This last week-end started the first championship day of the second phase of the Ligue 1 Vini and this time all the matches were played as they were scheduled. The former champion, the AS Venus, was the first team to play in this friday. They won the derby against the Olympique Mahina, which closes the actual ranking. Their victory was very lage, 8-0, thanks also to their famous captain, Teanoui Tehau, who scored 4 goals. Even though OM were well dominated by their opponent, they had a few chances in the first half, but the crossbar didn’t let them pass. The sang-bleus scored their first goal after few minutes that the game started. There was a free-kick just forward the centre-field. Teanoiu Tehau was there waiting for the ball and he scored. Tauhiti Keck scored 3 goals and Ariiura Labaste scored the last one. Yesterday evening the AS Venus won against AS Pirae in a top match of the League 1 Vini. It was a recovery match. They scored 4-0 and they confirmed their leadership at the top of the ranking.
On Saturday was played the much more of the matches. The AS Tiare Tahiti, the second of the ranking, and the AS Pirae, the third of the ranking, both the teams wanted to obtain the 3 points of the victory to stay close to AS Venus. With the two new recruits from Benin, Tiare Tahiti had to bounce back from a heavy defeat against AS Pirae that was coming 2 weeks ago, when they met AS TAC. The objective was obtained by Vatea Terai and its players thanks to two goals, one per half-time, against the players of the Presqu’ile.
The AS Tiare Tahiti
Then the AS Pirare played against Manu Ura. The game was tougher than all thougt. The AS Pirae won only for 1-0. If Pirae has the best attack in the championship with 41 goals scored in six games, AS Manu Ura has shown no fear. Pirae had to wait until the second half to score his only goal, thanks to Heirauarii Salem just before playtime.
AS Pirae vs Manu Ura (source FTF)
On Sunday, the last matches of this first day started with an AS Dragon victory against AS Central Sport. The two teams have new recruits in their workforce, Central with players from Canada, Dragon with Caledonians and the locals. But it was a veteran who made the difference. At the 19th minute the opening goal was scored by Roonui Tehau . Denji Kaiha, a former OM striker, scored for his new club in the 39th minute. Dragon had the opportunity to lead at the break, but the penalty kick taken by Raiamanu Tetauira was stopped by new Central goalkeeper, the canadian William Vandal. Entering the game at half-time, Caledonian Allan Hnyeikone scored a goal by the hour. AS Central Sport came back five minutes later when Jess Horoi scored a penalty. Gabriel Vakoume, who made himself indispensable to the Dragon defense center, received a second yellow card late in the game when he stopped the ball with his hand. Unfortunately for coach Frank Mathieu, AS Central could not benefit from the advantage and Dragon wins the game with 3 goals to 1.
Vandal stopping the penalty kick (source FTF)
The last match of the day was a crazy one between AS Jeunes Tahitien and AS Tefana, two teams desperate to climb the rankings. AS JT was completely effective in the first half, so they scored the first with a free kick and a penalty kick by William Voirin. AS Tefana responded after each goal with a double from Benoit Mathon. But to close to the first period, Yann Vivi looked for his own double and JT led 4-2. In the second period, Faa’a’s Greens and Yellows reduced the mark with their new recruit Jim Ouka with a nice long shot. A few seconds before the end, Tehauarii Holozet put an end to JT’s hope with a nice goal in equalizer in overtime. So a the end the game was a tie, 4-4.
The Fiji international central defender Laisenia Naioko Raura is already in trainings with his new team Ba FC, fact that proves Raura joined Ba after various romours during the week.
The 29-year old player already captained Fiji in recent friendly matches played the Bula Boys and his last club was Suva. Raura already represented Fiji intentionally 22 times making his debut in 2015.
The football clubs from Vanuatu already can go to the market to reinforce their squads! Recently Vanuatu Sport stated that the transfer window in Vanuatu opened in 15th January, according to VFF Competition Manager Batick Bong Shem.
The clubs especially from Port Vila Premier League will be looking to add new players to their squad to challenge the strong Galaxy FC and also the traditionals Tafea and Ifira BB who are currently topping the league in the Vanuatu capital.
Batick Bong Shem also mentioned to Vanuatu Sport that the transfer window in the country will finish in 12th February – still alowing plenty of the time for all clubs in Vanuatu to proceed with their transfers.
The reason for the delay is the club needed to free-up a spot for international player. They took time, but they finally could agree to terms with the Austrian midfielder Kristjian Dobras, who departed the club in order to give the spot for the former Johnny Warren medalist.
Official announcement of the All-Whites member
Rojas had a short stint in Danish top-tier side SønderjyskE where he scored three goals and give two assists in 22 appeareances. The player has plenty of experience in Europe, also playing in Germany, Switzerland and Netherlands top-tiers. Rojas also had a very good period with the Wellington Phoenix and achieved a huge success in Melbourne with the Victory in the past.
The Kiwi Messi is now 28 years old and already played 41 times for the New Zealand national football team scoring five times, being his debut in 2011 in a friendly match against China under the coach Ricki Herbert.
Oceania Football Center interviewed Stephenson in order to clarify if the player was interested to represent the country he was born. After the player mentioned he was eligible for the Kapuls, Papua New Guinea FA contacted Oceania Football Center in order to approach Stephenson.
According to Mr. Khanna, who contacted Oceania Football Center team after the news broke in the media, he said: “I contacted Terry and he has responded well. I have introduced him to our technical team. Our President is happy with the progress – he said Terry will be an asset for Kapuls team“.
One of the most traditional teams in Fiji, Rewa, is looking for an ambitious move to sign a Brazilian striker to add offensive firepower to their squad. The player is Matheus Medeiros, a 23-year old striker that most recently played for Romania’s side Steaua Bucuresti. Medeiros also took part in one of the most important state leagues in Brazil when he played for Friburguense in Rio de Janeiro state league. See more information abour the player here.
The last news on Fiji football forces all the teams to sign important players if they are willing to be competitive in 2020 season and Rewa hopes to finish the deal in order to pursue high goals in their upcoming challenges.
Lautoka was in a urgent need of a new head coach; and their effort paid off as they announced recently the new man in charge just after one week of the start of the researches: the former Labasa and Tavua head coach Anand Sami is in charge of the club that will take part in the next edition of the OFC Champions League.
Anand Sami – FFA Media
Sami is set to take his first training session with Lautoka today (22/01). Sami is a national football legend, a Labasa FA product that represented Fiji international when football player. The last team he coached was Tavua.
After a scoring a lot of goals for Laugu United in Telekom S-League in his some country, the Solomon Islands young star Darold Kakasi is back to represent Ba in 2020 season. The forward is the fourth foreign players to reinforce Ba squad, after the announcement of Benjamin Totori and Jason Thomas and keeping of Ni-Vanuatu striker Micah Tommy.
Darold Kakasi with his country colours – OFC Media
Kakasi represented his nation in the last OFC U23 Olympic Qualifiers where his side lost in the grand final the spot in the Olympic Games for New Zealand. The forward played the last OFC Champions League for Ba and will resume for the club to represent them also in the upcoming edition.
Lae City FC is having some issues to register their new foreign players with the PNG Football Association. It was recently reported by the local newspaper The National that the PNGFA did not receive enough informations to register the both South American players signed by the team coached by Peter Gunemba.
Gustine Vergara (second from left) and Abdias Aguirre (fourth) signed for Lae – Lae City Media
The PNGFA general-secretary Dimirit Mileng said to the local source that “A letter sent by the Lae City FC on Dec 12, 2019, with the names of the players and their age, is not enough information to track these players. Importantly, if the players have a registered player agent, it would make it even more helpful to the players and the club receiving them“. Mileng also added the PNGFA send emails to Ecuadorian FA regarding the situation of the players, but they are still to receive a reply.
The local FA also emailed the most important football organization – FIFA – regarding the process on Transfer Management System (TMS): “These players could not be located on the TMS because they probably have not been registered on the system”. “The question PNGFA has are: What club these players played for? What association is their club registered to? Which part of the country are these players playing in? Do these players have identification numbers as per their registration?” said the general-secretary of PNGFA.
Mileng also stated that he may be wrong, “but Lae City failed to provide certain vital information in the first instance to assist with the process and that’s the reason for the delay in the release of the ITC through the TMS.” To finish his statement, the general-secretary said he hopes the FA can issue the International Transfer Certificate (ITC) as soon as possible and he also mentioned his contact with the club president asking for the needed info to complete the process.
Lae City will have a match in the next Saturday (25/01) as they face Vitiaz United in Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium in Lae for the 5th round of PNG National Soccer League.
