Oceania Football Center

Ronil Lal: a very physical contest awaits Labasa against Nadi

One of the most important matches of the weekend in Fiji for the Vodafone Premier League will see Nadi take on the current Battle of Giants, Inter-District Championship and Champion vs Champion winners Labasa. The match will be certainly important for both sides; Labasa fans will be happy to count on the their star-player Siotame Kubu as the attacker announced he is going to stay in Labasa after strong links a move to Lautoka.

The coach Ronil Lal, one of the fan favourites in Labasa, talked to Oceania Football Center about his expecations on this very important game.

“The preparation went well. But fitness is still a challenge. After a long break and we have just trained for 4 weeks. But I am expecting a tough game“, said Lal. The COVID-19 forced break caused problems for Labasa and all teams in Fiji, but their preparation needs to be ready if they want to improve in the national league rankings.

“It will be a very physical game. Nadi has players with good shooting ability. So the will look for every opportunity to shoot“, said Lal on his analysis on Nadi. Nadi will count on the likes of Avinesh Suwamy and Rusiate Matarerega and if the Babasiga Lions want to win, they will certainly need to stop them.

Allen Peter confirmed at Rewa; borders restrictions still a problem for him

Rewa are pursuing something unprecedented in the club’s history – win the national football league. The Delta Tigers are on the top of the ladder with twelve points in five matches and they want more and more.

As it was previously reported, Rewa tried to sign with some good players for the remaining of the current football season. One of these players is Solomon Islands’ defender Allen Peter who last played for Laugu United in 2019-20 Telekom S-League.

It was confirmed by Rewa’s president Nazeel Buksh that they managed to sign with Peter – “We already have his ITC (International Transfer Certificate) with us,” he stated. The biggest problem now is the same that is being faced by Nasinu and Suva that also have players from Solomon Islands – borders restrictions.

SEE ALSO
Marlon Nonone: we need to close Ba up
Siotame Kubu remains with Labasa
Hughes and Nabenia to lose Rewa’s crucial match against Suva

Allen Peter playing for Solomon Islands National Team

Peter is currently in Solomon Islands so he is not able to join Rewa at the moment. However he is already a Rewa’s player as his ITC is already with the team – “Peter will be joining us once we can confirm a flight for him,” said Nazeel Buksh.

Rewa will face their biggest rivals Suva at ANZ Stadium on Sunday. You can check the current Vodafone Premier League standings by clicking here.

Marlon Nonone: we need to close Ba up

Nasinu’s last match in Vodafone Premier League was in March. The Giant Killers will be officially back to the pitch this weekend with a tough mission: stop current league champions Ba at Fiji FA Academy tomorrow.

It is already confirmed that Atkin Kaua and Jared Rongosulia are going to miss the game as both players are currently stuck in Solomon Islands due to border restrictions. On the other hand, there is another player from Solomon Islands that is cleared to play and is likely to be in Nasinu’s starting eleven in tomorrow’s game: Marlon Nonone.

Nonone moved to Fiji last year because he received a scholarship to study in Fiji and he joined Nasinu earlier this year. The 21-year-old forward understands the importance of this match and pointed what they need in order to fight for a good result against their opponents – “Ba is a good team. They are well organized when they have the ball possession […] We need to work hard in every part of the field to close them up,“ he said.

SEE ALSO
Siotame Kubu remains with Labasa
Hughes and Nabenia to lose Rewa’s crucial match against Suva
Suva: Michael Boso unavailable for unknown period

Nonone (right) playing for Nasinu against Nadi – *Fiji FA Media*

He also expressed his thoughts about the absence of his countrymen Kaua and Rongosulia – “It is going to be a little harder to me because I have a good ball combination with them. We understand each other very well inside and outside the pitch,” stated Nonone.

According to FBC News three new players must be available to represent Nasinu this weekend: Asish Chand, Patrick Sarwan and Semi Vakatalai. It is also known that Isikeli Ratucava left Suva to rejoin the Giant Killers but there is no information if he is available or not for this match.

Nasinu is currently in the seventh position in 2020 Vodafone Premier League season with four points in five matches. You can check the current standings by clicking here.

Malakai Rakula: Roy Krishna is ‘like a king’ for Fijian Football

Fiji football has lots of stories to tell; many remarkable moments. One of the most important figures of Fijian football history is certainly the current national team captain and ATK-MB star Roy Krishna. One of Krishna’s teammates in the national, the new Lautoka player Malakai Rakula expressed his feelings on Krishna – about the importance of the player to local football and also what Roy Krishna represents to Fiji as a country. “He is very down to earth, very humble. He is a ‘one-million-dollar man’, but he is always there to help,” said Rakula to Oceania Football Center.

“When we were in Samoa, for Pacific Games, people saw him and ask: is he Roy Krishna? Really, the one-million-dollar man and he is so humble” said Rakula, “he was always there to assist us in the pitch“, completed the Fijian international.

When asked about the importance of Krishna for Fiji, Rakula did not hesitate: “he is ‘like a king’ in Fiji” said the new Lautoka signing – “his hardwork make him go so far, to suceed in A-League and in India. The whole Fiji is proud of him, he represents our country very well“. Rakula also praised the capabilities of Krishna inside the pitch: “Roy is very different – professional player -, but he is always there to assist us in order to represent Fiji very well. He is very fast, a complete striker”, expressed Rakula.

Rakula played with Krishna for several times in the Fiji national team, together they clinched the bronze medal in the last Pacific Games edition in Samoa in Men’s football tournament. Last year, Fiji won by 1-0 a friendly match against Mauritius where Malakai Rakula provided one beautiful assist to Krishna to score the winning goal: the duo combines very well. You can watch winning goal of Krishna and the assist of Rakula in this match by clicking here.

Fiji: Siotame Kubu remains with Labasa

One of the most important players from Labasa, forward Siotame Kubu was very close to leave the Babasiga Lions to join Lautoka. It was reported by local media that Kubu playing a friendly match for the Bluez while Lautoka’s transfer request was being analyzed but he has decided to stay with Labasa.

However it was confirmed by Labasa’s head coach Ronil Lal that Kubu is not going to leave the team anymore as he is going to stay with Lions for the remaining of the current season – “He trained with the team and he is going to start tomorrow against Nadi,” said Lal.

SEE ALSO
Labasa: talented Mohammed Alam signs for Babasiga Lions
Hughes and Nabenia to lose Rewa’s crucial match against Suva

Siotame Kubu is going to stay with Labasa

Kubu is a very important player for Labasa and his permanence is something that must be celebrated. He is going to play an important role throughout the current season just like he did in the past year.

Labasa did not have a good start in the current Vodafone Premire League season. The Babasiga Lions are currently int he sixth position with four points in five matches. You can check the current league standings by clicking here.

Martin Bueno leaves Eastern Suburbs to play in Europe

After two years and six months in New Zealand, Martin Bueno is leaving the country to play in Europe. The 28-year-old Uruguayan forward is going to Switzerland to play for AC Bellinzona that is currently in the third tier of Swiss football.

Bueno built a successful career in New Zealand playing for Napier City Rovers, Hamilton Wanderers and Eastern Suburbs. It is going to be his second opportunity in Europe as he played in Italy before joining Napier City Rovers back in 2018. He was part of Rovers’ squad that won 2019 Chatham Cup.

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Young All Whites forward Jesse Randall ready to move overseas in 2021

Bueno celebrating a goal for Eastern Suburbs

The Uruguayan forward scored eleven goals in fifteen matches during the 2019-20 ISPS Handa Premiership season – the major football league in New Zealand. He is also the current top scorer of 2020 OFC Champions League with six goals in three matches.

Oceania Football Center congratulates Bueno for this accomplisment and we wish him good luck in Switzerland.

Jacky Ruben back to his roots in Vanuatu

The current PVFA Independence Cup is being a very good tournament with interesting matches and many talented players. A good example is Tafea’s forward Micah Tommy who recently returned to Vanuatu. However there is another player that returned to the country that must be highlighted: Jacky Ruben.

Ruben officially left Suva and he is now free to join any team as his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) is not with the Fijian club anymore. The 23-year-old midfielder is playing the 2020 PVFA Independence Cup for Erakor Golden Star – a club that he knows very well.

Besides being the team’s captain in the tournament, he is also coaching Erakor Women’s Team – ‘The passion of this game is something different that is why we hardly quit it,” revealed Ruben to Erakor Golden Star’s media.

Ruben (in the middle) is back to his roots

Back to Vanuatu, he is probably going to stay with Erakor at least until the end of the current season. However it is not something confirmed yet as he is not officially attached to the club. It is important to remember that the Independence Cup is not an official tournament like the PVFA Premier League.

Ruben and his teammates will have a tough challenge tomorrow when Erakor will fight for the first position of Group A against Galaxy FC. You can check the current standings by clicking here.

Hughes and Nabenia to lose Rewa’s crucial match against Suva

Oceania Football Center recently stated that the Rewa will count on Rawaqa and Tamanisau that recently recovered from injuries in their next clash on Vodafone Premier League against Suva this weekend. Despite the good news, the Delta Tigers will also miss two very important players of their squad when they take on Capital City Boys: Bruce Hughes and Samuela Nabenia.

Nabenia is suspended for the next match due yellow card accumulation; Bruce Hughes was directly sent-off by a red card in the previous match of Rewa in the Vodafone Premier League before the forced break due COVID-19 pandemics. Both players will not be available for the head coach Marika Rodu that will hope their recovered players Simione Tamanisau and Kavaia Rawaqa can be instrumental in this very important clash in national league.

Nasinu to miss Solomon Islands’ duo in clash against Ba

Nasinu fans will miss two very important players this weekend when the Giant Killers take on Ba. The team coached by Fijian football legend Tagi Vonolagi will not count on the Solomon Islands international Atkin Kaua and his compatriot Jared Rongosulia.

Both players are currently in Solomon Islands and duo Fiji is still with their borders closed as measure to prevent coronavirus to enter the country, both players will not a chance to move back Fiji to represent Nasinu in time. In fact, both Atkin and Jared does not have a fixed date to return Fiji as Fiji government did not give an schedule on when the borders will reopen.

Kaua is one of the most important players of Nasinu, the attacking midfielder already scored three goals in the Vodafone Premier League this season. Jared Rongosulia is also an important part of Nasinu’s midfield, the former player of Kossa and Laugu United was an usual starter in Vonologi’s coached team. The other Solomon Islander in Nasinu’s squad, Marlon Nonone, will be available for the match against Ba as the attacker continued in Fiji due study commitments.

Four months later, Phoenix is back to action

After more than four months, the only Oceania full-professional football club is back to competition. The Wellington Phoenix, current ranked 3rd in the Australian top-tier Hyundai A-League, will take on the top-tabled Sydney FC this Friday at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney at 7:30pm local time – the match will kick-off the resumption of A-League after the forced break due COVID-19 pandemic.

Coronavirus: A-League to continue behind closed doors, Wellington ... — Phoenix is finally back to action – *BeSoccer*

The team coached by Ufuk Talay just regrouped this month; recently Phoenix won by 3-0 a friendly match against Western Sydney Wanderers in preparation for their return to the A-League competition. For this clash against the league 1st-placed side, Talay will not count on three players: Tim Payne and Oli Sail that were suspended by the club after breaking the quarentine and Cameron Devlin that is also suspended, but for yellow cards accumulation.

The last match of Phoenix was in March, 15th against Melbourne Victory where they played a fantastic match winning the Melbourne-based side in Wellington by 3-0 – goals of David Ball, Gary Hooper and the Mexican wonder Ulises Davila. Counting on for the league, the Nix had won their last four matches in the process.

For the rest of the season, Phoenix will not be able to play anymore in New Zealand as only six venues will host the remaining clashes of the season – all of them in Australia – as a measure to protect players and all people involved in the matches from coronavirus infection. “The remainder of the Hyundai A-League 2019/20 Season will now see the 27 matches played over 34 days with the Hyundai A-League 2020 Finals Series moved back a week,” said Greg O’Rourke, FFA’s Head of Leagues.