Recently, Hekari United announced the additions of four foreigners: two Solomon Islanders and two players from Brazil. The club is looking to reinforce their squad in order to compete at 2020 OFC Champions League.
Vito Laloata (right) with team manager Vonnie Kapi-Natto (left) – Hekari Media
The 23-year old player attracted the interest of the Papua New Guinea club after his very good performances for his national team at the last edition of Pacific Games held in Samoa. Laloata scored all goals of Samoa in the tournament (3).
Current Vodafone Premier League winner Ba and 2019 Battle of the Giants winner Labasa will face each other in the Champion vs Champion (CVC). The first match is schedule to be played today at 7pm at Churchill Park, Lautoka.
Ba is the biggest champion of CVC winning 20 titles while Labasa won for three times. The first CVC happened in 1992 and Labasa won Ba by 1-0 in the aggregate score. It is going to be the fourth time that both teams will clash to decide the CVC title (1992, 1994 and 2007).
According to Fiji Football Association the winner will receive $5000 Fijian dollars. The second leg will be played on Sunday at Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori.
According to a reliable source, New Zealand will send a U23 team to OFC Nations Cup as preparation for 2020 Olympics that will be held in Tokyo between July and August.
All Whites head coach Danny Hay will not coach the team in the Nations Cup as well. Des Buckingham will lead the team in the tournament as he is he U23 head coach. It is going to be a great opportunity to select the 18 players that will play the Olympics.
Des Buckingham
OFC Nations Cup is set to take place in New Zealand in June.
Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Lambert Maltock said in an exclusive interview with Oceania Football Center that football in OFC region must initiate a professional football platform in 2021.
According to Fiji Football Association (FFA) CEO Mohammed Yusuf, the country’s first professional men’s football league must start next year – “We are getting help from experts running the A-League (Australia’s highest level of professional football league) and also FIFA is backing us on this,” he said.
The professional tournament would not kill Vodafone Premier League. Yusuf said that there will be a franchise competition that must start in November 2021. The first edition of the new league must be contested by six teams: three from the West, two from the South and one from the North.
Yusuf pointed that there will be a tender for business companies around the country who are interested to own one of the teams are going to take total ownership of their clubs. The company can put their logos on the jersey and other sporting kits as they are the owners.
The matches must be contested on Wednesdays and Saturadays. All matches are supposed to be telecasted on TV. The top two teams must qualify for Oceania Champions League.
Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) is looking for a new head coach for Solomon Islands National Football Team. The position is vacant since Dutch manager Wim Rijsbergen left the charge after the 2019 Pacific Games.
A new head coach must be appointed soon to lead the team in the Tri-Nation series in March and the OFC Nations Cup in June. However there is a possibility of SIFF name a caretaker.
Today we made an interview with the french goalkeeper, Benoit Beaujeon, of one player who’s moving all around the world to realize his dream to play football.
Interviewer: Hi Benoit I’m really glad to make this interview with you for Oceania Football Center.
Benoit Beaujeon: I’m glad too be here.
I: So let’start. You were born in France in 1992. In which team do you started to play?
BB: I moved quite a lot when I was young. I started playing football at AJA Saumur, near Auxerre. Then i moved to play for other youth clubs. Finally i have joined a Sport-Study programm when i was 15, in association with Le Muc 72 (Ex Ligue 1 – Professional Club). Then I have played for Intrépide d’Angers for 2 years at the highest regional level, just below U19 National Championship.
I: Then you started to go abroad. How was that? France was too little for you? Or maybe you dreamt to work all around the world?
BB: I moved to England just before turning 19. It was my dream to go play in England. It is very hard to make i through in France. If you don’t go through a professional academy, it is very hard to make it to the top. There are not that many opportunities for player like me so I thought it would be easier abroad. I got to travel because of football. I’m always trying to find the best opportunities for me, to progess my career.
Benoit Beaujeon with AS Central Sport
I: I do really like this way to see life. If you can’t find the job that you want in your coutry you need to move. The world is so bigger and there are a lot of opportunity out there. Is difficult to live always abroad?
BB: Well, you have to adapt. I found it more difficult in countries where i don’t speak the language but eventually you cope with it. Buh honestly, you get to see some amazing placese, and meet awesome people. You always learn from discovering new countries, new civilitasions, etc… I love it. In fact why would you stop to your country? I want to do what i like. If i can’t do it in my country, then i’ll go to another one.
I: Well, as i said i’m completely agree with your vision of life. Do you have some funny or weird momento to tell us of you adventures in far away countries?
BB: Of course. Once i was asked to go trial for a 3rd division club in Slovakia. Problem, i hadn’t played football in more than 2 years. I decided to give it a go. I took a bus, a 24 hours trip to get to Bratislava. I had to stay in a youth hoste. It was snowing, training conditions were terrible because of the weather conditions etc… We didn’t agree on terms so I didn’t sign for them but when you take a look back, you realise that’s really about opportunities. Be there at the right place, the right tiem, and always be ready. I could have signed my first pro contract there. I have also done something similar in Austria.
Benoit Beaujeon en action
I: So now you are definitely a professional player?
BB: No, I’m not. I’m still chasing this pro contract. I was very close to do so last summer. I was meant to sign a pro contract in 3rd divions in Romania, but didn’t for some stupi reason. That’s why i ended up playing for AS Central Sport in Tahiti.
I: So you’re doing another job there while you’re playing with AS Central?
BB: I was offered a job with connexion of AS Central Sport. I declined the offer as I really wanted to focus on football. However the club helped me by giving me a coaching role in the academy with theri U11.
I: That was great from them. In Central also arrived this canadian goalpkeeper, Vandall.
BB: Yes. He is actually there to replace me. I left Central because i had better opportunities abroad. I’m in touche with a team that shuold qualify for the OFC Champions Leagye, as well as some teams in Europe.
I: Why so?
BB: I was injured on my last game with Central so I’m worgkin on getting back on shape to sign for a new club.
I: I didn’t know that. I hope you will recover soon.
BB: Thank you . I hope that too. I came back to Paris for treatments
I: After your recovery you will still play in OFC?
BB: Well I’m trying to get in touche with clubs qualified for the OFC Champions League. That was the reason why I joined Central in the First place. They had been playing the O’League the last 2 seasons and I thought we could qualify for it this season too but many things seem to have changed at the club since last year. Therefore I’m looking at playing this competition now. If I can find a team that play O’League i would love to go back. I’d be even ready to pay my flight, as long as they provide accomodotation, food, etc. It would be a very good experience and very good for my CV and my career.
I: How is life in Tahiti?
Tahiti from the airplane
BB: Tahiti is amazing. I loved it. But it’s the kind of place where I would definitely go in holidays, but not to live there. It’s not my thing.
I: Which are the problems to live there?
BB: First of all, life is really expensive. And it’s not my lifetime, not on a daily basis at least. If you go there in holidays it’s cool, people there are relaxed etc… But if I was to stay there longer, for life i meant it wouldn’t work for me. Or maybe yes in the future when i will be an older man.
I: How is football level in tahiti going?
BB: There are some good players. Some could play in N2-N3 in France, but otherwise, the level is ok.
I: So now you will wait for an opportunity? When you will be ready?
BB: Well I have to see if the club qualify for the O’League. They are playing the qualifying stage this weekend. If they do, I’ll contact the chairman to see if they are still interested to sign me. But I really would like to play this compétition this yea Otherwise I’ll try to find something in Europe. I should be able to play again in 10 days.
I: That was a very good interview. Thank you Benoit.
Oceania Football Center wrote an article about Terry Stephenson that called the attention of local people. The 18 years old player was born in Lae, Papua New Guinea. The repercussion of this article was so big that it reached Papua New Guinea Football Association.
The contact made by PNG Football Association was successful. However he pointed that he would not take the final decision by now – “I am still young and still developing my career […] I am only 18 and it would be very hard for me to make a decision as of yet.” stated Stephenson.
Stephenson currently holds an English passport as he has been living in England for many years. He already took part of English National camps at U15 level and he would like to wait some seasons to decide if he will play for PNG or not. A football player can only change the nationality of his passport once so if he decides to apply for a Papua New Guinean passport he could not get the English one again to represent England according to FIFA rules – “I would like to see in maybe a few seasons where my career has taken me and whether I want to play for England or Papua New Guinea” he explained.
A similar case happened to Adrian Mariappa: he was born in England but his father is Fijian and his mother is from Jamaica. Mariappa had an English passport and he could change its nationality so he decided to apply for a Jamaican passport. He could have chosen to apply for the Fijian passport in order to represent Fiji National Football Team but he preferred to represent Jamaica.
It means that we are not going to see Stephenson playing for Papua New Guinea in the 2020 OFC Nations Cup. However if he does not play an official match for England National Football Team at senior level he can apply for a Papua New Guinean passport and it would not be something difficult to him because he was born in PNG.
Chris Wood is one of the most important football players from New Zealand. The 28 years old striker is a key player for Burnley FC in the English Premier League and he is living one of the best moments of his career.
Wood had a great performance in Burnley’s 2-0 win against Manchester United at Old Trafford. He opened the scoreboard in the first half and he delievered an assist to Jay Rodriguez score Burnley’s second goal to seal the away win. You can check the highlights by clicking here.
The All Whites striker scored ten goals in the 2019-20 Premier League so far. There are some important numbers that must be pointed about him: -It is the third straight season that Wood scores 10 goals in the Premier League; -He scored five goals with his head in the season. No one scored more headers than him in the Top 5 european leagues this season (English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, French Ligue 1, Italian Serie A and German Bundesliga); -Wood scored 14 headers in the Premier Leauge since 2017. Nobody scored more headers than him in the league during this period of time.
Burnley’s game plan is very suitable for Wood and he does his job really well. The New Zealander is a very important player for The Clarets and his goals are being decisive in order to save the team from relegation.
Solomon Islands international Atkin Kaua’s trial with Maltese club Tarxien Rainbows is over. According to Netherlands Oceania Support Foundation’s president Paul Driessen, Kaua started training with Mqabba FC squad on Monday.
Atkin Kaua
Mqabba’s head coach regards Atkin Kaua as a very agile player and he now has a big opportunity to impress the coach and get a professional contract. Kaua and Mqabba will play a friendly match against Marsaxlokk FC on Thursday. The final decision must be taken by the team’s office on Friday.
The Maltese transfer window closes on January 31. Oceania Football Center wish good luck to the player.
The year of 2019 was huge for Oceania football: we had players signing their first professional contracts overseas, a first-time winner of OFC Champions League and also the qualifiers for Tokyo Olympics. Many other important facts happened in the year, many players were put under the spotlights and Oceania Football Center inaugurate the OFCe Awards – the best players chosen throught the year by the Oceania Football Center team and guests.
U20 PLAYER OF THE YEAR
The players chosen to contest to open vote among Oceania Football Center team and guests were:
The New Zealand international Sarpreet Singh was chosen the OFCe U20 Player of the Year. The young midfielder made a dream move to the German outfit Bayern Munich, after a stellar season for Wellington Phoenix in A-League. The player also featured in a very good campaign of New Zealand in the U20 FIFA World Cup held in Poland, where New Zealand were knocked-out in the Round of 16.
GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR
The players chosen to contest to open vote among Oceania Football Center team and guests were:
🇳🇨 Rocky Niykeine (41,6%) * 🥇 🇳🇿 Stefan Marinovic (41,6%) 🥈 🇳🇿 Michael Woud (16,8%) 🥉
Rocky Nyikeine was chosen as the OFCe Goalkeeper of the Year. The New Caledonian international tied-up with the New Zealand player Stefan Marinovic, but in tie-break vote among the Oceania Football Center directors Nyikene was chosen.
The New Caledonian helped Hienghène Sport to grant their first ever OFC Champions League title and also won the Coupe de Calédonie and the Mobil Super Ligue in New Caledonia. Nyikeine made impressive stops all over the season, especially in the FIFA Clubs World Cup in a match against the Qatari national champions Al-Sadd.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
The players chosen to contest to open vote among Oceania Football Center team and guests were:
🇫🇯 Roy Krishna (37,5%) 🥇 🇳🇿 Sarpreet Singh (22,2%) 🥈 🇳🇨 Antoine Amy Roine (15,2%) 🥉 🇳🇿 Chris Wood (13,8%) 🇳🇨 Bertrand Kaï (11,3%)
The Fijian international Roy Krishna was chosen as the OFCe Best player of the Year. Krishna made a fantastic 2019 for Wellington Phoenix, helping the club to be back to the A-League playoffs by scoring 18 goals in the A-League regular season and one in the Playoff round. He was the top goalscorer of the season in the league and also awarded the best player in the league in the 2018/19 season.
Krishna also helped Fiji to earn bronze in the Pacific Games 2019 held in Samoa before joining his new club in the Indian Super Ligue ATK. Roy finished 2019 in style with very good performances in his new club where he already scored eight times.
Singh, Nyikeine and Krishna; the chosen by Oceania Football Center
Oceania Football Center congratulates all players for their hard work and very good football shown and thanks to all people involved that made this awards happen.
