As the speculations during the last weeks said, Wellington Phoenix signed another player for the season and it is the Australian age group international Brandon Wilson. The midfielder that also can play as right back is an ideal player for the needs of the Kiwi side in the moment as their regular right back starter Louis Fenton is injured.
Wilson putting pen to paper in his new contract – Phoenix Media
The 22-year old player has experience in European football as he was part of youth squads of Burnely and was regurarly called up for the age group national teams of Australia. The midfielder most recentely played for the current A-League premiers Perth Glory.
Wilson was involved in a controversial case with the Australia U23 side that the outcome was his ban from the team that is currently preparing for the AFC U23 Asian Cup. He and more three players were sent home from a camp last year and were not called up again for the team that prepares for the continental tournament.
Solomon Islands international Andrew Abba is ready to leave Waitakere United by the end of 2019-20 ISPS Handa Premiership season. The 30 years old winger is going to join Forrest Hill Milford that is going to play Lotto NRFL Division 1.
Abba is currently injured and it seems that he will not play for Waitakere United anymore due to his knee injury. He is expected to be back in April – the same month that 2020 Lotto NRFL Division 1 begins.
Andrew Abba celebrating a goal for Waitakere United. Source: NZF Media
Forrest Hill Milford coach Adam Dickinson said “We ae really pleased to have Andrew onboard. He brings a vast amount of quality and experience to our squad and I am looking forward to working with him this season.” – Abba is an experient player that has been playing in New Zealand since the 2000s.
Phoenix extended to eight their unbeaten run in the A-League with a hard fought win against Central Coast Mariners last Saturday at Sky Stadium in Wellington. Before losing four matches in a row at the starting of the season, the current streak puts Phoenix in the top places of the ladder battling for big things in the season.
Hooper finishes for Phoenix – Phoenix Media
The most important signing of the season for the New Zealand side, Gary Hooper, started for the team for just the second time in the season. The striker scored when started the game against Melbourne City and opened the account for Phoenix against Mariners after a brilliant pass of David Ball that allowed Tim Payne to enter the area and find Hooper unmarked just to give the final touch.
Phoenix had some problems in the defense as Giancarlo Gallifuoco hit the woodwork with a powerful long-range shot just before Hooper scored Phoenix first goal. Central Coast created opportunities especially with the former Socceroos member Tommy Oar.
Phoenix found the nets again with a solo effort of David Ball, passing two defenders and finding the low corner of the opposition goalkeeper. The ball was almost touched by the midfielder Ulises Davila in the process, but ended in the back of the net. The goal was awarded to Davila in the official report by the referees, but it might be changed during the week as the Mexican clearly does not touches the ball.
David Ball scored his third goal for the Nix – Phoenix Media
Just after conceding the second goal, CCM once again hit the post with a superb shot from the captain Tommy Oar, but their efforts paid off in the last moments of the first half when Mariners reduced the deficit after an unfortunate Luke DeVere flick on. He touched the ball backwards with his head after a cross from the right – an attempt to clear the ball ended in his own nets allowing Central Coast to go just one down to the break.
In the second half early minutes David Ball suffered a muscle injury and needed to be replaced by Jaushua Sotirio. Phoenix created opportunities, but turned its attention to defense to hold the lead. Mariners introduced offensive players as Samuel Silvera in order to score an equalizer; good chances were wasted by the team, but unfortunately for them the score remained untoched until the final whistle.
The win puts Phoenix in the 4th position in the A-League standings just four points away Melbourne City – that is currently the 2nd placed side in the run. The Nix will be back to the pitch next Satruday (12/01) when they face Western Sydney Wanderers at home.
Malampa Revivors is going to play OFC Champions League for the second straight year. After a not so good campaign in 2019 – one draw and two losses in the group stage – the team from Luganville look forward to do something better this year.
Revivors’ preparation keeps going. With some great young players, they recently played two matches against Patuvuti, the current champion of Sanma Region. The results are exciting once Revivors managed to win both matches by 2-1 and 5-0.
There are some young players that must be highlighted after their great performances in both matches: Armando Ravo and Jean-Claude Batick. Ravo is one of the most promising players from Vanuatu. Despite being only 17, he played 2019 OFC U23 Olympic Qualifier held in Fiji.
Ravo (number 15) playing for Vanuatu during 2019 OFC Olympic Qualifiers. Source: OFC Media
Batick is a 19 years old forward that also capped for Vanuatu Youth Teams. He played OFC U17 Championship in 2017 and OFC U20 Championship in 2018. It is going to be interesting to watch him playing at the highest level of Oceanian Football this year.
Revivors are currently leading 2019-20 Luganville Premier League. Their next challenge will be VFF National Championship that begins next week.
ATK traveled 2000km from Kolkata to Mumbai to face Mumbai City at Mumbai Football Arena for the 11th matchweek of 2019-20 Indian Super League. It was an important match for ATK because they had the opportunity to take the lead with a win – and they did it.
The ATK’s 2-0 win does not show what really happened in the match as Mumbai City had more ball possession and created more chances to score. Fijian forward Roy Krishna played an important role by delivering an assist for Michael Soosairaj’s goal to seal the final score. He also had some opportunities to score but he did not manage to net them. You can check the highlights by clicking here.
Krishna celebrating ATK’s win with his team mates. Source: ISL Media
It was the second straight match without a Roy Krishna’s goal – it happened for the first time in the season. However he remains as 2019-20 Indian Super League top scorer with eight goals. ATK currently lead the league with 21 points in eleven matches.
After some wait, Ni-Vanuatu team Galaxy FC announced their new striker for 2020 OFC Champions League: Terence Carter. He is a 26 years old striker from England who last played for Adelaide Raiders in NPL South Australia.
He played an important role at 2019 Raiders’ season by scoring 17 goals in 21 matches and helping his team to finish the season in the third position in 2019 NPL South Australia. He finished the Golden Boot race in the second position just behind Christos Pounendis from Adelaide Olympic.
Carter with Adelaide Raiders. Source: Raiders Media
The Papua New Guinea National Soccer League and Papua New Guinea Football Association today revealed the full draws for the remaining fixtures of the 2019/20 National Soccer League, confirming that each club will go head-to-head, home and away, by the final day on 9th May.
Hekari (in red) and Lae City (in green and yellow) will face off twice in March in the PNG NSL. Photo: OFC
The season started on December 14th, and two fixtures have been played so far, with former champions Hekari United and reigning champions Lae City FC, as well as newcomers Vitiaz United, having won both of their games so far.
The final day will be on May 9th, 2020, when Hekari United will travel to Madang to face Tusbab Stallions at 3pm, while champions Lae will have the final word when they head to Port Moresby for an away fixture against Vitiaz United.
Before that, though, the two former champion sides will face each other at either end of March: on March 7th, Hekari will travel to the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium in Lae, and three weeks later, Lae will head to Port Moresby for their away fixture against the eight-time champions on March 26th.
Next weekend, meanwhile, sees three matchers at the PNG Football Stadium in Port Moresby: Star Mountain take on Morobe United, with both sides looking for their first points, Gulf Komara face Hekari United in the main 3pm fixture, while FC Bougainville host Tusbab Stallions in the late kick-off. Morobe Wawens take on Lae City in Lae, while Vitiaz travel to Goroka to take on Highlands side FC Kutubu.
With the season in its early stages, it’s yet to be seen exactly which fixtures will prove to be crucial towards the end of the campaign, but we’ll be there every step of the way.
Fixtures
11 Jan Star Mountain v Morobe United Gulf Komara v Hekari United Morobe Wawens v Lae City FC Kutubu v Vitiaz United FC Bougainville v Tusbab Stallions
18 Jan FC Bougainville v Vitiaz United Morobe Wawens v Hekari United Morobe United v Lae City Tusbab Stallions v Gulf Komara Star Mountain v FC Kutubu
25 Jan Morobe Wawens v FC Bougainville Gulf Komara v Star Mountain Lae City v Vitiaz United Hekari United v Tusbab Stallions Morobe United v FC Kutubu
1 Feb Star Mountain v Morobe Wawens FC Bougainville v Lae City FC Kutubu v Hekari United Morobe United v Gulf Komara Tusbab Stallions v Vitiaz United
8 Feb Morobe Wawens v Tusbab Stallions Lae City v Star Mountain Gulf Komara v Vitiaz United Morobe United v Hekari United FC Bougainville v FC Kutubu
Two-week break
29 Feb Lae City v FC Kutubu Hekari United v Vitiaz United Morobe Wawens v Gulf Komara Morobe United v FC Bougainville Star Mountain v Tusbab Stallions
7 Mar Morobe United v Tusbab Stallions FC Bougainville v Star Mountain Morobe Wawens v Vitiaz United Gulf Komara v FC Kutubu Lae City v Hekari United
Second Half of the season
14 Mar FC Bougainville v Gulf Komara Morobe Wawens v FC Kutubu Vitiaz United v Morobe United Lae City v Tusbab Stallions Star Mountain v Hekari United
21 Mar Vitiaz United v Star Mountain Lae City v Gulf Komara FC Kutubu v Tusbab Stallions Morobe United v Morobe Wawens Hekari United v FC Bougainville
28 Mar Star Mountain v FC Bougainville FC Kutubu v Gulf Komara Vitiaz United v Morobe Wawens Tusbab Stallions v Morobe United Hekari United v Lae City
4 Apr Morobe Wawens v Star Mountain Gulf Komara v Morobe United Lae City v FC Bougainville Vitiaz United v Tusbab Stallions Hekari United v FC Kutubu
11 Apr Vitiaz United v Hekari United FC Kutubu v Lae City FC Bougainville v Morobe United Tusbab Stallions v Star Mountain Gulf Komara v Morobe Wawens
18 Apr Morobe United v Star Mountain Hekari United v Gulf Komara Lae City v Morobe Wawens Tusbab Stallions v FC Bougainville Vitiaz United v FC Kutubu
25 Apr Vitiaz United v FC Bougainville Hekari United v Morobe Wawens Lae City v Morobe United FC Kutubu v Star Mountain Gulf Komara v Tusbab Stallions
2 May Hekari United v Morobe United Vitiaz United v Gulf Komara Tusbab Stallions v Morobe Wawens FC Kutubu v FC Bougainville Star Mountain v Lae City
9 May FC Bougainville v Morobe Wawens Star Mountain v Gulf Komara Tusbab Stallions v Hekari United FC Kutubu v Morobe United Vitiaz United v Lae City
A former Galaxy FC player from Vanuatu has signed a new contract in Brazil: he is Elias Silva Júnior, also known as Pepeta. The striker played the OFC Champions League 2019 for Erakor Golden Star on loan from Galaxy and also played in Fiji for Rewa in the continental competition. He also had a short stint in the defunct club Amicale in Vanuatu.
Pepeta in his club colours – Marcos Kito
The Brazilian striker recently won a semi-pro tournament in Espírito Santo state in Brazil and now signed for Clube Atlético de Itapemirim to play the Espírito Santo professional regional league. The news were recently released by local media station. Elias is succesful in the region after playing for important clubs as Estrela do Norte and Rio Branco.
Elias is a known striker in Espírito Santo – a state with around 4M people in Southeast Brazil – and is called for his nickname in the region: Pepeta. He is one of the most known players in the recent years of football in Espírito Santo. His new club for the season, Atlético de Itapemirim, was once regional champions in the past years and the now 31-year old striker was in that succesful squad.
The Brazilian when player of Galaxy FC
Galaxy developed a good relationship with Brazilian players – the club already had many players from the South American side in his squad. Currently the defender Diego Máximo and the midfielder Roberson Felipe are part of the team that will represent Vanuatu in the OFC Champions League 2020.
Midfielder Mitch Cooper is back to Hume City in Australia heading for the upcoming season in the state leagues. The Ni-Vanuatu international already played 18 games for the club scoring four goals and helped the team to win the Dockerty Cup last year.
Cooper (in white) in a FFA Cup match
Cooper signed a contract extension with the NPL Victoria side that finished the last season in 6th out of 14 teams in the league. He and his teammates got back to training this week in order to prepare for the next season that is set to start in February; Cooper and Hume City first match of the season will be against Altona Magic.
Oceania Football Center 