The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is the 9th edition of the tournament and the first ever with 32 teams but the host nation is not decided yet. Brazil, Colombia and Japan are also interested on hosting the event.
New Zealand and Australia recently announced a partnership to launch a joint Women’s World Cup bid. The deadline for set a bid for hosting the World Cup is on Friday, 13 December.
The 2023 Women’s World Cup host nation will be released in May 2020.
Recently Oceania Football Center talked about Paul Scanlan leaving football to become a rugby player and it was said that he is not the first and he is not going to be the last one to do it in Oceania.
A big example comes from a Fijian player. Filipo Daugunu re-signed his contract with Queensland Reds until 2023. Daugunu left football in 2015 after being called up for Vodafone Fiji Under-20 rugby team to plays in the Australia National Championships.
Daugunu used to play as a goalkeeper for Labasa FC. He was also part of Fiji U23 National Team when he opted to become a rugby player.
Recentemente Charlton Totori, um jovem jogador das Ilhas Salomão, disse que Brian Kaltak era seu zagueiro favorito por sua visão de jogo e pelo fato de também ser melanésio – Ilhas Salomão e Vanuatu pertencem a região da Melanésia.
Certamente Kaltak é uma referência na região. O zagueiro de Vanuatu é um dos jogadores mais bem sucedidos da história de seu país e um dos principais jogadores provenientes das Ilhas do Pacífico desconsiderando a Nova Zelândia. Aos 26 anos, ele é peça importante do Auckland City, o maior clube de futebol da Oceania. Ele também é o capitão da seleção de Vanuatu e a principal referência de seu país no futebol.
“Isso é algo maravilhoso, para ser sincero. Usar a braçadeira de capitão da seleção é algo diferente que apenas algumas poucas pessoas merecem. Estou muito feliz por ser uma dessas pessoas.” disse ele.
Ele não só é uma inspiração dentro de campo como também é fora dos gramados. Kaltak é um homem humilde que não se esquece de suas raízes e está sempre disposto a ajudar. Ele possui uma forte ligação com o Erakor Golden Star, equipe de Vanuatu por onde ele jogou durante algum tempo. Recentemente ele esteve de férias no país e participou do Erakor Golden Star Youth Program compartilhando suas experiências com crianças de seu país natal.
O sucesso não é algo que vem da noite para o dia e Kaltak sabe que para ser bem sucedido no futebol é preciso trabalhar duro. Ele começou a jogar futebol seriamente na Teouma Academy, uma academia de futebol em Port Vila (capital de Vanuatu) administrada pela VFF (Vanuatu Football Federation) onde ele teve a oportunidade de ser treinado por grandes nomes do futebol local como Moise Poida, Etienne Mermer e Richard Iwai.
“Para chegar longe você precisa ser forte e aprender a se virar […] Todos nós temos momentos bons e ruins mas no futebol você precisa ser responsável por si mesmo porque ninguém pode sê-lo por você” disse Kaltak em uma entrevista a OFC (Confederação de Futebol da Oceania) em 2018.
Considerando que a Austrália não faz parte da Oceania futebolisticamente, pode-se afirmar que Brian Kaltak é um dos grandes jogadores do melhor e maior time da região oceânica. Vivendo um grande momento em sua carreira, ele aproveitou para deixar uma mensagem para aqueles que sonham em um dia se tornar jogador de futebol – “Trabalhe duro e nunca deixe de acreditar em si mesmo. O sucesso leva tempo para chegar, podendo levar muitos e muitos anos para que se concretize.” concluiu.
After weeks of waiting, the start dates of the 2019/20 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League, as well as the ten teams taking part in the competition, was finally confirmed in Port Moresby today.
The competition will kick-off on Saturday 14th December, with the draws set to be announced early tomorrow morning.
There will be five teams based in Port Moresby: eight-time champions Hekari United, former National Premier League champions Gulf Komara, last year’s debutants FC Bougainville and Star Mountain, as well as newcomers Vitiaz FC, of which not much is known as yet.
From the Northern Region, one team will come from Lae: reigning five-time champions Lae City. Two teams will come from Morobe: 2009/10 runners-up Morobe United and 2018 third-placed side Morobe Wawens, while Tusbab Stallions will represent Madang.
The only team outside the two major regions is Highlands side FC Kutubu, another debutant, who will be based in Goroka for the majority of the season.
Matches will take place in four locations: the PNG Football Stadium in Port Moresby, Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium in Lae, the Laiwaden Oval in Madang, and the National Sport Insitute in Goroka.
Before the weekend, we will be previewing the season in full, so watch this space!
After a 0-0 draw in the first half, Jaushua Sotirio scored his first goal in the season to open the scoreboard for Wellington Phoenix against Western Sydney Wanderers. Nicolai Müller netted for Sydney to tie the match but Phoenix still managed to win after a penalty awarded by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
Ulises Dávila converted the penalty kick in the 89th minute to give three points to Phoenix. The 28 years old Mexican player has now six goals scored in the league. Wellington Phoenix is now in the fourth position with ten points in eight matches. Click here to watch the highlights.
You can check the current league standings by clicking here.
Pictures:
1- Ulises Dávila taking the penalty kick
2- Ulises Dávila celebrating his goal in the 89th minute
3- David Ball celebrating the victory
4- Jaushua Sotirio scored the first goal of the match
The sixth matchweek of ISPS Handa Premiership ended with Auckland City increasing their lead in the league standings. The difference between Auckland City and the second place is five points but it could be bigger if Team Wellington did not win Eastern Suburbs.
SOUTHERN UNITED 2-2 HAWKE’S BAY UNITED: Ahinga Selemani scored another goal for Hawke’s Bay United but it was not enough to beat Southern United that managed to tie the match in the final minutes. Click here to watch the full match.
CANTERBURY DRAGONS 0-3 AUCKLAND CITY: Auckland City smashed Canterbury Dragons. Myer Bevan scored once again and he has now nine goals scored in the league – He scored in all Auckland City’s six matches so far. Click here to watch the highlights.
TASMAN UNITED 1-1 WELLINGTON PHOENIX RESERVES: Not a good result for both teams but Tasman United keeps its recovery after a bad beginning in the league.
EASTERN SUBURBS 2-3 TEAM WELLINGTON: Eastern Suburbs suffered a major blow by losing to Team Wellington after setting a 2-0 lead. Ollie Bassett scored twice for Team Wellington and Jack Henry-Sinclair netted the match-winning goal for Team Wellington.
HAMILTON WANDERERS 1-2 WAITAKERE UNITED (ABANDONED): This match was paused in the middle of the second half due to bad weather and it is supposed to be finished someday but it is not scheduled yet. Anyway this partial loss is a terrible result for Hamilton Wanderers’ that currently stands in the tenth and last position.
Check the current standings and topscorers by clicking here.
Pictures
1- Jack Henry-Sinclair celebrating his match-winning goal for Team Wellington
2- Southern United players after the 2-2 draw honoring goalkeeper Liam Little for playing his 100th match for Southern recently.
3- Myer Bevan scored for Auckland City FC once again
4- Team Wellington players celebrating a goal
The 9th matchweek of Port Vila Premier League brought good news for Tafea and Galaxy after Ifira Black Bird draw’s against Erakor Golden Star. All matches were played at Port Vila Stadium.
GALAXY 3-0 MAUWIA: Galaxy had a very difficult match against Mauwia but Bong Kalo found the net for three times in the second half to give three points for Galaxy FC. Mauwia is now back to the last position in the league standings
TUPUJI IMERE 1-0 SIA-RAGA: Tupuji Imere won Sia-Raga by 1-0 with a goal scored by Azariah Soromon. This result took Tupuji away from the last position and they are now in the 7th place just one point behind Yatel and Sia-Raga. James Chilia is playing as goalkeeper again after some matches playing as central defender/defensive midfielder.
IFIRA BLACK BIRD 1-1 ERAKOR GOLDEN STAR: Erakor Golden Star opened the scoreboard in the beginning of the match with Daniel Junior but Ifira Black Bird managed to tie the game in the final minutes with a goal scored by Jonathan Spokeyjack. This result took Ifira away from the first position.
TAFEA 3-1 YATEL: Allista Kalip scored twice in the beginning of the match to give Tafea a 2-0 lead. Yatel tried to react with a penalty kick netted by Frank Reuben but Lucien Hinge scored Tafea’s third and last goal of the match to retake the lead of Port Vila Premier League with 18 points.
Check the current standings and topscorers by clicking here.
Pictures:
1- Allista Kalip scored twice in Tafea’s 3-1 win against Yatel
2- Azariah Soromon was the “Player of The Match” in Tupuji Imere’s win by 1-0 against Sia-Raga
3- Brazilian player Gabriel played his last match for Galaxy FC. He was honored by the club staff and he was the team captain in the 3-0 win against Mauwia
4- Bong Kalo scored a hat-trick against Mauwia
This weekend’s matches were postponed. Two matches are going to be played this Wednesday. You can check the league standings and goalscorers by clicking here.
The 2019 Western Cup is over! Eighteen teams took part of this important championship in Solomon Islands’ Western Province fighting for the title and the 50 thousand Solomon Islands dollar prize.
The teams were split in four groups and forty matches were playing throughout two weeks full of emotions.
Gizo Hawks ruled the Group A and won their knockout matches against West Morovo and Noro Town to reach the final match while North New Georgia won all their games in the tournament to face Gizo Hawks in the final.
In a tough clash, North New Georgia has beaten Gizo Hawks by 2-1 to win the championship and take 50 thousand Solomon Islands Dollars home. Runners-up Gizo Hawks were awarded with 20 thousand Solomon Islands Dollars.
You can check the group stage standings and knockout stage results by clicking here. Oceania Football Center congratulates all participants specially the winners.
Maritzburg United visited Polokwane City in the fourteennth matchweek in 2019/20 ABSA Premiership, the top tier of South African football.
Solomon Islander Micah Lea’alafa was in Maritzburg’s starting eleven and he played 81 minutes to help his team to beat Polokwane City by 1-0. Daniel Morgan from New Zealand entered in the second half to replace Yusuf Jappie.
Maritzburg United is now in the eighth position with seventeen points.
The Solomon Islands Futsal reached another milestone: the Solomon Islands national champions Kooline claimed the regional glory as they beat AS PTT Noumea in the grand final of OFC Futsal Champions League by the score of 7-5.
Despite not having their star player Anthony Talo behind the posts due his red card received in their previous match against D’York Street from Vanuatu, Kooline still had very important members of the Kurukuru, as Elis Mana, Coleman Makau and Alvin Hou. The bad news for Kooline in the match, just after scoring the first goal of th encounter through Elis Mana, came with another red card, this time for their number 10 Alvin Hou. Just after his red card, AS PTT was able to level the match.
Robert Laua put Kooline upfront once again, but just minuters later Christ Pei put the numbers equal in the scoreboard. Christ Pei and Harry Hmaloko scored to put AS PTT two goals upfront in the score, Elis Mana scored his second and reduced the margin, but Matthieu Wassin restored the two goal difference.
After suffering the fifth goal, the game turned in favour of Kooline that were able to score four goals in the final minutes of the game. Benjamin Mana started the comeback, with Elis Mana completing his hattrick to equalize the match and just some minutes after levelling the score, a good combination play of Robert Laua left Benjamin Mana unmarked inside the box just to tap the ball to the nets to complete the comeback.
The last goal of the competition probrably is one of the most beautiful of the entire tournament. To finish in fashion the tournament, Elis Mana lobbed the goalkeeper from his own half, to score the seventh for Kooline to secure them the regional glory.
It was against the same AS PTT that Kooline sealed their spot in the grand final, the Solomon Islands side won all their matches, just having a draw once against the New Caledonians in the group phase.
The third placed team of the tournament was AFF Futsal from New Zealand as they beat 7-0 AS Pirae from Tahiti in the 3rd/4th spot playoff and the Fijian side of Suva beat D’York Street in the penalty shootout to claim the 5th place in the tournament, leaving the Ni-Vanuatu side in the bottom of the rankings of the first ever OFC Futsal Champions League.
Oceania Football Center reported some weeks ago that Fiji Men’s National Team does not have an official head coach since Christophe Gamel left the charge. It was also being reported that Fiji FA had shortlisted the candidates to reveal the new National Football Team coach soon.
However it seems that there was a turnaround in the case because Fiji FA released an official statement this week asking for football coaches to send their Curriculum Vitae in order to compete for the National Team’s head coach charge.
The statement can be checked in the picture below:
This long wait to announce a new head coach is damaging Fijian preparation for 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. In addition, Fiji FA may be asking too much from the appliers. It is good to see Fiji looking for a big profile but it may not match with their reality – a coach that has already been in FIFA World Cup might not accept working in a low-ranked National Team unless they earn a big amount of money.
ATK visited Northeast United at Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium for the seventh gameweek of Indian Super League.
Roy Krishna had an outstanding performance scoring twice to lead ATK to beat Northeast United by 3-0. You can check the highlights by clicking here.
Krishna is the current league topscorer with six goals. ATK remains on top with 14 points in seven matches.
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