Oceania Football Center

Arami Manumanubai continues in Lautoka’s squad

The young defender Arami Manumanubai is going to be available for Lautoka’s new head coach Ravinesh Kumar as the player will continue in Lautoka’s squad. After recent news, Arami Manumanubai announced he was going to depart to an Australian club, althought the COVID-19 situation is going to be a barrier for his travel to Australia.

Manumanubai decided alongside his new club in Australia Frankston Pines and Lautoka management to continue defending Lautoka colours in Vodafone Premier League until the defender can depart to Victoria in Australia.

Arami Manumanubai (blue) playing for Lautoka against Nadi – *FFA Media*

Lautoka is set to restart its campaign in Vodafone Premier League against Ba this Wednesaday (15th Jul) where Manumanubai will certainly feature for Lautoka. The defender is being a key member of Lautoka since he rejoined the Blues after a season playing for Nasinu.

New trio cleared to debut for Suva

Suva FC is surely the team who made the best signings in the latest Fijian transfer window that closed on July 7. The Capital City Boys added too much talent to their squad in order to fight for the 2020 Vodafone Premier League’s title.

Former Labasa’s midfielder Ravnesh Karan Singh and former Ba’s goalkeeper Beniaminio Mateinaqara were the first ones to be cleared by Fiji Football Association (FFA) to debut for Suva. Moreover it was reported by Suva’s management that three other players are cleared to represent the Capital City Boys: Atunaisa Naucukidi, Laisenia Raura and Simione Nabenu.

Nabenu, Naucukidi and Raura are already eligible to play for Suva

Suva’s first official match after football’s resumption in Fiji is scheduled to take place on Sunday when the Capital City Boys will face current league leaders Rewa in a tough clash at ANZ Stadium. You can check the current league standings by clicking here.

Papua New Guinea: Two cities will host all remaining National League matches

The 2019-20 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League season is set to resume on August 1st when five matches will be contested – two in Lae and three in Port Moresby.

Having all matches played in Lae and Port Moresby is something that football fans from Papua New Guinea will have to get used to as all 2019-20 National Soccer League’s regular season remaining matches will be contested at SIKS (Lae) and PNG Football Stadium (Port Moresby).

All 2019-20 remaining regular season matches will be played at Lae and Port Moresby

It was confirmed by PNG National Soccer League Board that every week two matches will be contested in Lae and three other matches will be played in Port Moresby until the end of the regular season on September 19.

The venues of knockout stage’s matches are not confirmed yet. You can chech the updated calendar by clicking here.

Fiji: Jovilisi Borisi set to miss the remaining of 2020 football season

Suva’s Jovilisi Borisi is expected to miss the remaining of 2020 football season in Fiji. The 22-year-old goalkeeper is going to spent some months training with the Fijian police so he is not going to be available to represent the Capital City Boys.

Borisi’s absence made Suva’s management look for a goalkeeper. It was announced that Fijian international Beniaminio Mateinaqara joined the Capital City Boys and he must be Suva’s starting goalkeeper from now on.

SEE ALSO
Mateinaqara ready to debut for Suva
Suva signs Solomon Islands’ Patrick Taroga
Suva: Ravnesh Karan Singh confirmed back in Capital City Boys

Borisi is a young and talented goalkeeper from Fiji. He represented his country internationally in the 2016 OFC U-20 Championship held in Vanuatu.

Legendary forward James Naka close to join Henderson Eels

Football is back to Solomon Islands as the next Telekom S-League is confirmed to begin on August 8 so local teams are already back to training and looking for new players to strengthen their squads for the upcoming season.

It was announced by Henderson Eels’ head coach Eddie Marahare that legendary forward James Naka is close to join the team for 2020 Telekom S-League – “We sent a mail to Solomon Islands Football Federation to request his release from Vanuatu,” explained Marahare – “His experience and quality not only are an asset to the team but most importantly a leading example for learning and development of young players,” he added.

SEE ALSO
Henderson Eels back to training in Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands: Koloale wins Women’s Preseason Tournament
Rewa set to sign Solomon Islands’ Darold Kakasi

Naka is playing in Vanuatu since 2018 when he joined Nalkutan FC to play 2018 OFC Champions League. He is currently part of Galaxy FC squad but he was not part of the team in the current OFC Champions League season.

The 35-year-old forward is one of the greatest Beach Soccer players from Oceania. He also represented Solomon Islands National Football Team in 23 matches and scored three goals.

All Whites’ defender Bill Tuiloma back to action in the United States

Football is back in the United States of America after the COVID-19 pandemics as the MLS is Back Tournament kicked-off in the last weekend with 24 teams divided in six groups. All matches are being contested at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando

Portland Timbers debuted in the tournament on Monday when they faced Los Angeles Galaxy in the Group F. New Zealand international Bill Tuiloma started the match on the bench as he is recovered from a calf strain.

LA Galaxy had the opportunity to open the scoreboard in the 12th minute but Mexican forward Chicharito Hernández missed it. The Timbers found the net twice in the second half to open a 2-0 lead. Tuiloma came from the bench in the 81st minute to replace forward Diego Valeri to recompose Timbers’ defense as central defender Dario Zuparic was sent off.

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Tuiloma came from the bench in the second half

Galaxy’s reduced the difference to one goal when Gordon Wild found the net in the 82nd minute but the goal was disallowed by the referee. Six minutes later Chicharito scored for LA Galaxy but it was not enough as Timbers won the match by 2-1.

Timbers’ next clash will be against Houston Dynamo while LA Galaxy will face Los Angeles FC. Both matches are going to be contested on Saturday.

Lautoka announces new Head Coach

Lautoka is rebuilding its squad and now it is time to look to the staff. After a terrible campaign at 2020 OFC Champions League, Lautoka management decided to fire head coach Anand Sami and sign a number of players to its squad, after also losing some players in the transfer window and also due injury.

Local sources appoints that former Fiji Football Technical Director Ravinesh Kumar is the new Lautoka coach. Lautoka FC President Shalendra Prasad says his inclusion is a major advantage for the Blues: “Master Ravinesh Kumar as the new head coach will be a big boost for the Lautoka FC team. Nevertheless he is the number 1 coach in Fiji. And definitely he can do wonders.”

Ravinesh Kumar and football legend Ryan Giggs

“Kumar is the first Fijian to be accredited with an A-License coaching certificate and is now the highest ranked local coach in terms of qualification“, said FBC.

The debut of Ravinesh Kumar as Lautoka head coach will be in their clash against Ba this Wednesday counting on for Vodafone Premier League.

Mateinaqara ready to debut for Suva

The first choice goalkeeper of Fiji National Team Beniamino Mateinaqara is cleared to feature for his new team Suva. The goalkeeper recently signed for the team from Fijian capital, but only now Fiji FA confirmed documents and allowed Mateinaqara to defend Suva in their upcoming clash this weekened against Rewa for Vodafone Premier League.

Suva recently stated that the team signed a number of players to improve their squad – currently only Ravnesh Singh former Labasa midfielder and Mateinaqara received green light to feature for Suva.

It is known Suva and Ba – four players from Ba are coming to Suva – are negotiating a transfer fee for the remaining players involved to complete the transfer process.

Pacific Islands’ talent lead Hamilton Wanderers to a derby win in New Zealand

Hamilton Wanderers is lucky to count on the best of Pacific Islands talent in their team at Lotto NRFL Premier League. After a bad start in the season, Wanderers won two games in a row – and in the last weekend Pacific talent roared in order to Hamilton to a grab a very much needed win over their rivals Melville United.

The Papua New Guinean international Tommy Semmy scored a brace in the match to help Wanderers to clinch all points from the match – both goals of Semmy were all goals scored in the contest.

Semmy and Henry Fa’arodo – *Henry Fa’arodo*

Semmy also counts on the experience of Solomon Islands international Henry Fa’arodo that plays a major role for Wanderers wearing the N.10 in the attacking midfield of the New Zealand club. Recently, Henry Fa’arodo scored his first goal after his return to New Zealand football against Western Springs – this that was first win of the season for Wanderers.

You can check the updated results and standings of Lotto NRFL Premier visiting our session of New Zealand football tournaments.

Lae City’s Nigel Malagian at hospital after scary incident

Former Madang FC, Eastern Stars, Tusbab Stallions and current Lae City FC defender Nigel Malagian suffered a seriuous incident in this week. Malagian was rushed to the nearest hospital after he fainted during his daily work-out training.

Lots of rumours were created around the situation of the defender’s health, but after some hours unconscious, the player woke up. Malagian is receiving proper treatment and he is already in a stable situation.

Malagian is already back to consciousness and he remembers exactly what happened before fainting. Despite being better, the player is still in the hospital due to precautions as he will undergo more tests before being cleared to leave the health center.