The first match of the second day of football in Fiji’s traditional tournament Battle of Giants had one Solomon Islander as the most important part of the game; Nasinu, that could not count on their head coach Tagi Vonolagi guiding the team after being red carded in the previous match of his side, stuned the good Suva side to collect valuable three points in the run in Group A of BOG.
The first goal of the match came through Luke Savu that after confusion inside Suva’s box finshed to an empty net to put his side upfront at the 43th minute of play. Already in the second half, Suva’s midfielder Ravnesh Karan Singh approached a defensive mistake from Nasinu to score from close range to put the Capital Boys back to the game.
Nasinu recorded a fantastic win – FFA Media
Nasinu need the flair of its most important attcking player: Marlon Nonone was found free in the box at 74th minute of play to finish in force to put the ball in the back of net to retake the lead of the match. The same Nonone added another to his tally after receiving the ball at the edge of the box, a sharp shot put the ball in the right corner of Emori Ragata to decide the clash in the 82th minute of play. The Giant Killers were there once again! You can watch the goals of this match by clicking here.
This win is vital for Nasinu as they were heavily defeated by Ba in their debut by 7-3. Suva will need to decide its fate in the last match against Ba as they just colected one point so far from their first match against Labasa, a 1-1 draw.
The fourth matchweek of the most important football league of New Caledonia is set to take place this weekend in Nouméa; a match will be played on 15th August to complete the round in Maré – Horizon Patho vs. SC Ne Drehu.
The most important match of the weekend will see Jean-Philippe Saïko‘s Lössi taking on the current national champions Hienghène Sport at Stade Numa-Daly. Both teams come from defeats in their previous matches in the league and a very entertaining match might be awaited by the fans in New Caledonia’s capital. Also on Saturday, Tiga Sport will be playing against AS Wetr.
Hienghène Sport will be looking for recovery in the league as they take on Lössi – MSL Media
On Sunday, two more matches will be played in the same Stade Numa-Daly: the two teams that just got promoted to national league will be playing a very important match for their expectations in Mobil Super Ligue: AS Kunié that could hold AS Wetr to a draw in their last match, will be playing JS Baco; the Koné-based side lost all three matches in the league so far, but managed to score their first goal in the league in their last fixture in a 2-1 defeat against Ne Drehu.
To finish the weekend of football, the current top-tabled side AS Magenta will look to continue their good momentum after beating their rivals Hienghène – but they will have to face AS Mont-Dore, a team that is still to prove itself in the league as they did not obtain good results so far in the season despite having important players in its squad as Cédric Décoiré and Raphael Oiremoin.
The first matchday of 2020 Battle of the Giants is already gone and the second matchday will kick-off in a few hours. However it is very important to talk about a player that became a hero due to a plot twist: Patrick Taroga.
A plot twist is an unexpected development in a book, film or television program, but we can use this expression to describe what happened with Patrick Taroga on this Friday: the 20-year-old midfielder from Solomon Islands revealed to Oceania Football Center that he would miss Suva’s opening match in the Battle of the Giants due to a exam in the university.
PLOT TWIST: According to reliable sources, Taroga’s exam was cancelled so a staff member picked him up to arrive in Lautoka on time to play. For people’s surprise, the young midfielder was there and he started the match against Labasa on the bench.
THE HERO: Taroga came from the bench in the half time to replace Manasa Levaci and fate wanted him to become the name of Suva in the match when he scored in the 69th minute after a confusion in the box to open the scoreboard for the Capital City Boys. You can check his goal by clicking here. The young player that was not expected to play arrived on time and came from the bench to score a goal!
Solomon Islander Patrick Taroga opened the scoreboard for Suva against Labasa
However, to the sadness of the Suva fans, Labasa managed to score in the 86th minute with a goal scored by Taniela Waqa after a perfect cross from the right wing. At the final whistle the final score was a 1-1 draw.
Suva’s next clash against Nasinu kicks-off in a few hours while Labasa will face current Vodafone Premier League champions Ba. You can see more about the tournament by clicking here.
The 2020 Telekom S-League is ready to kick-off in Solomon Islands with three new franchieses: Central Coast FC, Honiara City FC and Southern United which means that eleven teams will fight for the title this year as Guadalcanal withdrew from playing the tournament.
Southern United built a squad with many players that are still unknown, but they have some good and known players like Alford Kanahanimae and Joachim Waroi: “Our squad is good. If we stay together we can we have a competitive side,” said Kanahanimae – “We are just getting to know each other. There is still a long way to go,” he added.
Alford Kanahanimae
Alford also expressed his thoughts about team’s head coach Stanley Waita: “Having Stanley Waita as the team’s head coach is very good. He is a serious person and he has international experience,” he pointed. Kanahanimae and Waita know each other very well as both travelled to Brazil for FIFA U17 World Cup last year.
The first official match Southern United’s history is going to be against Kossa FC on this Saturday at Lawson Tama Stadium in Honiara.
After finishing the last Telekom S-League season in the third position, Kossa FC staff and players want more. With a big squad with some great names like legendary James Naka and the rising star Barrie Limoki, the team coached by Fred Osifelo wants to make it big this time.
One of the remaining players of the last season is 26-year-old forward Harrison Mala who shared his thoughts about the upcoming Telekom S-League: “I think this season is going to be a very interesting one for us. We have some young players ready to strengthen the team,” he said.
Mala playing for Kossa FC in the last Telekom S-League season – SIFF Media
Harrison Mala finished the 2019-20 Telekom S-League season with fifteen goals scored in thirteen matches and now he is going to have legendary forward James Naka as his teammate upfront: “James Naka is a very good player to play with. His experience and quality will surely be a boost for us,” he pointed. The forward also talked about the arrival of Benjamin and Elis Mana two young futsal players that are going to have an opportunity to play in the pitch: “Both are young players with good footwork and skills and it is going to help us a lot,” said Mala.
Kossa’s first challenge of the season will be against debutants Southern United on this Saturday at Lawson Tama Stadium.
After finishing the 2019-20 Telekom S-League in the second position, Henderson Eels want more for this season. The team coached by Eddie Marahare built a very strong squad that is surely one of the best in the country.
Bakale playing for Henderson Eels in 2020 OFC Champions League – OFC Media
It was also confirmed that rising stars Leon Kofana and Raphael Lea’i will remain with the team for the tournament. Both players joined the club for the second half of 2019-20 season and they played important roles in the team, specially Lea’i who scored 24 goals in seven matches in the last edition of he Telekom S-League: “We finished the last season in the second position but we are stronger now so we want to win the title this year,” said Bakale.
Henderson Eels’ first challenge of the season will be against Isabel United on this Saturday at Lawson Tama Stadium in Honiara.
After a bad start in the 2019-20 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League, the Morobe Wawens are trying to do something different for the league’s resumption as Charlie Foike was appointed to be the team’s head coach for the remainder of the season.
With only ten goals scored in ten matches, it is clear that Wawens need to have a better performance in the attack if they want to win games: “The current season is not being so good for us but we will try our best to improve our performance,” said team’s captain Ferdallas Namuesh.
Namuesh (with the ball) playing for Morobe Wawens in 2019 OFC Champions League – OFC Media
Currently in the seventh position with nine points, Namuesh still believes that they can fight on top: “We still want to reach the top four to advance to the National Soccer League’s semi-finals,” he pointed.
Morobe Wawens will face Morobe United tomorrow at Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium in Lae in the eleventh matchweek of the current National Soccer League season. You can check the updated schedule of the remaining matches of the league’s regular season by clicking here.
The hosts Lautoka made all they could to surpass one of the favourites teams for this Battle of Giants tournament, but at the end of the day one Fijian international decided the match in favour of the DeltaTigers.
The game started well for the hosts as Netani Doli touched the ball to the goal after a corner in the 14th minute of play to put Lautoka upfront. But it did not take long for the star of the night to get into the game: Setareki Hughes finished with a slice shot the ball in the nets of Joela Biuvanua after receiving the ball in the back of the defense on a flick from his teammate Gabriele Matanisiga.
In the 46th minute, still in the first half, the same Matanisiga found this time Peniame Drova free in the penalty box to score through a powerful header to put Rewa upfront in the scoreline for the first time in the match.
Matanisiga (red) was influential for Rewa with two assists – City Star
In the second half, the debutant Malakai Rakula finished from 35-yeard and equalised the match for the Blues as Rewa’s shot-stopper Senirusi Bokini failed to get the ball allowed it into his nets. But, for the luck of Bokini, Setareki Hughes was a great night: Peniame Drova sent a beautiful through pass to Hughes, that with his left foot put the ball in the right corner of Biuvanua to seal the victory of the team coached by Marika Rodu – the first win for Rewa in the tournament while Lautoka could not approach the home advantage in this Battle of Giants.
All teams will restart the competition tomorrow (08th Aug) in order to pursue a place in the semifinals of the traditional Battle of Giants in its 2020 edition.
The fans were certainly very well entertained in a goal fest between the Men in Black and the Giant Killers. The started good for Nasinu, seemed they were really to kill another giant today, as Jasnit Vikash opened the scoreline after being an one-on-one situation with the young goalkeeper Isikeli Sevanaia. But this was only the start; Abbu Zahid put Ba back in the game as he scored through the penalty spot – just one minute later of the equaliser the talented Saula Waqa put his upfront. The same Abbu Zahid scored a weird free-kick after a mistake from opposition goalkeeper to score another for his side and still in the first half Samuela Drudru added another for the Men in Black after scoring an empty net.
The always strong Sanaila Waqanicakau score his first in the game and fifth for Ba already in the second half – minutes later, Jasnit Vikash had another opportunity to cut the deficit, this time through the penalty spot and he made no mistake. Ba did not stop looking for goals, this time the young Solomon Islander Darold Kakasi put anotoher goal in the nets for team coached by Ronil Kumar to make it 6-2.
Darold Kakasi (black) was a danger for Nasinu defense in the game – FFA Media
In the final minutes of the match, two more goals were scored: the young Sumeet Goundar added another for the Men in Black, but still before the final whistle the Solomon Islander Marlon Nonone scored through the penalty spot once again for Nasinu to give final numbers to the goal fest: 7-3 in favour of Ba.
Ba records a big win and might be very satisfied with its attacking force, while Nasinu will need to improve a lot if they want to have a chance to proceed to the knock-out stage.
Papua New Guinea football star Raymond Gunemba is one more at the spotlight in Oceania football region alongside his best partner Nigel Dabinyaba. This time, as recently Oceania Football Center stated, questions were raised under the legality of the transfer of both players to their new club Hekari United under the PNG National Soccer League regulations.
Raymond and Nigel, former Lae City FC stars were put in question when Lae City’s chairman stated both players were not officially released from their last club to join a Hekari – making so their transfer to a new club void.
In interview to Oceania Football Center, the Papua New Guinean football star explained the situation and shown why he believes he is free to sign to any club – as him and Dabinyaba had done when agreed terms with the Port Moresby-based team: “Lae City’s chairman verbally told us the players during our lunch with their new coach that if any players wanted to leave with the outgoing coach than they were free to go,” said Raymond, “secondly we all the players who walked out of Lae City FC wrote a reconciliation letter through e-mail to franchise owner and he replied back to us stating he would not accept us again to the team and wish us best of luck joining other new team,” added the experienced player. All the situation happened when certain Lae City players, including Raymond and Nigel, decided to leave the club as former head coach Peter Gunemba was sacked. In fact, the response from Lae City’s chairman is according to Gunemba’s words: “Since you all walked out without notice I have decided to release all of you […], You are all released and free to do whatever you choose,” said the Lae City boss in e-mail answer to players’ reconciliation letter. The content of the e-mails was provided by Gunemba.
In the letter, the charmain explains his decision to sack former coach Peter Gunemba and to not allow the return of the players the chose to leave the team with the coach. But, directly to the point, it is clear in the message that the ties between Lae and Raymond/Nigel were terminated according the decision of the manager. “We had tried to contact him after this episode, but he turned the back to us. He did not want to talk to us,” explained Gunemba – “That’s why I am free to choose which team I want to go now and my choice was Hekari United”, added the Papua New Guinean international.
Raymond Gunemba
“He did terminated us, because he was not paying us anymore so we left the team camp. So what is the difference? If he did not release us and we did not get any payment or anything from his company and we have been suffering through five months without a job,” explained Raymond – “You see, if he did not release us than we have to get something from his company, but we have been suffering from this lockdown period and now he is raising concerns about our transfer to Hekari,” added the striker.
Hekari, Gunemba and Dabinyaba concerns were around a possible breaching of the PNG National Soccer League transfer regulations, but “I think the regulation does not state the situation me and Nigel are, but if they want to make decisions they must do it using the treatment and the situation. It is all common sense,” evaluated Raymond. “Another players who were also in the group that walked out and were terminated by Lae City’s chairman just returned to Lae City – they were terminated, but they were free to move back to the team with no concerns,” also added Gunemba.
According to article 30 of Premier Division Comp Regulations 2019/20, “Any player playing for any Football Club team in NSL and has finished his agreement or is terminated from his agreement can apply back to be registered to play in the PNGFA local competition upon satisfying the conditions showing proof of termination of his agreement and a letter of release from the former franchising club. Football Clubs have no right to set conditions for the release letter for a player upon the termination of agreement of play.”
As mentioned previously by Raymond, he received his termination notification through e-mail from his former club chairman and also noticed that “the rules and regulations of NSL did not state our real situation, so NSL can see it and make the decision using their common sense and then later next season they can specify this rule in,” said Gunemba. For the reasons mentioned, the player understands he is free to join Hekari United and defend the Red Army in the remaining matches of the season in Papua New Guinean most important football league.
