The current star of Henderson Eels – who helped the club qualify for the knockout phase of the OFC Champions League – intensified his training. With a mixture of training sessions on the pitch, on the beach and in the gym, Raphael is pursuing his dream of moving to the next level of football – something that is supported by his entire country.
Le’ai, whose football career is currently managed by Basi Futbol – a local sports agency – is considered one of the hottest prospects in Oceania. The 16-year-old has represented his country at futsal and football events, including the FIFA U17 World Cup held in Brazil last year.
Jason Thomas is currenty one of the most important players from Vanuatu. The 23-year-old defender has 16 caps for Vanuatu National Football Team and he has already played four editions of the OFC Champions League, the main football tournament among clubs in Oceania.
He was also part of the youth squad that made history by representing Vanuatu in the 2017 FIFA U20 World Cup held in South Korea. Thomas was one of the most experient players in that squad, as he has already played in New Zealand and Cambodia before the World Cup.
Thomas played in New Zealand in 2013. He spent the year studying at Nayland College while he was linked to Nelson Suburbs. However the most curious story about his career comes from his stint in Cambodia back in 2015.
He arrived in the Asian country in March 2015 to train in the Phnom Penh Crown FC Academy. Phnom Penh Crown is one of the biggest clubs in the country. They won the C-League – the national football league from Cambodia – for six times which makes them the most successful team in the competition’s history.
Jason Thomas arrived in Cambodia in March 2015. Source: Phnom Penh Crown FC Media
He spent seven months there and he had the opportunity to play lots of matches for the youth team including a friendly match against Cambodia U23 National Team and the 2015 Asia Champions Trophy, a youth tournament that counted on eight teams from Asia, including Japanese powerhouse Kashima Antlers.
Phnom Penh Crown was in the Group B alongside with Kashima Antlers (Japan), Frenz United FC (Malaysia) and PVF FA (Vietnam). Thomas performed in a very good level there, showing his quality on defense and scoring goals including a goal against Frenz United FC.
Jason Thomas (fourth from left to right) with his teammates. Source: Phnom Penh Crown FC Media
He left the Asian country in October after spending seven months there. He had the opportunity to stay with a professional club and feel the difference from professional to non-professional football – “Cambodian football is very fast. They have their own playing philosophy […] The game is so intense and fast. My teammates were very skillful,” said Thomas.
Jason made his debut for Vanuatu National Football Team a few weeks later in the 1-1 draw against Fiji. Since then he never played for a club outside Oceania. However he has always been involved with big clubs in the continent like Lautoka from Fiji and Hekari United from Papua New Guinea.
The Ni-Vanuatu player is one of the most talented players in Oceania when it comes to defense. His quality and skills could easily take him away from the OFC region at club level.
Tuvalu is currently the only country in Oceania with active football leagues: The A-Division and the B-Division are the two tiers of Tuvaluan football league system. However both leagues are close to finish as the last matchweek will take place this weekend.
In the A-Division, current league leaders Nauti 1 will face last-placed Haápai. Nauti won all their six matches in the tournament so far and it does not seem that they will lose this weekend. On the other hand, second-placed Tofaga has a tough challenge against Niutao (NTO) that is currently in the third position.
A-Division fixtures. Source: TIFA Media
Meanwhile the B-Division, current second-placed team Nauti will not play because they have a bye week. Current leader Tamanuku will face Niukita while Tofaga is going to face Lakena that stands in the last position with zero points.
B-Division fixtures. Source: TIFA Media
Unfortunately we do not have any reliable information about the promotion/relegation system. You can check the current standings by clicking in the league: A-Division, B-Division.
Oceania Football Center wish good luck to all teams in the upcoming round.
The wait is finally close to its end in Papua New Guinea! The 2019-20 National Soccer League season is set to resume in July after being suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to reliable sources, the league was cleared to resume in June. However it is going to resume in July so the teams will have one month to come back into training in order to get ready for the eleventh matchday that must be played in some of July’s weekends.
Vitiaz United players celebrating a goal. Source: PNGFA Media
Another good news came from Papua New Guinea: the league will not suffer any kind of change. So there will be eight more matchweeks before the play-offs to decide the national champion and the qualified teams for the 2021 OFC Champions League.
Vitiaz United is the current leader of the league with 25 points in ten matches, followed by Hekari United and Lae City with 23 points each. You can check the full standings by clicking here.
In the late 90s Ronaldo was shocking the world with his dribbles and goals. The legendary Brazilian forward won the Ballon D’Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1997, two awards that are given to the best player in the world throughout the year.
At the same time, on the other side of the world, another Ronaldo came to the world in Vanuatu on December 30, 1999. That baby boy and his family did not know that the Ni-Vanuatu Ronaldo would have the opportunity to face the world in a FIFA World Cup like the Brazilian legend.
The years have passed and the Little Ronaldo had his first contact with football. He started playing futsal when he was just six years old, and while Wilkins was taking his first steps to become a football player, another Ronaldo – Ronaldinho Gaúcho – was ruling the world playing for Barcelona.
Wilkins grew a little more and started playing football when he was 12 years old while another Ronaldo – Cristiano Ronaldo – was reaching the top of the world alongside his rival Lionel Messi. The Ni-Vanuatu boy grew up watching Ronaldos making history and he was decided to make his own: play for Vanuatu National Football Team.
Ronaldo Wilkins had the dream of representing his country
It did not take so long for Wilkins to start showing his talents in the local football pitches. In 2011 he won the Best Player Award of a U13 tournament in Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu. Three years later he had the first opportunity to feel that his dream was coming true. Ronaldo was named for Vanuatu U15 National Team that played the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics in Singapore. He was the team captain in all three matches contested by his squad in the tournament.
After that, the young Ronaldo has spent some time in New Caledonia’s Zimako Football Academy. The upcoming year was huge for him as he started to play for Shepherds United at senior level and soon he was rewarded with a call up to play the 2015 OFC U-17 Championship for his country. He scored four goals in six matches to help his side securing the bronze medal.
Things did not stop to become better and better for the 15 year old boy. Wilkins was given a scholarship overseas and moved to New Zealand in 2015 to study and play at Scots College, a college that is linked to Wellington Phoenix Academy.
Ronaldo wearing Scots College’s uniform
His dream was getting closer an closer to him and with just 16 years old, he was called-up to represent Vanuatu in the 2016 U20 OFC Championship. He was not intimidated and scored two goals in the tournament, making part of the biggest moment of Vanuatu’s history in football. That U20 squad finished the tournament in the second position after losing to New Zealand in the final. Despite the silver medal, those boys touched the sky by taking their country to a FIFA-sanctioned World Cup for the first time ever.
Another year was gone and he finally lived his dream. Just like the worldwide known Ronaldos, Wilkins was representing his nation in a World Cup. Vanuatu lost all three matches in the 2017 FIFA U20 World Cup held in South Korea, but it was enough for him to make more history by scoring a beautiful goal against Mexico in the opening match. You can check his goal in the video below from 12th to 16th second.
Later that year, Ronaldo had the opportunity to know the country that legendaries Ronaldo and Ronaldinho Gaúcho were born. The Ni-Vanuatu rising star travelled to Brazil for a 15-day trial with São Paulo Futebol Clube, one of the biggest clubs from Brazil. “I went for a trail in Brazil with São Paulo but I did not make it because I only had two weeks and could not perform well enough and that’s my background I think,” he lamented in an interview with the Oceania Football Confederation in 2019.
Despite Ronaldo lamented that he could not stay longer with São Paulo’s squad, it was reported by Brazilian sources that it was just an exchange for the Ni-Vanuatu player, and not a trial. Maybe we will never know the truth behind that. Anyway the 17 year-old rising star had the opportunity to feel how it is training in a professional club, even though he stayed with the youth teams.
Wilkins spent 15 days with São Paulo FC in Brazil
Coming back home after living the atmosphere of a pro club was not as bad as it might look. Some weeks later he made his debut in the National Team during the 2017 Pacific Mini Games held in Vanuatu. He could finally feel the emotion of representing his country at senior level and many other things that would come later.
The year of 2018 was special for him. He was part of the Erakor Golden Star’s squad that played the OFC Champions League that year. The young midfielder played all group stage’s three matches but Erakor did not make the knockout stage. That year also marked his return to New Zealand as he spent some time with Tasman United squad.
Wilkins (right) playing for Erakor Golden Star in the 2018 OFC Champions League
Unfortunately he did not have the opportunity to show his talent in the ISPS Handa Premiership and then he came back home. Since then he played for Shepherds United in the 2018-19 PVFA Premier League and for ABM Galaxy in the 2019 PVFA Premier League Top Four.
The last reported time that Ronaldo Wilkins has appeared in a football pitch was in July last year when he represented his country in the 2019 OFC Olympic Qualifiers held in Fiji. He scored one goal in the opening match against Papua New Guinea and helped his country to come back home with the bronze medal.
Since then he has been playing futsal. He was in Torba United’s squad in the Port Vila Futsal league and scored two goals in the 2019 OFC Futsal Nations Cup.
Wilkins (wearing yellow uniform) against New Caledonia in the 2019 OFC Futsal Nations Cup
There are some rumours that he must come back to 11-a-side football when the football leagues resume in Vanuatu. The 20-year-old midfielder must take a final decision about he wants for his career as a footballer or a futsal player. He has already shown his talent and now it is time to shine before it is too late.
Legendary Fijian player Roy Krishna is currently in Fiji during the COVID-19 pandemic. However he still thinks about his next steps as a professional footballer. The 32-year-old forward had an outstanding 2019-20 season by helping ATK to clinch the Indian Super League title.
Krishna is living a wonderful time on his career by scoring 34 goals in his last 59 official matches for clubs throughout the last two seasons. He was the 2018-19 A-League top scorer with eighteen goals and finished the 2019-20 Indian Super League’s Golden Boot race in the second position.
As his contract with ATK is reaching its end, Krishna told to Stufffrom New Zealand that he is not going to take his decision by now due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Once the current situation is over and the football returns, he will take his final decision about his future.
According to Stuff, the Fijian legend will have many options to choose as his next club. It was reported that clubs from North America, Europe, Asia and A-League have expressed interest on signing with him.
He could be the third Fijian player in Europe. Scott Wara (Stoke City U23) and Nicho Prasad (Bischofswerdaer FV 08) are the other Fijians currently attached to European clubs. Krishna started his career as a footballer in Labasa before moving to New Zealand in 2008 to play for Waitakere United. Click here to check his full profile.
The sporting activities were recently allowed to resume in Vanuatu and some teams are slowly resuming their training sessions. During this months without football due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Tropical Cyclone Harold, the Port Vila Stadium did not receive so much attention.
Actually it seems that no one cared about the football stadium that hosts all matches of the Port Vila Premier League, the main football league in the Vanuatu’s capital. However it changed today when Galaxy FC players went to the stadium to take care of the pitch.
The English Premier League received some bad news this week as six people related to the main football league in Englnd tested positive for COVID-19. The name of all these six people were not announced yet, but the first player who tested positive is already known: Adrian Mariappa.
Mariappa is a 33-year-old central back that plays for Watford. There are two other players from Watford with Coronavirus. The half-Fijian footballer talked to Telegraph Sport about the diagnosis – “Ever since I got my positive result back on Tuesday I have been scratching my head trying to work out how I might have got coronavirus […] My lifestyle is very quiet, certainly no parties or going out or anything, so I really do not know how I got it,” he revealed.
Mariappa was born in England but his father is from Fiji. However he decided to represent Jamaica internationally as his mother was born there. He played his whole career in England and he has represented Watford in 334 official matches so far.
This week is a very special one for football fans in Vanuatu. Three years ago they had their first opportunity ever to face the world in a FIFA-sanctioned World Cup competition. Despite losing all their matches, their youth players really made Ni-Vanuatu people proud.
Vanuatu managed to book a berth in the 2017 U20 FIFA World Cup after reaching the 2016 OFC U20 Championship final with the help of some key players like Bong Kalo, Godine Tenene, Ronaldo Wilkins and Jason Thomas. However the biggest hero was Frederick Massing, who scored a goal in the 94th minute in the semifinal against New Caledonia to put them into the final match against New Zealand – “I am so happy to score the winning goal for Vanuatu,” said Massing to OFC media after the semifinal’s clash.
The support of the spectators was also very important as this tournament was held in Vanuatu. They may not have won the OFC Championship, but it was enough for something bigger, as they had the opportunity to touch the sky and be watched by people from all over the world.
Vanuatu players celebrating the spot in 2017 U20 World Cup
Preparation for the biggest challenge in the history of football in Vanuatu was intense both on and off the pitch, and included nutritionists and doctors. Dejan Gluščević was hired to lead them on the world stage as head coach. He had previously worked with Singapore’s youth national teams, which is why he played a number of friendly matches with the team there against Singapore’s U23 and U20 national teams – “We are mirroring the World Cup by playing all the matches in a row in Singapore. Here we will be able to identify the players who will be able to play this highly demanding and intense schedule at the World Cup,” he explained before travelling with the team to Asia.“
It was very important to have a foreign head coach and good staff to help the young players deal with the excitement and anxiety of a FIFA World Cup – “I am so happy to play against big teams. I think Germany will be the hardest because they are really good at football, but I am ready for it,” Ronaldo Wilkins said in an interview a few weeks before kick-off.
The first match against Mexico raised great expectations among players, staff and fans. After conceding two goals in the first half, Vanuatu managed to return to the second half in a more organised fashion, and they scored twice to tie the game, a very impressive moment in the history of football – they really touched the sky! Bong Kalo and Ronaldo Wilkins were the ones who found the net to make the people of Ni-Van proud.
Wilkins (left) and Kalo (right) celebrating a goal against Mexico
These young players saw their dreams come true, and the possibility of scoring a point in a world championship became more and more real as time passed. But Mexican defender Edson Álvarez struck the net in the 94th minute and broke their hearts. However, the defeat was a real reason for the people of Ni-Vanuatu to be proud of them: “I know they (the fans) are all very proud of us, that we struck back from 2-0 down and came so close to a draw. People watched the game in their homes, but some also came together to watch it on a big screen and they celebrated the defeat,” Bong Kalo said after the game.
It was only the first game, but everyone felt they could do more and win a game. However, the second match against Venezuela dampened their hopes after the South American side beat them 7-0. That defeat must have thwarted their dreams, but a very important person went public to support the squad: Lambert Maltock, President of the Vanuatu Football Federation (VFF) and current President of the Oceanic Football Confederation (OFC): “We already knew that South American football is very difficult, they are really good at improvising. Sometimes they do not play the plan they wanted to play, they play a new plan […] We know where we are now on the world map of football,” he explained.
Lambert Maltock is the current president of VFF and OFC
The third and last meeting in the group phase would be against Germany, one of the largest countries in the world in terms of football. The Ni-Vanuatu squad were able to hold on to their opponents in the early minutes, but they saw Germany score two goals in the first half and a third at the start of the second. It could have been another heavy defeat, but the Oceanian players did not give up.
After a defensive error, the Vanuatu attack gained possession of the ball, culminating in a goal from Bong Kalo, his second in the tournament. They still had time to find the net again when Kalo scored a fine free-kick in the 77th minute, reducing the German lead to just one goal.
Although they fought hard, they did not manage a third goal to equalise. This 2-3 defeat against the European team ended their participation in the tournament. Vanuatu left the tournament with three defeats in three games, but they knew they had fulfilled their mission with dignity and had no reason to complain. “As captain, I always tell the boys before every game that we are far from home and that we need to take something back with us,” Kalo explained. You can check the video with all four goals scored by Vanuatu in the tournament by clicking here.
Vanuatu players celebrating Bong Kalo’s goal against Germany.
And they certainly took something back with them. They learned a lot at the World Cup, and that made them better as footballers and as people. Head coach Gluščević explained that their performances exceeded expectations – “We did what we went there to do […] As their teacher, I’m glad my students passed their exams,” he said at the post-tournament welcoming event.
This World Championship was also very special for Bong Kalo and Ronaldo Wilkins, and not only because they scored in the competition. Both players had the opportunity to travel abroad to prove their talent. Ronaldo Wilkins travelled to Brazil that same year to spend fifteen days in Brazil with the youth team of São Paulo FC, one of South America’s biggest football clubs, known worldwide for its good work with youth players.
On the other hand Bong Kalo went to Europe and signed with FC Ascona from Switzerland. He also had a trial with Leganés from Spain. He played for three months at the Swiss club and scored a goal in eight official matches in the fifth tier of the Swiss league system.
Ronaldo Wilkins (left) during his stint in Brazil and Bong Kalo (right, wearing black shirt) signing a contract with FC Ascona
Many players of this U20 generation are now part of the national team at senior level and have the chance to make the people of their country proud again. We have to wait for the next chapter in this story, as the oldest players of this generation are still only 23 years old.
Football activities in Samoa are current stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However it does not necessarily mean that players are not being physically active. The local federation had an outstanding idea: posting some videos with exercises so the players can follow it to stay fit.
Oceania Football Center congratulates FFS for this great initiative. That is an outstanding idea of the current federation’s administration that has been doing such a great job to promote fooball in the country.
