According to local sources the 2020 Vanuatu National League Championship is cancelled. The tournament was scheduled to begin this week.
It would be the first edition of the tournament that would count on nine teams, including Galaxy FC and Malampa Revivors that will play 2020 OFC Champions League. There is no exact news about cancellation’s reasons.
Oceania Football Center keep investigating it in order to bring accurate information about it.
It was a thrilling weekend of Papua New Guinea National Soccer League action, as the top four teams all played each other, with newcomers Vitiaz United securing an unlikely victory over reigning champions Lae City, allowing Hekari United to pull clear at the top of the league after a late winner against Tusbab Stallions.
Kicking off at 1pm local time in Lae, five-time reigning champions Lae City even enjoyed home advantage, with their opponents, debutants Vitiaz United, having to travel north from Port Moresby ahead of the match.
Lae were boosted before kick-off when they received confirmation that one of their Ecuadorian imports, Gustine Icaza, was cleared to play. The South American actually started the game for the champions before being replaced by Obert Bika shortly before half-time.
However, it was a new kid on the block for Vitiaz United who stole the show: 24-year-old Joel Tiampo, recruited from Eastern Stars, scored either side of half-time to put the visitors into a shock 2-0 lead with half an hour to play. Tiampo plays his regional football with Maclaren in the Port Moresby Soccer Association, and represented Erema FC in the 2017 FFPNG National Premier League.
With time ticking away, Lae’s veteran striker Raymond Gunemba pulled one back for the hosts, but the reigning champions were unable to break the firm Vitiaz resistance in the final moments, giving the debutants a priceless victory, and allowing arch-rivals Hekari United a chance to open up a lead at the top of the division.
However, it was not an easy ride for the eight-time former champions either. Hekari, who had home advantage against a Tusbab Stallions side who had won their previous three matches, scored an early goal to settle some nerves through Patrick Aisa in the 11th minute, but after influential midfielder David Muta limped off with an injury before half-time, the youngsters from Madang began to grow into the game.
Once again, Stahl Gubag was a crucial piece of the Stallions puzzle, and after the side ramped up the pressure on the Hekari goalmouth, the 20-year-old leading NSL scorer buried his sixth goal of the season to level the scores at 1-1.
From that moment, the visitors looked on top, with Hekari seemingly bereft of ideas now that the heartbeat of their team had succumbed to injury. However, Stallions were unable to make a breakthrough, and for a while it looked as if they had managed to secure a memorable draw against the former OFC Champions.
However, deep into injury time, Stallions conceded a free-kick just outside the penalty area. Up stepped stand-in captain Koriak Upaiga, who whipped the ball around the wall and into the corner of the goal, beyond the outstretched arms of Stallions goalkeeper Leehan Manasseh.
Fans of both clubs after the game praised the fight and desire of the Stallions youngsters, and indeed, questions must be asked of Hekari’s future: the core of the side are either close to or over 30 years old: Upaiga and Muta are 32, Michael Foster is 34, Langarap Samol is 30, while Daniel Joe will turn 30 this year. That’s almost half of their starting eleven reaching their peak years or, arguably, already past them. For how much longer will they be able to rely on tried and tested veterans?
In the early kick-off, Morobe Wawens picked up their second win of the season, winning a five-goal thriller in Lae 3-2 against FC Bougainville. Wawens opened up a two goal lead thanks to goals from Sombo Goro and Teddy Tommy in the 16th and 36th minutes respectively, before Daniel Vetali pulled one back for the visitors two minutes later.
Wawens forward Barthy Kerobin pounced on some sloppy Bougainville passing play from the kick-off at the start of the second half to increase their lead to 3-1 and score his second goal of the season, and the side looked comfortable for the remainder of the match. Abel Redenut clawed one back for the visitors on 85 minutes, but it was not enough to give them a way back into the game, Wawens eventually running out 3-2 victors.
Elsewhere, both Morobe United and Gulf Komara picked up their first wins of the season: Jeremy Yasasa scored the only goal of the game as Morobe United defeated FC Kutubu in Lae, while goals from Numa Kila and Jordan Kaven were enough to see Komara win 2-1 against Star Mountain, who scored through Tau Winnie.
Results
Morobe Wawens 3-2 FC Bougainville
Gulf Komara 2-1 Star Mountain
Lae City 1-2 Vitiaz United
Hekari United 2-1 Tusbab Stallions
Morobe United 1-0 FC Kutubu
Galaxy will one of the two representatives of Vanuatu in the upcoming edition of the 2020 OFC Champions League. The club created in 2014 has a big economic power in terms of the region and decided to make a big investment to represent well the country in the regional competition.
The English striker Terence Carter is the most important signing of Galaxy for their first appearance in the OFC Champions League. The 26-year old player has experience of playing in Australia and in the United States and his goalscoring skills are being proven in his first three matches for his new club: Carter netted four goals in two friendly matches of Galaxy – against Port Vila squad and Erakor Golden Star and most recently bagged a brace in his first competitive match at PVFA Opening Cup against Sia-Raga.
The Englishman scored a total of six goals in three matches played in his new team and proves he has what it takes to help Galaxy to do well in their biggest challenge of the season in the OFC Champions League.
You can get to know more about Carter and his previous experiences in football, by reading our interview with the player – Meet Terence Carter: new Galaxy FC striker.
The season opener in Fiji was decided in style with a unlikely hero; the 27-year old striker Ratu Anare scored a brace to give Labasa the Champion vs Champion series trophy against the stellar squad of Ba.
Labasa ended the first half infront of the Men in Black with the first goal of Anare in the match. The Ratu Cakobau Park seemed more supportive to Labasa that pushed strong in the first 45 minutes. In the second half, Ba pursued an equalizer and they have founded in the 57th minute of play when the Ni-Vanuatu international Micah Tommy scored for Ba.
Labasa, despite suffering an equalizer and to be dealing with great quality players as Benjamin Totori and Samuela Drudru, found the winner at the 92nd minute of play again through the efforts of Ratu Anare.
The game ended in favour of the Babasiga Lions that proudly kicks-off the season in style winning the first trophy in contest. You can check the highlights by clicking here.
Ba will need to recover rapidly from this defeat in order to prepare themselves for the upcoming 2020 OFC Champions League – the club recently announced the signing of the former New Zealand national team coach Ricki Herbert to guide the team in the continental competition. While Ba needs to fix their mistakes, Labasa staff and fans have a lot to celebrate expecting 2020 will be a year full of victories as 2019 was.
One of the most important move of Fijian football history will see the former All-Whites head coach Ricki Herbert to leave New Zealand in order to coach the Fijian powerhouse Ba. The experienced coach who guided New Zealand to their last appearance in a FIFA World Cup will leave his position in Hamilton Wanderers in ISPS Handa Premiership to coach Ba; but this will be for a short period. Hamilton Wanderers president David Douglas stated “this is great news for our current Football Development Manager Ricki Herbert – who is going to take a short term coaching job for Ba FC from Fiji for the upcoming Oceania Champions League. Ricki will then be back to continue his FDM role with the club. All the best for the next few weeks a Ricki“.
Herbert can be instrumental for Ba in their run in the next OFC Champions League that will start next month. Ba is being very ambitious in the start of 2020, signing very important players from overseas and also investing in local talents.
Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer have signed the defender Kyle Adams from New Zealand. Adams played for Auckland City youth side in his country before departing to United States. The defender that mainly plays as a left back as previously at Dynamo’s parter Rio Grande Valley in United Soccer League – the club decided to sign the player for 2020 season of Major League Soccer, the most important football league in United States.
Adams is 23 years old and represented New Zealanda at U17 and U20 levels, but he is still to be called up for the All-Whites. The defender might have bigger competition and more exposure while in MLS and surely the new New Zealand head coach Danny Hay might watch the development of the new signing of Dynamo. Players as Bill Tuiloma, Deklan Wynne and Michael Boxall, that made most of their careers in MLS, are capped in New Zealand national side, what may suggest Adams is the in right path to have chance to don the New Zealand colours.
The former New Zealand national team head coach Ricki Herbert is the new head coach of the Fijian powerhouse Ba. The current Vodafone Premier League champions are preparing for 2020 OFC Champions League and the New Zealander is a great signing for the board of Men in Black. See more details about Ricki Herbert move to Fijian side Ba.
Most recently Herbert coached the ISPS Handa Premiership side Hamilton Wanderers, but decided to leave the club last month. Herbert will watch the final match of the Champion vs Champion series in Ratu Cakobau Park between Ba and Labasa. “It is a wonderful opportunity to be with Ba Football“, stated Herbert to local newspaper.
As player Herbert has experience in the English football and also represented New Zealand at 1982 FIFA World Cup played in Spain. Ricki Herbert is a legend of New Zealand, being the last head coach to guide the national team to a FIFA World Cup in 2010. Herbert also coached the Wellington Phoenix for several years and also had a stint in Maldives as their national team head coach.
The 19-year old New Zealand prospect Max Mata had a very good year in 2019. Last January the striker signed his first professional contract with Grasshopper Zurich that currently plays the Challenge League, the second-tier of football in Switzerland. The club is famous in the country and played several season in the top league.
Mata signed for the club and was directly sent to the U21 squad that currently plays in the fourth tier of football in Switzerland. The New Zealender played in seven matches for the youth side, scoring four goals in total. In order to keep his development, Grasshopper decided to loan Mata to the Estonian top-tier side Nõmme Kalju in July, just before the striker represented his country in the U20 FIFA World Cup held in Poland, where New Zealand impressed, but were knocked-out of the tournament in the round of 16 after being defeated by Colombia in the penalty shootout.
Mata has a very succesful stint during his time in Estonia: Nõmme Kalju finished the league in 3rd place; Max Mata had an excellent record with the club, scoring eleven goals in twenty matches played for the Estonian side. The Kiwi had a rare opportunity to play at UEFA Champions League at only 19 years old, as Kalju took part in the prelimiary stages of the competition facing the giant Scottish side Celtic FC. The Estonians could not grab an upset, but Mata can proudly say he made his professional debut in an UEFA Champions League match. Mata and his club also took part in the UEFA Europa League, as they were knocked-out of the top continental competition, in a double-legged contest against Luxembourg side Dudelange, but Mata and his teammates could not advance in the competition.
Another fantastic moment in Mata’s career happened in the last year when the player was called up by New Zealand head coach Danny Hay for the European tour of the New Zealand national team to play against Ireland and Lithuania in November. The talented striker made his international debut in Vilnius against Lithuania entering in the second half of a match that ended-up in a 1-0 defeat of the All-Whites.
After a superb year, Mata is back to Switzerland in 2020. The player hopes to have opportunities in the first team of Grasshopper as he already proved himself in his stint in Nõmme Kalju, represented New Zealand in U17 and U20 World Cups and is now a full-capped international after his debut for the All-Whites.
Goalkeeper Beniaminio Mateinaqara might not play for Ba this Sunday in the second leg of CVC against Labasa. He got injured in the final minutes of the first leg and he was replaced by Misiwane Nairube.
According to local sources Nairube is expected to be the starting goalkeeper for this Sunday’s match. Labasa will face Ba at Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori at 3pm. The first leg finished drawn at nil.
Australia faced Uzbekistan in the 2020 AFC U23 Championship’s third place match. Wellington Phoenix winger Reno Piscopo was in the starting eleven after sitting in the bench in the semifinal against South Korea.
The Olyroos had a difficult life in the first half with Uzbekistan creating many chances. However things got better for Australia in the second half when Nicholas D’Agostino found the net in a marvelous individual play.
Uzbekistan’s player Oybek Bozorov was sent off at the 59th minute just six minutes after coming from the bench to replace Nurillo Tukhtasinov. Reno Piscopo was replaced by Ben Folami in the 86th minute. You can check the highlights by clicking here.
The 1-0 win has sealed the bronze medal and a spot in 2020 Olympics for Olyroos. Australia is back to the Olympics after missing two editions. They last played its football tournament in Beijing, 2008.
Piscopo finished the tournament with one goal and three assists in five matches. He is expected to be back to Wellington soon so he must be available to play for Wellington Phoenix in the Distance Derby against Perth Glory on February 7.
Oceania Football Center