When Bong Kalo felt the taste of European football

Despite being a young footballer, Bong Kalo has a lot to tell about his career in the sport. The 23-year-old midfielder felt the taste of European football three years ago when he had the opportunity to sign with a club from Europe.

Bong Kalo was Vanuatu’s captain in the 2017 FIFA U20 World Cup held in South Korea and he was very impressive in the tournament with dribbles, passes and goals. His country lost all three matches but Kalo wrote his name in football’s history by scoring three goals in the tournament – including a marvelous free kick goal against Germany. You can watch the goals by clicking here.

SEE ALSO
TBT #07 – When Vanuatu faced the world
The European dream of Seiloni Iaruel
The Asian journey of Jason Thomas

Bong Kalo scored three goals in three matches in the 2017 FIFA U20 World Cup

His great level in the World Cup called the attention of lots of scouters and the Ni-Vanuatu midfielder was linked with many clubs from Europe, including German powerhouse Borussia Dortmund.

In August 2017, he arrived in Madrid for trials with Leganés, a football club that currently plays La Liga, the top-tier of Spanish football. During the trial period he was gifted with a pair of boots sponsored by Cristiano Ronaldo. Unfortunately he did not sign with the Pepineros but it was not the end of the dream.

Later in the month Kalo and Moise Poida – who was accompanying him in the trip – travelled to Switzerland and then the dream finally came true: Bong Kalo was a football player in Europe. He signed a one-year contract with FC Ascona from Swiss fifth tier.

Kalo (left) signing a contract with FC Ascona from Switzerland.

Kalo’s stint in Switzerland was shorter than expected. He left the team after three months despite being one of the best players in the squad. He played eight official matches and scored one goal in the 2. Liga Interregional.

After his experience in Europe he went back to Vanuatu and played 2018 OFC Champions League for Nalkutan. Since then he has been playing for Oceanian clubs. He is currently attached to Galaxy FC from his homeland.

Manukau United: the most Fijian club in New Zealand

Manukau United is a very relevant team when it comes to winter football season in New Zealand. Currently in the Lotto NRFL Premier Men’s League – the top-tier of winter football in Auckland’s region – they are going to count on foreign power for this season, specially on Fijian power.

The Māngere East-based team has already signed with six footballers from Fiji for this season: Etonia Dogalau, Kishan Sami, Malakai Rakula, Mohammed Alam, Mohammed Nabeel and Poasa Bainivalu. All players came from Fijian clubs that are currently playing 2020 Vodafone Premier League, the top-tier of football in the country.

Rakula (middle) and Sami (right) celebrating a goal. Source: Manukau United Media

The biggest doubt is on goalkeeper Mohammed Alam. As it was previously reported in this website, he is a police officer in his country and he had to go back to Fiji in order to get an official permission to move away from work to play abroad.

See More:
2020 Vodafone Premier League resumes in July;
Europe can be Roy Krishna’s next step;

Multiculturalism is Manukau’s main ethos. Actually, South Auckland region in general is extremely multicultural. Football fans from Fiji now have a good team to support in New Zealand’s winter football season.

AS Tiare Tahiti qualifies for French Cup

🇫🇷 Français

AS Tiare Tahiti will be the Tahitian representant in the 2020-21 French Cup. They qualified for the biggest football cup in the world after finishing the 2019-20 Ligue 1 VINI in the third position.

The spot in the French Cup’s seventh round is usually awarded to Tahitian Cup champion. However the football season was cancelled in the French Polynesia so the local cup did not have a winner so the spot was given to the third-placed team in the local league.

SEE ALSO
AS Pirae crowned as Ligue 1 VINI Champions

AS Tiare Tahiti will play 2020-21 French Cup

The Coupe de France count on football clubs from the French overseas departments and territories – Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Tahiti, Réunion, Saint Martin and Saint Pierre and Miquelon.

Hamilton Wanderers to miss Kohei Matsumoto

Japanese Kohei Matsumoto returns to Japan after suffering a severe eye injury last week. The 31-year-old right back from Hamilton Wanderers is going to need a special treatment to save the sight in his eye. He was part of Wanderers’ squad for the upcoming winter football season in New Zealand but now he is expected to miss the season due to this injury.

Hamilton Wanderers’ statement on Twitter

Matsumoto represented Hamilton Wanderers for eight games in the last ISPS Handa Premiership season. He also represented Hienghène Sport in the last FIFA Club World Cup.

Get well soon, Kohei!

Solomon Islands football teams have no training grounds in Honiara

Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) recently announced that the next Telekom S-League’s season is set for August. However there is a big problem that must be solved before the kick-off: there is no training grounds in Honiara.

Football teams used to run their training sessions at King George VI School (KGVI) and Solomon Islands National University (SINU). However these fields have been converted into the National Stadium that is being built for 2023 Pacific Games and training at Lawson Tama – the most important football stadium in Solomon Islands – is not permitted by SIFF.

Training at Lawson Tama Stadium is not permitted by SIFF.

According to reliable sources the local government has promised to prepare a cricket field as an alternative venue for the fields lost. SIFF Technical Director Moses Toata has also expressed his concerns about the current situation – “I think this will be the biggest challenge to football this year and it could get worse […] it is a sad reality we will face and it could be damaging to football if actions are not well planned or issues not adressed properly“.

With no available fields at the moment, football teams can not start their preparation for the upcoming season. Opening Lawson Tama for training might be a good solution but it would damage the grass’ quality. Let’s wait and see what will be done by the local authorities.

Brazil and Oceania: a Football connection

🇧🇷 Português

Brazil is the place where football happens; Brazilians call their country “the home of football” – and that could really be true. Five times in history, Brazil has won the most important football tournament in the world, the FIFA World Cup. The same country that produced players such as Pelé, Zico, Ronaldo and Neymar has also served as the scene of historic moments for Oceanian football.

For some reason, Brazil is the place where some Oceanian teams and players go to shine, to make history and show that “football exists in the Pacific”. To commemorate these moments, Oceania Football Center will write a series of articles in the coming weeks that will highlight the link between Oceania and Brazil and show how fate has chosen the South American country as a place for various special moments to remember for football fans in the Pacific.

Seven stories will compose the series “Brazil and Oceania: a football connection”, as follows:

1. The rise of Ronaldo Wilkins;
2. Kurukuru’s debut at World Stage;
3. Tahitian football’s best ever moment;
4. Brazil introduces the world to Solomon Islands;
5. Krishna finds the net: Fiji football at 2016 Olympics;
6. The adventure of Elliot Ragomo in Brazilian professional futsal;
7. U17 National Team makes Solomon Islands proud.

There is another remarkable coincidence between Brazil and Oceania: Oceania Football Center, this media group founded in early 2019, was founded in Brazil and by Brazilians. At present, OFCe also counts on writers from different countries around the world.

New Caledonia still studying the best way to resume football leagues

🇫🇷 Français

The football activities in New Caledonia are suspended since March due to COVID-19 pandemics. The suspensio came right after the first matchweek of 2020 Mobil Super Ligue, the top-tier of football in the French territory.

Current New Caledonian football’s situation is not going to change until June 14 – the proposed date by the government to clear sporting training sessions. On May 11 the Fédération Calédonienne de Football (FCF) Competitions Organizing Committee proposed some options for Mobil Super Ligue’s continuity. One of the proposed options is: 2020 Mobil Super Ligue scheduled to resume on July 4 with the end of the season scheduled for late November or early December.

However the most suitable and supported proposal comes from FCF Federal Council that suggests a switch in the calendar. So the 2020 Mobil Super Ligue would become the 2020-21 Mobil Super Ligue. In this proposal the league would start in August and finish in May 2021. Both proposals consider New Caledonia Cup’s organization – which must be organized in its entirety.

Mobil Super Ligue could restart in six weeks. Source: FCF Media

There will be a FCF meeting with all the Presidents of Super League Clubs on Thursday so a final decision about which proposal will be implemented must be taken after this meeting.

Despite all proposals the New Caledonian football still depends on the government. The sporting activities must be cleared to resume if there is no new case of COVID-19 there and a final decision must be taken by the government in a few weeks.

Fijians Bainivalu and Dogalau join Manukau United

After signing Malakai Rakula and Kishan Sami, Manukau United announced that they have signed with two more footballers from Fiji: Poasa Bainivalu and Etonia Dogalau.

Bainivalu is an experienced defender who last played for Lautoka in the 2020 OFC Champions League while Dogalau is a young midfielder that comes from Ba youth system.

SEE ALSO
Cook Islander Lee Harmon joins Ellerslie AFC
New Zealand: winter football season ready to kick-off

Bainivalu (left) and Dogalau (right) joined Manukau United

Manukau United is one of the strongest team from Lotto NRFL Premier Division, the top-tier of Auckland region’s football season.

Cook Islander Lee Harmon joins Ellerslie AFC

Ellerslie AFC keep stregnthening their squad for the upcoming winter football season in New Zealand as young Cook Islander Lee Harmon joined the squad that will play the NRFL Division 1, the second tier of the Northern Regional Football League in Auckland region.

Lee Harmon is a 18-year-old forward with some experience at international tournaments. He represented Cook Islands’ powerhouse Tupapa Maraerenga in the last three OFC Champions League editions. He also represented his nation in the 2018 OFC U20 Championship.

Lee Harmon (left) last played for Tupapa Maraerenga

It was also confirmed by Ellerslie AFC that a second Cook Islander is joining the team: Avi Enoka. Enoka was also in Tupapa Maraerenga’s squad and now both players will have the opportunity to face a higher challenge in New Zealand.

The historical Nigel Dabinyaba’s stint in Malaysia

Papua New Guinean football is growing fast. The PNG National Soccer League is becoming an interesting tournament while some players are having some success overseas. David Browne is currently in Europe playing for HJK from Finland and Gimale Essacu – who recently graduated at college – spent two years playing in the United States while Terry Stephenson is a good prospect of Middlesbrough’s youth teams.

However there is an important story involving a football player from Papua New Guinea in the Asian football and it seems that it was forgotten by people and it must be remembered. Nigel Dabinyaba‘s stint in Malaysia during 2017.

On 8 June 2016 the Papua New Guinea has beaten Malaysia by 2-0 in an international friendly and Dabinyaba called the attention in that match. A few months later he travelled to the Asian country for trials with FA Penang a football club that was playing in the top-tier of Malaysian football at that time.

The trials were successful and he signed with the Malaysian team, becoming the first Papua New Guinean to play at the professional level since Manis Lamond graced the Australian National Soccer League in the 1980s and 1990s.

SEE ALSO
David Browne signs with HJK
Gimale Essacu graduates in US university of Western Illinois
Terry Stephenson: a Papua New Guinean in England

Dabinyaba (wearing white shirt) signed with FA Penang from Malaysia. Source: FA Penang media

The Papua New Guinean forward quickly became one of the most important players in the team. He was in Penang’s starting eleven week in week out and he helped the team by scoring four goals in twenty matches. Despite his good level of performance things were not so good at all.

Dabinyaba started to face lots of problems in his new club including lack of payment – Penang FA did not keep the promise and the Oceanian player spent some months in Malaysia without receiving his salary

Dabinyaba kept the good level despite the problems. Source: FA Penang media

The season’s outcome was a huge disaster for FA Penang. They were relegated to the second tier of Malaysian football after an awful campaign in the 2017 Malaysian Super League with only twelve points in 22 matches.

Dabinyaba officialy left the club in December 2017 and he was surely good enough to keep his path in Asia and move to a better club, but he did not. Currently a Free Agent, it would be nice if we could see him playing outside Oceania again.