United – Telekom S-League Media
Iani has now three goals in three matches while Laugu United are currently in the second position in the table with six points. You can check the current Telekom S-League standings and top scorers by clicking here.
AS Wetr are having a solid start in 2020 Mobil Super Ligue – the top-tier league from New Caledonia. The team coached by Casimir Hnawange have three draws and a win in five games while the remaining match was a 1-0 loss to current league leaders Tiga Sport.
The good performance of AS Wetr must be linked to four players: Christopher Wacalie, Enrick Bouanaoue, Germain Haewegene and Waia Sakilia. While Wacalie, Bouanaoue and Sakilia are having good performances day in day out, Haewegene must be highlighted for being a decisive player in the league – even when he comes from the bench.
Haewegene is AS Wetr’s top scorer in the current Mobil Super Ligue season with four goals, including a brace against Hienghène Sport on Saturday. Besides that, the 24-year-old forward is a very fast and intelligent player and it is surely a differential inside the pitch. You can check some highlights of his career by clicking here.
Haewegene (in blue) playing for AS Wetr
He is also known in athletics as he guides Sylvain Bova – an athlete with a vision impairment – at international evelts. Haewegene and Bova won the silver medal in the Men’s 200 meters at World Para Athletics European Championships held in Germany two years ago.
It is known that AS Wetr are not one of the most famous teams from New Caledonia, however it would not be a surprise if Haewegene receives an opportunity in the National Team. His combination of quality and athleticism is unique in the country. Having a player like him is something that must be valued by football fans, specially in a nation that football has an amateur status.
The 2020-21 season has already kicked-off in some European countries. Although the first three divisions have not started yet, Regionalliga – the fourth-tier of German football – is already back which means that it is time to see Fijian international Nicho Prasad in action with Bischofswerdaer FV 08.
Bischofswerdaer had a powerful start in the current league season with two victories in two matches – the same number of victories they had last season. However Prasad was not in the squad in the opening clashes: “I have been injured for four weeks but now I am ready to play my first game of the season,” said Prasad.
Prasad in action for Bischofswerdaer FV 08
Prasad joined Bischofswerdaer in February but he did not have many time to show his quality once the league was called-off due to COVID-19 pandemics. Now the Fijian defender has the opportunity to play a whole season with the club.
Bischofswerdaer’s next league match will be against SV Babelsberg 03 on Sunday. You can check the current league standings by clicking here.
HJK received SJK Seinäjoki at Helsinki Football Stadium in the twelfth matchweek of Veikkausliiga – the top-tier league from Finland. It was a special match for Oceania as two OFC players were face to face in this clash: David Browne and Nikko Boxall.
Roope Riski opened the scoreboard in the first half to put HJK ahead. On the other hand, SJK’s central defender Nikko Boxall saw a yellow card in the 62nd minute. The second and last goal of the match was scored by David Browne who pushed the ball into the net after a cross from the right side in the 75th minute. At the final whistle the score was 2-0 in favour of HJK. You can check the highlights of the match by clicking here.
Browne celebrating his goal against SJK – HJK Media
Browne is living a huge moment in Finland as he scored two goals in the last three matches while Boxall was in SJK’s starting eleven for the seventh straight game. HJK are now on top of the table with 27 points in twelve matches while SJK Seinäjoki are in the tenth position with only eight points. You can check the current league standings by clicking here.
The third and last matchday of 2020 VFF National League Championship’s Group B took place on this Saturday as the final games of the group stage were contested at Korman Stadium in Port Vila – the capital of Vanuatu.
Shefa FA and Tafea FA clashed in the first match of the day. Despite all efforts, Tafea FA were not able to stop their opponents as Kenry Arsen passed by three players before Tonly Kalotang push the ball into the net the 80th minute to seal Shefa’s 1-0 win – which means that Kalotang and his teammates will play the tournament’s final on Saturday. You can check Kalotang’s goal by clicking here.
Shefa FA players celebrating the goal against Tafea FA – Vanuatu Sports News
The second match of the day was contested between Malampa FA and Port Vila FA. Both teams entered the field already eliminated from the tournament, however that was not an obstacle for Port Vila’s striker Kensi Tangis who scored a hat-trick in the 3-0 win against Malampa.
Shefa FA will meet Sanma FA in VFF National League Championship’s final. You can check more information about this tournament by clicking here.
