It was reported by Fiji Football Association that Navua will bring three players from Lami: 2018 and 2019 Vodafone Senior League top scorer Taniela Rakariva, Matthew Charittar and Vinal Prasad.
Rakariva played some fantastic seasons with Lami in the second tier of Fijian football. Nobody scored more goals than him in Fijian football in 2019. The 23 years old striker is ready to prove himself in the main league of his country.
Lae City new players arrived in Papua New Guinea. Abdias Aguirre and Gustine Vergara came from Ecuador to play the 2020 OFC Champions League for them.
According to Lae City’s captain Raymond Gunemba these new players will increase the level of the team – “I believe that they are good players and they will really boost our team in the Champions League” – he said.
From left to right: Aguirre, Gunemba, Vergara and Nigel Dabinyaba.
Aguirre and Vergara are very young players and it is going to be the first time that they play for an overseas team. Both players do not speak English, but Lae City players are not having big communication issues – “We use a translate app so we can communicate with them” – explained Gunemba.
Lae is in the 2020 OFC Champions League Group B with Malampa Revivors (VAN), Henderson Eels (SOL) and Lautoka (FIJ) – the group will be hosted in Vanuatu.
The new foreign players of Lae City FC that will compete at OFC Champions League next month arrived in the country and they are ready to represent the club in the national and regional upcoming tournaments.
Abdias Aguirre (third from left) and Gustine Vergara (fourth from left) arrived in Lae
The players are the most important signings of the club in order to compete at the next regional challenge Lae will have. Lae is grouped with Malampa Revivors (VAN), Henderson Eels (SOL) and Lautoka (FIJ) – the group will be hosted in Vanuatu.
The second episode of Islanders Observer arrived! Oceania Football Center keep talking about the foreign islanders that are playing in 2019-20 ISPS Handa Permiership, the top national football league in Oceania. Now it is time to talk about a New Caledonian forward that is playing his first season in the league: Jean-Philippe Saïko.
Saïko is an experienced forward that played in the French football for some years. The 29 years old forward joined Tasman United for his first ever experience in New Zealand. He is a regular starter in the team and he is being an important player for Tasman.
Saiko playing for Tasman United. Source: NZF Media
Saïko scored two goals in eight matches to help his team to finish the first half of 2019-20 ISPS Handa Premiership season in the fifth position with ten points in nine matches.
Right back Dylan De Jong is not an Eastern Suburbs’ player anymore. The 22 years old right back signed with Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona from Israel.
De Jong (middle) being presented by his new team. Source: Miroslav Nikolic
De Jong was being an important player for the Lilywhites in the 2019-20 ISPS Handa Premiership Season. He scored one goal in seven matches for Eastern Suburbs before leaving the club. Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona is currently in the 11th position in Ligat Ha’ai, the first division of Israeli football.
The OFC Executive Committee’s finally confirmed that the OFC Nations Cup will take place in New Zealand. In particulare the games will be held in Auckland from the 6th of June and the 20th of June. The Kiwis are the holders of the title. They won the last OFC Nations Cup that took place in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, in 2016. They defeated the host nation only at the penalty shootout. New Zealand will host the OFC Nations Cup after 18 years. A very long time for the leading nation of the oceanian football movement.
Winners ceremony in OFC Nations Cup 2016
In this new Nations Cup they’re will be 8 who will compete to win the title. 7 teams are automatically qualified: New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Tahiti, New Caledonia, Fiji, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. The last team will be decided in a qualifying round that will starts the 21st and ends the 27th March 2020 at the CIFA Academy in Rarotonga, in the Cook Islands. 4 teams will partecipate: the hosts, Cook Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, and Tonga.
Cook Islands where the qualifying tournament will take place
This will be the competion format: 8 teams / 4 teams in 2 group / the first 2 teams of each group will qualify for the semi-finals / 1A vs 2B – 1B vs 2A / final
Full match schedules will be out after the qualifying tournament on the OFC site.
The prolific forward Siotame Kubu was recently reported to be in talks with Suva, giving clear signs he could leave the Babasiga Lions. Despite a lot of speculations there are good news for the Labasa fans: the hero of the Battle of Giants title is going to stay in Labasa for the upcoming season.
The information was recently reported by Labasa media, stating their star playing is going to say with Labasa after a very good for the team that won the Battle of Giants and IDC.
Solomon Islands U14 National Futsal Team lost to Football Victory by 5-2 in the 2020 FFA National Futsal Championship semifinal.
Solomon Islands U14 Futsal Team. Source: FFA Media
It was the first loss of the Junior Kurukuru in the competition and now they do not have chances to win the tournament. Anyway Oceania is proud of these young boys who represented their country!
Huka Futsal Club from Vanuatu announced that they signed a deal with Italian player Vincenzo Musico. Musico is 26 years old and he last played for Pascoe Vale in Australia.
He will assist Huka in the new Shefa Premier League season. He is expected to arrive in the country on January 25.
The third episode of Islanders Observer arrived! Oceania Football Center keep talking about the foreign islanders that are playing in 2019-20 ISPS Handa Permiership, the top national football league in Oceania. Now it is time to talk about one of the best defenders in the league: Brian Kaltak.
Kaltak is having a wonderful season playing for Auckland City. He played six matches so far and he has being a key player for the Navy Blues. His marvelous appearences took him to the “Team of the Week” awards for three times in this season.
Kaltak playing for Auckland City. Source: NZF Media
The Ni-Vanuatu defender is playing his second season for Auckland City. He is also the current Vanuatu National Football Team’s captain.
