Papua New Guinean forward David Browne played his second match for Finnish club HJK. After an outstanding performance in a friendly match against RFS from Latvia he had the opportunity to play his first official match in Finland.
HJK faced TPS in the first stage of the Finnish Cup. Browne was in the starting eleven and played an important role in the 3-0 win.
David Browne (second from left to right below)
Browne scored in the 50th minute to seal the HJK’s 3-0 win. He was replaced by Rasmus Schüller in the 66th minute.
According to reliable sources he has not signed with the Finnish club yet but his outstanding performances are giving him lots of credits. Oceania Football Center congratulate Browne for scoring his first goal in Finland.
The 2020 PVFA Opening Cup kicked off this weekend. Four matches were played at Port Vila Stadium and Oceania Football Center bring a report of these matches for you! Scroll down and check the reports.
TAFEA 3-0 YATEL
Tafea faced Yatel in the opening match of the tournament. Current league leaders Tafea scored three goals in the first half to seal the 3-0 win. John Thomas, Allista Kalip and Evaristo Kapulu were the goalscorers. Tafea’s goalkeeper James Iamar saved a penalty kick in the second half to guarantee a clean sheet for his team.
ERAKOR GOLDEN STAR 1-0 MAUWIA
Erakor Golden Star had a difficult challenge against Mauwia. After a hard match the referee awarded a penalty kick for Erakor in the last minute of the second half. Team captain’s Jackson Tasso netted the penalty to seal the 1-0 win.
Erakor’s captain Jackson Tasso (right) scored the winning goal in the last minute. Source: Vanuatu Sport
TUPUJI IMERE 3-1 IFIRA BLACK BIRD
Tupuji Imere count on some new players from First Division side Mauriki FC. Charley Kaltanak opened the scoreboard for Tupuji and Kensly Taserei score the second from a penalty kick. Michel Coulon scored the third goal in the second half and Jonathan Spokeyjack netted the only Ifira’s goal.
GALAXY 4-2 SIA-RAGA
English striker Terence Carter scored two early goals to give the lead to Galaxy as team captain’s Diego was sent off in the first half. Roberson scored Galaxy’s third goal in the second half while Jino netted a penalty kick for Sia-Raga.
Jason Bule scored Sia-Raga’s second goal (3-2) to put some pressure on Galaxy. Three players were sent off in the second half. Goalkeeper Seiloni Iaruel and defender Alphonse Lency from Galaxy and Jesino from Sia-Raga. Bong Kalo scored a late goal to seal the 4-2 win.
Galaxy’s captain Diego (right) was sent off in the first half. Source: Vanuatu Sport
Solomon Islands international Atkin Kaua keeps trialling in Malta. After spending some days with Tarxien Rainbows he had a second opportunity by training with Mqabba FC.
Atkin Kaua keeps trying to get a professional contract in Malta.
Mqabba’s head coach liked him but according to Netherlands Oceania Support Foundation, Mqabba’s management preferred to sign with a defender. Kaua still has a third chance to get a professional contract in Malta – He is going to train with St. George’s FC from Malta’s second tier.
Maltese transfer window is set to close on January 31. Oceania Football Center wish good luck to Atkin.
The 2019 season of the Telekom S-League is still to be finished as some matches from the past season needed to be postponed to 2020 January – the Prince Charles from United Kingdom visited Honiara and also the league stopped for the Christmans and New Year celebrations.
The first match could decide the champions of the league, Henderson Eels needs a miracle to overcome the situation and win the league. Eels needed to cut a deficit of 13 goals from Solomon Warriors and this was exactly what they have done: they demolished the bottom placed team Real Kakamora by 19-0! The talented Raphael Le’ai scored eleven of those goals to keep his team in the run for the title.
Le’ai demolished Real Kakamora’s defense
Alongside Le’ai, Joses Nawo and Kennedy Watemae scored a hattrick each and Timothy Bakale and Tutizama Tanito scored the remaining goals to complete the 19 scored by Eels in the day.
The eleven goals scored by Raphael Le’ai put him as the top goalscorer of the S-League season with 24 goals – in just 7 matches played. The 16-year old player is now 5 goals upfront the second player who most scored goals in the season so far, the Ni-Vanuatu international Tony Kaltack of Solomon Warriors with 19.
Despite doing a fantastic job against Kakamora, Eels duty is still very hard: Solomon Warriors just need a draw to seal the title of Telekom S-League against the 8th placed side Guadalcanal, club that just won one match in the entire season so far.
The Samoa representatives Lupe o le Soaga in the OFC Champions League 2020 started well their campaign with a win against the Tongan side Veitongo in the preliminary stage. As expected, Lupe was the favourite side for the contest and they started very strong the match, almost scoring through a shot of Lapalapa Toni that was well defended by goalkeeper Sinilau Taufa.
The first half was completely dominated by Lupe o le Soaga – the game controled by the experienced defender Andrew Setefano and his partner in defense Ritchievoy Ueligitone. Despite the dominance, the goalkeeper Sinilau Taufa was doing great and managing to stop the most important actions of the oposition side.
The dominance by the Samoans was converted into goal when the English striker Matthew Chant headed the ball past Taufa to find the nets after a pinball in a corner. Chant scored the first for Lupe to give them the relief to finally be up in the scoreline.
Lupe o le Soaga players celebrate their first goal – MyCujoo
Just four minutes later from Chant first goal, Lupe managed to score another: after a corner, Tauati Tanoai gets the rebound and finds Suivai Ataga free in the box to just tap the ball to the nets of Sinilau Taufa. The Samoans scored their second.
Veitongo seemed very fragile through the air and this was used very well by Lupe as both of their goals came from corners. The Tongan side did not create any danger for the oposition goalkeeper in the first half – the key man Hemaloto Polovili was well marked and could not help his team.
The second half was totally different history; for those who expected a massive win by the Samoan champions, Veitongo dominated the actions in the final 45 minutes and they had deserved a better result than they had. The first real danger for Lupe happened in the 61th minute of play when the dangerous Pita Uhatahi passed Tauati Tanoai brilliantly and brought down by Ritchievoy Ueligitone inside the penalty area – the referee awarded a penalty kick to the Tongan side. The talented Vai Lutu took the ball, but the penalty was saved by the New Zealand goalkeeper Zane Green to keep the scoreline 2-0 in favour of Lupe o le Soaga.
The moment Vai Lutu is stopped by Green – MyCujoo
The Tongans kept pushing forward to get a goal; the fast Pita Uhatahi was a danger in the left side, always looking to connect with Hemaloto Polovili and Tupou Uhatahi upfront. In one of those opportunities Polovili was brought down just close the penalty box by Lawrie Letutusa. The free-kick was taken by number 10 that finished it wide, close to the post of Green.
Chant created a good opportunity for Letutusa to score the third for Lupe in a counter-attack move, but the ball was brilliantly saved by Sinilau Taufa. The 17-year old Michael Tumua Leo had a chance to seal his team victory minutes later Letutusa opportunity, but the Tongan defense managed to put bodies in way to prevent a third goal.
The match finished with a 2-0 victory for the Samoans. Lupe was certainly expecting a win over Veitongo, but they really should have done better – their performance was not as good as expected and in various occasions they suffered a real threat from the brave Tongans.
The competition will resume in the next Tuesday (28th Jan) when the Cook Islanders of Tupapa Maraerenga debut in the competition against Lupe o le Soaga. Veitongo will be back to the pitch next 31th, January to face the same Cook Islands side Tupapa Maraerenga to finish the preliminary stage of 2020 OFC Champions League.
Roy Krishna is well-known player; we do not need to present the Fijian international to anyone currently in Oceanian and Asian football. The 32-year old striker proved himself in the highest level of football in Australia winning the Johnny Warren medal – the best player of the season – and also being the top goalscorer of the previous season of the league when playing for Wellington Phoenix. The Fijian also achieved a lot of success when playing in Oceania, winning the OFC Champions League for his former side Waitakere United.
Krishna has proven records as goalscorer, but the present season is showing another shade of Roy Krishna: the playmaker.
Krishna is doing a fine season for ATK – Goal.com
Krishna does not score for ATK for four matches in a row – losing his spot in the as top goalscorer for Nerjius Valskis of Chennayin, being two goals behind the current top goalscorer – but, his contribution to the team keeps being amazing as usual.
Krishna gave two assists for the winning goals of his team previous match against Goa FC – already contribuing with four assists in the whole assists. Krishna, combined, already took part in 12 goals of ATK in the season.
Krishna and his side will another challenge next Monday when they face at home NorthEast United – a win will put the Kolkata-based side back to the top of the Indian Super League.
Georges Gope-Fenepej is one of the most prolific footballers from Oceania currently, playing at the 2nd tier side Le Mans in France. The 20-time capped international for New Caledonia already scored three times for the club in the 2019/20 season, but some injuries prevented Gope-Fenepej to do even better.
The New Caledonian forward played his match of 2020 after almost two months; another injury put the player out of the lines for Le Mans and stopped a good run for 31-year old player that scored three times in six matches after he recovered from another serious injury that made him lost the start of the season.
Gope-Fepenej (red) playing for Le Mans
Since 29th November, 2019 the New Caledonian international did take part in match. This bad moment ended when he entered the pitch yesterday (24th Jan) as a substitute in the second half in a game for Ligue 2 against Valenciennes. Le Mans ended up to lose the match away from home by 1-0 against Valenciennes – the club will need a lot the services of Gope-Fenepej since they are battling at the bottom of the table staying just in the 17th position, just one position above the relegation zone.
Le Mans will be back to action next week against AS Nancy-Lorraine at home ground and Gope-Fenepej is expected to be used in some part of the encounter, as the player is still slowly getting back to his best shape.
Exciting news for New Zealand and Oceania football broke recently in local media; another young talented player – product of Olé Football Academy – has signed a professional contract in European continent. Olé Football Academy is responsible for developing players as the current All-Whites members Callum McCowatt and Elijah Just.
This time the U17 New Zealand international Matthew Garbett signed for the Swedish first-tier side Falkenbergs FF. The young forward signed for three seasons with the Scandinavian side.
Garbett with this new club – Falkenbergs Media
Garbett was able to sign a professional deal before to turn 18 – the player will complete 18 years old this April – due he also holds English citizenship; he was born in London.
Garbett scored twice for the New Zealand side in the U17 FIFA World Cup in 2019 held in Brazil, where the Kiwis were knocked-out in the group stage. Garbett was one of the standout players alongside the goalkeeper Alex Paulsen and the midfielder Marko Stamenic.
Papua New Guinean winger David Browne is currently on trial with HJK, the biggest football teams in Finland that won the Finnish league for 29 times. He had an opportunity to play a friendly match on January 18 against RFS from Latvia and he had an outstanding performance.
Browne (circled) with HJK squad. Source: HJK media
It has been one week since he played this friendly and there is no news about HJK’s decision. People are waiting for new information to see if Browne will sign with the Finnish team or not.
Browne played in Europe between 2015 and 2018. He played for PEC Zwolle and Groningen U21 from Netherlands.
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