Former Suva player and Fiji youth representative Ivan Kumar continues to show his potential in New Zealand NFF Men’s Conference Division. As Kumar recently told Oceania Football Center, his team South Auckland Rangers is really aiming for the promotion to Lotto NRFL Division 2 as they smashed Puhoi at Puhoi Domain by 4-0. Kumar contributed with two goals for his side and with one assist – Kumar’s new club had won all matches in the season so far and the full-back already scored three goals in the league.
Team Captain Rinal Prasad and Ivan Kumar – NZFFI
South Auckland Rangers is captained by former Ba and Fiji National Team player Rinal Prasad. Prasad alongside Kumar are key members of squad – South Auckland counts with various Fijian players including also the former national team member Lorima Dau that also member of technical staff of the Auckland-based side. The club has a strong link with New Zealand Fiji Football Incorporated; an organisation that promotes football in the Fijian community in New Zealand, responsible for traditional tournaments such as Pacific Cup.
Roimata Karika joins Napier City Rovers from New Zealand. The 19-year-old defender will have his first opportunity to play in a club outside Cook Islands.
Karika was part of Cook Islands U-17 squad that played the OFC U-17 preliminary tournament held in Samoa in 2016.
Karika joined Napier City Rovers
He also played OFC Champions League for Tupapa Maraerenga in 2018 and 2019. Two other young players from Tupapa Maraerenga are also playing in New Zealand: Avi Enoka and Lee Harmon. Both joined Ellerslie AFC and they are playing in Ellerslie’s reserve team.
Oceania Football Center got in touch with the team’s management and they denied these links. According to them they have not approached these players which means that they are not going to join Capital City Boys this month.
Mateinaqara joined Ba in 2020
It was also reported by FBC News that Benjamin Totori could be joining Suva in this transfer window. Suva’s management revealed that they have interest on signing with Totori but there was no successful contact with the player until the present moment.
The Capital City Boys are currently in the second position in 2020 Vodafone Premier League – the top-tier of Fijian football. You can check the current league standings by clicking here.
One of the most celebrated footballers of the Pacific Henry Fa’arodo scored his first goal for Hamilton Wanderers since the star-player returned to New Zealand. The Solomon Islands international helped his new club to beat Western Springs by 3-2 away from home with a goal in the first half.
This was the first win of Hamilton Wanderers in the new season of the Lotto NRFL Premier. Derek Tieku and the Papua New Guinean star Tommy Semmy scored the other goals of Wanderers in the contest that took place at Seddon Fields, Auckland.
Henry Fa’arodo – OFC
Fa’arodo returned to New Zealand to compete at top-tier league ISPS Handa Premiership for Wanderers, unfortunately the COVID-19 pandemic forced the league to an end before as it was scheduled. In the last month the winter leagues started in the country after months of social distancing restrictions and finally the Solomon Islands that wears the 10. jersey for Hamilton Wanderers found the nets after four matches for the club.
OFC Champions League is the biggest club competition in Oceania. The current edition of the continental tournament was stopped due to COVID-19 pandemics and the upcoming matches are not scheduled yet. However, Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) organized an on-line meeting with clubs and federations on Wednesday to discuss about this issue.
The 2020 OFC Champions League was initially scheduled to finish in May but everything has changed due to COVID-19 pandemics. Now the Confederation, federations and clubs are discussing the best way to resume the tournament.
OFC set some minimum conditions to resume the tournament like: borders open, commercial flights operating, no entry restrictions, no limit to gathering of people for sporting events and availability to train without restrictions. According to OFC, any variation of these minimum conditions will create unfair situations to affected clubs.
At the present moment there is a proposal to play the whole knockout stage in a “mini-tournament” in September. The eight teams qualified to quarter-finals would have two months to get ready for the next challenge in the continental tournament. Seven of eight teams support this idea.
The “mini-tournament” might be the best way to finish 2020 OFC Champions League – OFC Media
The “mini-tournament” would be played in only one location from 19 to 26 September with the same format: Winners of each Group Stage play a Runner up in a Quarter Final. Despite being accepted by most teams, it still depends on these minimum conditions that were mentioned above.
If travel restrictions for all teams continue until July 19, the final decision about playing or not 2020 OFC Champions League would be postponed to August 24. If the current OFC Champions League edition cannot be played due to the current situation impacted by COVID-19, and if the FIFA Club World Cup 2020 still goes ahead, OFC will be required to nominate a representative anyway.
An Executive Committee meeting is scheduled to take place on July 24 to keep discussing about the current issues. Oceania Football Center team is keeping up with this situation in order to bring the most accurate information to our followers.
Lucien Hinge is the newest player of Yatel FC from Vanuatu. The 28-year-old defender joined the team and he is already eligible to play. His first appearance with Yatel must be today against Mauwia at Korman Stadium in the first matchweek of 2020 PVFA Independence Cup.
Hinge was playing for Tafea FC before joining his new club. The transfer was approved by Port Vila Football Association (PVFA) and was confirmed by Yatel’s president John Stephens Tougon.
Lucien Hinge left Tafea and joined Yatel. Tafea FC Media
The former Tafea FC player has already represented Vanuatu National Team in three matches. His last appearance was in a 2-1 win against New Caledonia in 2017 Pacific Mini Games.
Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) president Lambert Maltock confirmed that an agreement between OFC and Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) to relaunch the traditional Melanesian Cup.
According to Maltock, the tournament name will be changed to “MSG Prime Ministers’ Cup” in order to avoid discrimination of ethnicity and also to allow other OFC members to take part of the tournament. Despite the latest news, it is not known when the next edition will be contested.
Maltock (left) with MSG Secretariat members – Malampa FA Media
Melanesian Cup was a very traditional tournament that was played for seven times from 1988 to 2000. It used to be contested by five Melanesian nations: Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
Fiji is the most successful country in the competition’s history as they won five out of seven tournaments.
Good news for football fans from Solomon Islands: the 2020 Telekom S-League season has been proposed to start on Saturday 8th August 2020 at Lawson Tama Stadium in Honiara – the capital of the country.
According to reliable sources, the nine teams that played the past season are confirmed in a meeting with organising board for next season: Solomon Warriors, Henderson Eels, FC Isabel United, Kossa FC, FC Guadalcanal, Real Kakamora Malaita Kingz, Laugu United and Marist.
Solomon Warriors are the title holders – SIFF Media
According to Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF), the application for new franchises is still open as the Telekom S-League Board and SIFF want to increase the number of teams in the league to ten.
Solomon Warriors are the current league champions. You can check the last sesason’s standings by clicking here.
The 2020 Veikkausliiga has finally started. The top-tier football league from Finland kicked-off on Wednesday with six matches being played in the opening day.
HJK faced FC Lathi at Lahti Stadium and they won by 4-0. Papua New Guinean forward David Browne came from the bench in the 79th minute to replace Lucas Lingman who scored HJK’s second goal in the first half. Rasmus Schüller and Roope Riski scored once each while the remaining goal was an own goal scored by Lathi’s player Teemu Jantti.
David Browne came from the bench in the second half
It was Browne’s first match in the Veikkausliiga. However he has already played seven matches and scored one goal in the Finnish Cup that started in January.
After facing some problems with Tropical Cyclone Harold and COVID-19 pandemics, the wait for official football is over in Vanuatu after some months. The PVFA Premier League Independence Cup is set to begin today when Galaxy FC and Sia-Raga will face each other at Port Vila Stadium.
Two other “Independence Cups” will also take place in Port Vila: First & Second Division Cup and Women’s Cup.
Football is officially back in Vanuatu
The Independence Cups are very traditional in Vanuatu and many of these cups are held around the country in July to celebrate Vanuatu’s Independence Day on July 30. You can check the PVFA Premier League Independence Cup draw by clicking here.
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