The most important league of women’s football in New Zealand had its decisive game last weekened where Canterbury United Pride faced Northern Lights to decide the champions of the National Women’s League.
The National Women’s League trophy – NZF Media
The second half was where the two goals of the game happened: Gabi Rennie scored for Canterbury United Pride at the 56th minute of the game, but Northern Lights found an equalizer eight minutes later throught the effort of the young talented forward Kelli Brown.
The final whistle for the regulation time saw both teams leveled in the scoreline and an extra-time period was necessary. Despite the both sides efforts, none of the teams could score a goal to win the league during the extra-time and the game needed to be decided on the penalty shootout – where Canterbury could seal their title, the second in two years.
The ‘back to back’ champions Canterbury Pride – NZF Media
The ‘Team of the Season‘ had three players of Northern Lights and five of the winners Canterbury Pride. Despite the both sides making it to the finals, the top goalscorer of the season was not member of any of the two teams – Emma Rolston of Capital Football scored ten goals in the season and claimed the golden boot award.
Hamilton Wanderers traveled to Nelson to face Tasman United at Trafalgar Park for the seventh matchweek of 2019-20 ISPS Handa Premiership. It was a very important match for both teams because they are not having a good season so far.
Derek Tieku opened the scoreboard for Wanderers in the 16th minute but Matt Tod-Smith and 17 years old forward Jesse Randall netted for Tasman to take the 2-1 lead. Jake Butler netted a penalty kick in the 50th minute to tie the match.
Tommy Semmy scored a nice free-kick goal to give Wanderers’ the 3-2 lead and the three points. It was the second goal of Tommy Semmy in the league – two free-kick goals. You can check his goal against Tasmn United by clicking here.
Tommy Semmy celebrating a goal for Hamilton Wanderers.
Hamilton Wanderers won two out of six matches in the current season and Semmy scored in both wins (the other win was against Eastern Suburbs in the second matchweek) showing that he is such an important player for them.
Wanderers’ is currently in the tenth and last position with six points.
New Zealander goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic won A-League “Save of the Round 10” award. This award is given to the goalkeeper who made the most difficult/beautiful save of the matchweek.
Marinovic made a brilliant save against Melbourne Victory last weekend and you can watch it by clicking here.
Wellington Phoenix goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic had an outstanding performance against Melbourne Victory
Oceania Football Confederation released the venues and schedules of 2020 OFC Champions League. The Preliminary Round is scheduled to begin on 25 January while the final match to decide the championship winners will be played on 16 May. You can check the scheduled matches by clicking here.
Check the venues and schedules below: PRELIMINARY ROUND Venue: 🇳🇿 Ngahue Reserve Dates: 25-31 January 2020 Teams: 🇨🇰 Tupapa Maraerenga, 🇼🇸 Lupe o le Soaga and 🇹🇴 Veitongo
GROUP A Venue: 🇵🇬 PNG Football Stadium Dates: 16-22 February 2020 Teams: 🇳🇨 Hienghène Sport, 🇳🇿 Eastern Suburbs, 🇵🇬 Hekari United, 🇻🇺 Galaxy FC
GROUP B Venue: 🇻🇺 Luganville Soccer City Stadium Dates: 15-21 February 2020 Teams: 🇻🇺 Malampa Revivors, 🇵🇬 Lae City, 🇸🇧 S-League runners-up, 🇫🇯 Lautoka
GROUP C Venue: 🇳🇨 Stade Numa Daly Dates: 01-07 March 2020 Teams: 🇳🇨 AS Magenta, 🇵🇫 Tiare Tahiti, 🇸🇧 S-League champions, 🏁 Preliminary Round runners-up
GROUP D Venue: 🇵🇫 Stade Pater Dates: 01-07 March 2020 Teams: 🇫🇯 Ba, 🇳🇿 Auckland City, 🇵🇫 AS Vénus, 🏁 Preliminary Round winners
OFC Champions League Trophy
Oceania Football Center wishes good luck to all teams.
The last weekend in New Caledonia was the decisive moment for four teams that took part in the Relegation/Promotion playoffs for the most important football league in New Caledonia, the Mobil Super Ligue. In the previous season of the top tier, won by Hienghène Sport, the direct relegated side was ES Wacaele that could not establish themselves in the Super Ligue going back to the regional championship of the New Caledonian Islands. Trio Kedeigne ended 9th in the run and had still a chance to battle against relegation in a one-legged decisive match – Trio was draw against the champions of South Provincial Committee AS Kunié. In the other decisive match the champions of the North Provincial Committee JS Baco faced the champion of the Islands Qanono Sport.
The matches were held in neutral venue in Mont-Dore. The first match saw the known side JS Baco to grant their spot once again at the first tier of football in New Caledonia. The north team already took part in many occasions of the Mobil Super Ligue.
The dream to keep at the first division proved to be only an illusion for Trio Kedeigne – they lost their place against the South winners AS Kunié – a much celebrate win for everyone in the region of Kunié.
JS Baco and AS Kunié, the new teams in Mobil Super Ligue 2020 – FCF Foot
The Fijian wonder Roy Krishna keeps proving he is one of the best ever player produced in Oceania. The forward is currently the top goalscorer of the 2019/20 season of Indian Super League for his side ATK. Despite suffering a 2-1 defeat last weekend against Goa and losing the 1st place in the standings, the Fijian was awarded the ‘Goal of the Week’ award due a fantastic goal scored scored against NorthEast United in the seventh matchweek in the league – you can watch the goal by clicking here.
Krishna receives his award – ISL
The Fijian is still the at the top of the stats in the golden boot race in India with six goals scored in eight matches played. The Spaniard striker Sergio Castel of Jamshedpur comes just behind Krishna with five goals scored.
The OFC Champions League Preliminary Round is usually played by four teams: one from American Samoa, one from Cook Islands, one from Samoa and one from Tonga. However the 2020 edition will have only three teams in this stage because Pago Youth (American Samoa representant) withdrew from the competition due to a measles outbreak that is ravaging the country. Tonga and Samoa are also suffering with this epidemic but Lupe o le Soaga (Samoa) and Veitongo (Tonga) will take part of the continental competition alongside with Tupapa Maraerenga from Cook Islands.
Pago Youth Logo
The qualifying tournament will take place across three match days at Ngahue Reserve in Auckland on January 25, 28, and 31.
The winner of the Qualifying Stage tournament will join Group D in the OFC Champions League 2020, alongside AS Venus (Tahiti), Ba FC (Fiji), and Auckland City FC (New Zealand). The runner-up in qualifying will enter Group C with AS Magenta (New Caledonia), the S-League winner from the Solomon Islands, and AS Tiare Tahiti (Tahiti).
It was recently reported that Atkin Kaua and Joses Nawo are very close to have an opportunity as footballers at Europe. However it seems that there is a big problem behind good news: money.
According to reliable sources, Kaua and Nawo have the opportunity to trial at Tarxien Rainbows from Malta but they need to find someone to fund them otherwise they will not travel to Europe. They might be losing the biggest opportunity of their lives due to lack of sponsorship and funding.
Kaua (left) and Nawo (right) are waiting for someone to fund the trip to Malta
Malta’s transfer window closes on 31 January 2020.
Another gameweek is gone in the 2019-20 Telekom S-League with some important results that may be very decisive to the final league standings. Scroll down and check what happened during the weekend in the S-League!
HENDERSON EELS 2-2 SOLOMON WARRIORS
The most important match of the season ended drawn. Raphael Lea’i scored early in the beginning of the match to give Eels the lead but Benjamin Totori tied the game with a close-range finish in the first half for Warriors.
Tutizama Tanito restored Eels’ lead with a stunning goal. Eels’ goalkeeper Anthony Talo brought down Totori in the box as referee George Time awarded a penalty for Warriors. Ni-Vanuatu midfielder John Alick netted the penalty kick to tie the match.
Warriors are leading the league with 35 points while Eels have 32 points with two matches left to play for each team.
Lea’i scored but it was not enough to beat Warriors. Source: S-League Media
LAUGU UNITED 9-0 REAL KAKAMORA
Laugu smashed Real Kakamora to take the fifth position in the league. Darold Kakasi netted four goals while Mathias Iani scored a hat-trick to bring Laugu back to the winning pathway. The other two goals were scored by Clayton Menapa and Leslie Ramo.
Real Kakamora is having an awful season. They lost all their matches so far.
Kakasi scored four goals against Real Kakamora. Source: S-League Media
ISABEL UNITED 12-0 GUADALCANAL
Just like Real Kakamora, Guadalcanal is having a very harsh season winning only one match so far (against Real Kakamora). They were thrashed by Isabel United this weekend with a heavy 12-0 loss. Unfortunately there is no reliable information about the goalscorers.
Isabel United keeps their good streak to remain on the third position with 25 points.
Players fighting for the ball. Source: S-League Media
KOSSA 6-2 MALAITA KINGS
Kossa won again to keep pursuing Isabel United for the third position in the league table. Harrison Mala scored his second straight hat-trick and he has now 12 goals scored in the league, half of them were netted in the last two matches. Robert Laua, Lore Fonaota and Barrie Limoki also scored for Kossa. Malaita Kings’ goals were scored by Papua New Guinea International Nigel Dabinyaba and good striker Edward Huniuehu.
Malaita Kings is in the sixth position with 18 points while Kossa is in fourth with 23 points.
Hekari United mean business this year. Hot on the heels of recent news that the side have secured the services of PNG Kapuls captain Michael Foster for the new season, it was revealed today that the club have also put pen to paper to secure the loan signings of three professionals: one from Portugal and two from Brazil.
Hekari United won their opening NSL match 3-0 against Star Mountain. Photo: PNGFA Media
The players – Portuguese Diego Andres Martins and Brazilians Jose Ricardo and Eric Joe – will join the club in January and be available for NSL and OFC matches.
Not a great deal is known about any of the players, although deeper research reveals that Andres Martins, 31, most recently played for Police United FC of Belize, and plays as an attacker. It’s possible he may have been a member of the Police United side that took part in the 2016/17 CONCACAF Champions League, in which case he would bring a wealth of experience to the club.
Franchise owner Vonnie Kapi Natto said the process of convincing the players to come to the club took four months.
Kapi Natto also revealed that three players from the Solomon Islands would also be joining the club in the next couple of weeks.
More information about the 2019/20 NSL squads will be revealed when we have it.
Oceania Football Center 