Oceania Football Center

Epeli Leiroti set to join Lautoka

After applying the transfer release of four players, Lautoka is also close to sign with one more playing to strengthen the squad for 2020 Vodafone Premier League resumption: Epeli Leiroti.

Leiroti is a 25-year-old midfielder who currently plays for Suva. He also represented Fiji National Team in three friendly matches against Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines. He was being an important player for Capital City Boys before COVID-19 pandemic as he was in Suva’s starting eleven in all official matches in 2020.

SEE ALSO
Ambitious Suva set to sign important players as national league is close to resume
Lautoka’s squad set to be strengthened after losing important players

Leiroti (right) is close to join Lautoka – *Fiji FA Media*

After a bad campaign in 2020 OFC Champions League, Lautoka turns its attention to the national league in order to fight for the title. The Baby Bluez are currently in the third position with seven points in four matches. You can check the current standings by clicking here.

Jama Boss and Mohammed Awad called-up for Somalia National Team

Somalia Football Federation (SFF) announced on this Wednesday that four new players were called-up for Somalia National Team including two players who are currently playing in New Zealand: Jama Boss and Mohammed Awad.

Awad and Boss are New Zealand citizens but they are eligible to represent Somalia internationally. Both players took part of 2019-20 ISPS Handa Premiership as Boss represented Hamilton Wanderers and Awad represented Eastern Suburbs – “They will all add pace, dribble, final crucial passes and finishing, whilst Hussein will add strength and control in the middle of the park,” said Somalia National Team’s head coach Sadi Abdi Haibeh.

It is not known if both players will accept the call-up but Oceania Football Center will keep up with his situation in order to keep our followers updated. Somalia is preparing to play international friendlies at home after three decades as the Ocean Stars used to play their home games in Djibouti due to civil wars and political issues.

Lautoka’s squad set to be strengthened after losing important players

After losing some important players like Navneel Nand and Poasa Bainivalu, Lautoka’s squad is set to be strengthened for 2020 Vodafone Premier League after losing several players. The Baby Bluez have applied the transfer release of four players.

According to Fiji Football Association (FFA), Jone Sorolo, Kalavati Sivoi, Malakai Rakula and Sitiveni Cavuilagi are the four players who are close to join Lautoka. Cavuilagi and Rakula are surely the biggest names of this list as both players have played for Fiji National Team recently.

SEE ALSO
Lautoka without two key players for Vodafone Premier League resumption
Alex Saniel confirmed at Lautoka for the remaining of Vodafone Premier League season
Navneel Nand joins Nadi

Rakula left Ba in the beginning of the year to join Manukau United from New Zealand but he is stuck in Fiji at the moment due to New Zealand borders restrictions. It is not known if he is going to return to Manukau United when borders reopen.

Brazilian duo leave Hekari United

Hekari United will not count on Brazilian players Erick Joe and Vinícius Reis when 2019-20 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League resumes as both players are set to leave the team.

According to reliable sources both players are already on their way back to Brazil and they are not going to play for Hekari anymore. Erick and Vinicius arrived in Port Moresby in January to help the Papua New Guinean club in 2020 OFC Champions League.

Vinicius (left) and Erick (right) are leaving Hekari United

The team is already back to training as National Soccer League resumption gets closer. Hekari is currently in the third position with 23 points, two points behind league leaders Vitiaz United. You can check the current league standings by clicking here.

Navua’s key player eager to join Labasa

The Fijian transfer window is getting more and more interesting with the latest transfers and rumours that link some good players to Suva and Rewa. However these two teams are not the only ones that are getting stronger.

It was reported by Fiji Football Association (FFA) that Navua’s forward Taniela Rakariva applied to join Labasa. The 24-year-old forward was the top scorer of 2019 Vodafone Senior League and could be a very good option to strengthen Babasiga Lions‘ attack. According to reliable sources, Abhiskeh Deo from Rewa is close to join Labasa too.

SEE ALSO
Ambitious Suva set to sign important players as national league is close to resume
Solomon Islands international Allen Peter close to join Rewa from Fiji

Despite winning Battle of the Giants, Inter-District Championship and Champions vs Champions series in the past season, Labasa did not have a good start in the 2020 Vodafone Premier League as they won only one out of five matches so far. You can check the current league standings by clicking here.

Solomon Islands international Allen Peter close to join Rewa from Fiji

The 2020 Vodafone Premier League season is set to restart on July 11 when Ba will face Navua at Fiji FA Academy. Having the league’s resumption in mid, the local teams are trying to stregthen their squads for the rest of the season.

It was already reported that current league leaders Rewa applied for Ba’s forward Darold Kakasi transfer. However it was confirmed by Rewa’s president Nazeel Buksh that two other players could be joining the Delta Tigers: Solomon Islands international Allen Peter and young midfielder Mohammed Naizal – “These three players would bring a lot of competition within the squad and then strengthen the team,” said Buksh.

Peter played 2019-20 Telekom S-League season for Laugu United and he scored two goals in fifteen matches in the major football league from Solomon Islands. Naizal is already known by Delta Tigers’ as he played for Rewa before moving to New Zealand to play for Drury United.

Strengthening the squad is very important in order to maintain the lead – “We intend to go all out and win the competition so we need to have a deep squad,” stated Nazeel Buksh. You can check the current league standings by clicking here.

Rewa in talks to sign Solomon Islands’ Darold Kakasi

The Delta Tigers are willing to reinforce their squad for the restart of Vodafone Premier League; Rewa is in talks to sign with Ba’s player Darold Kakasi. Kakasi recently played the Men in Black in the 2020 OFC Champions League and also represented his country Solomon Islands in the OFC U23 Olympic Qualifiers held in Fiji last year.

It is also known Rewa applied for the transfer of Mohammed Naizal. The player that already represented Rewa in the past recently moved to New Zealand football – he was playing for Drury United.

Rewa had a very good start in the Vodafone Premier League season winning four of the five matches so far. According to Rewa’s president Nazeel Buksh “our intension is to go all out and win the competition and for that we need depth in the team” so the club continues to look for options to reinforce their squad in order to win their first ever national league title.

Tusbab Stallions stand against gender-based violence

As Papua New Guinea put on a display of support against gender-based violence (GBV), football in Papua New Guinea also did its part in showing support for the cause-saying no to GBV. The staff of PNG Football Association and Hekari United joined the march in Port Moresby, while in Lae, the Lae City displayed placards bearing message against GBV.

One club that did not wait to react to the issues are the Tusbab Stallions Football Club, a club based in Madang in the north of Port Moresby. “We know GBV and other issues of gender exists, we know HIV exist, and we did not wait to react”, says Conrad Wadunah, the Director of the club.

The club made a bold decision last year to appoint two female to very important roles in the club: the Head Coach and the Team Manager. Rachel Wadunah is the Head Coach and Juanita Kalip Tawi is the Team Manager and they are leading a group of men in the the National Soccer League – the major football league in Papua New Guinea.

SEE ALSO
Lae City players protest against domestic violence
Hekari United players protest against domestic violence in Papua New Guinea

Juanita (left) and Rachel (right) have important roles in Tusbab Stallions

“The club is living up to its slogan, of being more than just a football club, and is using soccer to address issues of gender, women and girls’ empowerment and the supporting roles men and boys play in addressing the critical issues the province and country is facing,” says Conrad – “We are doing what we can in a small way, and we hope it can have a ripple effect on our women and girls in the province and country. We are using football to educate, to empower-there is more to football than kicking the balls for 90 minutes,” he added.

Oceania Football Center congratulates Tusbab Stallions and all football players, clubs and institutions that are standing against gender-based violence.

Solomon Islands: teams finally allowed to resume training

Telekom S-League (TSL) Board and clubs’ coaches and managers attended a meeting at Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) headquarters on Monday to know more information about the next Telekom S-League season.

According to local media, eight teams had representatives in the meeting: Henderson Eels, Isabel, Kossa FC, Laugu United, Malaita Kingz, Marist, Real Kakamora and Solomon Warriors. It was confirmed in this meeting that 2020 Telekom S-League will kick-off on August 8th. It was also confirmed that the Registration Period opened 6th July and is set to close on 5th August 2020.

2020 Telekom S-League kicks-off on August 8

Football clubs are allowed to start training as SIFF received the green light from Solomon Islands’ government’s COVID-19 oversight committee to resume football activities.

Solomon Warriors are the current title holders and they have a strong side to fight for the title one more year. You can check the full standings of the last Telekom S-League season by clicking here.

Vanuatu: Ronaldo Wilkins is back to 11-a-side football

After almost a year playing futsal, young midfielder Ronaldo Wilkins is back to 11-a-side football in the 2020 PVFA Mix First & Second Division Independence Cup.

The 20-year-old forward is playing the tournament for AS Ambassador that is currently playing in the second-tier of Port Vila’s football league system. He last played 11-a-side football last year when he represented Vanuatu in 2019 OFC Olympic Qualifiers held in Fiji.

It is not know if he is going to keep playing for AS Ambassador after this tournament. There are some rumours that he could join a PVFA Premier League club but it is not confirmed. Anyway it is very good to see Wilkins back to the pitch.