Oceania Football Center

Solomon Islands hammers Junior Bula Boys as Tri-Nations kick-off in Lautoka

The first game of the Tri-Nations tournament played at Churchill Park in Lautoka, Fiji was an exciting event for football fans in the region. The game featured the Solomon Islands national team taking on the Fiji U-20 team, the Junior Bula Boys. It was match contested in the first half, but completely dominated by Solomon Islands in the final 45 minutes – that ended in a 4-1 victory for the Bonitos.

Fiji took the lead at the 30th minute when Abdullah Aiyaz scored a goal. The young squad had the chance to double their lead just 8 minutes later when Junior Dekedeke was awarded a penalty kick. However, he missed the opportunity, and it proved costly for Fiji in the end. Henderson Eels’ striker Adrian Mara equalized the scoreline for Solomon Islands just before the half-time whistle.

The second half saw the Solomon Islands team take control of the game, with Central Coast’s William Komasi putting his team ahead just after the break. The strong striker Ali Mekawir then scored from a penalty spot to extend their lead. Waneagu’s Bobby Leslie added another goal at the 86th minute to seal the win for Solomon Islands.

Solomon Islands national team – *Fiji FA Media*

What made this win even more impressive was that Solomon Islands’ head coach Felipe Vega-Arango had chosen a very young team for the match, featuring players like 18-year-old Paul Francis of Waneagu United. This was reportedly the youngest ever first eleven played by the Solomon Islands national team, as noted by the local media.

Despite the loss, FijiU-20 showed some promising signs and will undoubtedly gain valuable experience from playing against a talented Solomon Islands team. The Junior Bula Boys are preparing for the U-20 World Cup to be played this May in Indonesia. The Tri-Nations tournament promises to bring more exciting matches and impressive performances from the participating teams.

Brian Kaltak returns to action after two-match ban in A-League

Vanuatu international Brian Kaltak‘s return to the Central Coast Mariners after a two-game suspension was a much-anticipated event for both the player and the team. Kaltak was handed a controversial red card in a match against Wellington Phoenix two weeks ago, which resulted in his suspension for the next two games. However, he made his comeback last weekend against Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park.

Kaltak started the game from the bench and was brought on in the second half, playing the entire second part of the game. Although the Mariners were already trailing by 1-0 when he was introduced, Kaltak put in a solid individual performance. However, the Mariners eventually lost the match by 2-0.

The Mariners had suffered two consecutive defeats in Kaltak’s absence, losing to Western Sydney Wanderers and Macarthur FC. However, with Kaltak’s return to the team, they will be hoping to turn their fortunes around. The club has not won a game in the A-League since February 10th, when they defeated Brisbane Roar.

The Mariners will face Brisbane Roar in their next match on April 1st. With Kaltak back in the starting lineup, they will be hoping to end their losing streak and secure a much-needed victory. The player’s return is expected to give the team a boost and help them climb up the A-League table after this bad moment. The Mariners, that once was ranked 2nd in the ladder, is now sitting 4th in the process.

History: Solomon Islands’ star Raphael Lea’i makes his professional debut in European football

Solomon Islands football fans can be extremily happy: the 19-year-old football star Raphael Lea’i made his professional debut as his new club FK Velež Mostar draw this Sunday (20th March) against FK Sloboda Tuzla – the young star came from the bench at the 80th minute of play to substituve Samir Zeljković.

Raphael Lea’i in action – *sportsport.ba*

Lea’i had been facing paperwork issues in the last weeks in order to get ready to make his debut; in the last week all the documentation was done and this weekend the Solomon Islands’ international striker was introduced in the squad of Nedim Jusufbegović and in the second half of the match made history as he turned into the first ever Solomon Islands player to play professionaly in European football.

Lea’i had very little time to make an impact, but his debut is surrounded of excitement by the local fans that were waiting for a long time to see the new signing of Velež Mostar to feature in a competitive match. You can watch the actions of Lea’i in his debut by clicking here. The talented striker had previously only played in friendly matches, both in Bosnia and Herzegovina and later in Turkey where his team had a winter camp.

It is expected that the former Henderson Eels player gets more and more game time in the following matches of his club in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s top-tier league. As the expectation is there, Lea’i has already made a lot of impact and proved his quality to reach a level none player from his country have reached before.

Roy Krishna scores, but Bengaluru loses the Indian Super League grand final to ATK Mohun Bagan

The Indian Super League grand final of the 2022/23 season was a thrilling and closely contested match between Bengaluru and ATK Mohun Bagan, played at Goa’s Fatorda Stadium. The Fijian super star Roy Krishna, who had previously played for ATK Mohun Bagan, put in a superb performance for his current club Bengaluru. However, it was not enough to secure the title for his team.

The match got off to an early start with Dimitri Petratos scoring from the penalty spot in the 15th minute to give ATK Mohun Bagan the lead. However, Bengaluru’s star player Sunil Chhetri managed to equalize also from the penalty spot in the first half, ensuring that the teams went into the break with the scoreline at 1-1.

In the second half, Roy Krishna stepped up and scored for Bengaluru in the 78th minute, putting them ahead in the game. However, another penalty was awarded to ATK Mohun Bagan in the 85th minute, which Petratos converted to level the scores once again.

Roy Krishna Roy Krishna plains his team defeat after the final whistle – *ISL Media*

Despite both teams creating several chances in the extra 30 minutes of football, the match remained deadlocked at 2-2. The title was ultimately decided in a nerve-wracking penalty shootout. Krishna managed to score his penalty for Bengaluru, but Bruno Ramires and Pablo Peréz missed their kicks, allowing ATK Mohun Bagan to win the shootout and clinch the Indian Super League title.

For Roy Krishna, it was a disappointing result as he had ended up as runners-up for the second time in the Indian Super League. Nonetheless, his performance in the final was exceptional, and he can take pride in his contribution to his team’s journey to the final. The match was a fitting end to an exciting season of Indian Super League football.

Auckland City gets OFC Champions League spot as they beat Wellington Olympic in a thrilling contest

In a thrilling encounter at Kiwitea Street, Auckland City managed to secure their place in the OFC Champions League group stage by coming back from a two-goal deficit to beat Wellington Olympic by 5-3. Despite falling behind early on after a penalty from Ben Mata, Auckland managed to level the score through Liam Gillion, only to fall behind again to a goal from Hamish Watson.

As the game entered the second half, it seemed as though Olympic were in control after Watson scored his second of the game to put them two goals ahead. However, the Auckland City players refused to give up and mounted an impressive comeback, led by the experienced Emiliano Tade.

Tade, an Argentine striker who has become a legend at Auckland City, scored two quick goals to bring his team level with Olympic. Then, with just a few minutes left on the clock, Angus Kilkolly put Auckland ahead for the first time in the match, and Tade completed his hat-trick with a goal in the 87th minute to seal the victory. You can watch the highlights of the match by clicking here.

The win means that the Navy Blues will once again represent New Zealand in the OFC Champions League, a competition that they have won a record ten times. The group stage will be held in Vanuatu this May, and Auckland will be hoping to continue their impressive record in the tournament and add another trophy to their already impressive collection.

Auckland City players celebrate – *OFC Media*

The match between Auckland City and Wellington Olympic was a thrilling contest, with both teams showing plenty of attacking intent and skill. In the end, it was Auckland City who came out on top, thanks to their never-say-die attitude and the brilliance of Emiliano Tade.

Raphael Lea’i cleared to make his professional debut in Europe

Raphael Lea’i, the talented 19-year-old striker from the Solomon Islands, has finally received clearance to play for FK Velež Mostar, his new club in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Lea’i had signed with the club in January, but had to wait for all the paperwork to be completed before he could be eligible for competitive football.

This Sunday, on March 19th, Lea’i is expected to make his debut for Velež Mostar in a match against Sloboda for the m:tel Premier League, the top-tier league of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The young striker will be wearing the number 27 jersey for the team.

Lea’i’s signing with Velež Mostar marks a historic moment, as he is the first ever player from the Solomon Islands to sign a professional contract in Europe. His achievement has received widespread media coverage in Oceania, and he has been featured in well-known media worldwide.

Lea’i’s talent as a footballer has been evident for some time now. He has represented his national team and has been recognized as one of the most promising young players in the Pacific region. His signing with Velež Mostar represents a significant step forward in his career, and his debut in the m:tel Premier League is sure to attract a lot of attention.

As Lea’i dons the jersey of Velež Mostar for the first time, he carries the hopes and dreams of football fans not just in the Solomon Islands, but across Oceania. His journey from a small island nation in the Pacific to the top-tier league in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a testament to the power of talent, dedication, and hard work.

Micah Lea’alafa ruled out due to injury

Recently, the Solomon Islands football star Micah Lea’alafa made his debut for his new club in Australia, as reported by Oceania Football Center. The striker managed to play two matches for the team, but unfortuanately the player picked up an injury that will keep him sidelined for at least more two weeks: “Micah unfortunately got injured; he did not have a preseason, so it is difficult for him at the moment to stay fit”, said FK Beograd’s head coach Joshua Smith in interview. “He got injured during traning, it is a harmstring that will keep him sidelined for around 2/3 weeks“, added Smith.

When asked about the performances of the player during his first two matches for the team, the coach explained: “In the first game he was good, in the second match he struggled a bit. It is a tough league“, said Smith.

FK Beograd plays in the National Premier League – South Australia; the club is based in Adelaide. Beograd currently is ranked 10th in the league after four matches played in the season; two losses, one draw and one win.

The Solomon Islander is one of the most important signings of the season for the club; it is expected that Lea’alafa, when recovered from his harmstring, will be once again introduced in the first team of Beograd in order to help the club improve in the table.

Lambert Maltock elected for a second four-year term as OFC president

Lambert Maltock, the current president of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), has been re-elected to the position for another four-year term following the FIFA Congress held this week in Kigali, Rwanda. Maltock is also the current president of Vanuatu Football Federation, his home nation.

Maltock has been the president of the OFC since 2019, and his re-election states the confidence from FIFA’s president Gianni Infantino on Maltock’s guidance over Oceania Football. “We have implemented the OFC Football Development Strategy, raising the quality of football through competitions, launching OFC’s first ever Women’s Football Strategy and launching OFC Learn which has revolutionised capacity building workshops for all involved in the game on and off the pitch.” Maltock said

“I will lead and drive three priorities that are aligned with the OFC Strategy 2023-2026 to stay on track to meet out Confederation wide goal of qualifying two teams for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and 2027“, mentioned Maltock. “Priority one is Development and Education with our Member Associations prioritised to improve and professionalise their respective management and administration, priority two is High Performance with the planned launch of the OFC Professional League by 2025 likely to be revolutionise the game in Oceania and place OFC in a new era of a professional confederation and priority three looks to Good Governance which must be upheld at the core of all our Member Associations.” Maltock said in a statement released by Oceania Football Confederation.

FIFA Council representatives Johanna Wood (NZF President) and Rajesh Patel (Fiji) have also been elected unopposed for a second term; the decision were taken during this week FIFA Congress’ in Rwanda.

Fiji: Nadroga brings in foreign head coach

Digicel Fiji Premier League’s Nadroga has announced the appointment of Stefan Ristic as their new head coach. The 31-year-old Serbian coach has signed a two-year commitment with the team, bringing with him valuable experience from successful seasons at various clubs and countries.

Prior to joining Nadroga FC, Ristic served as the Head Coach for Bayern Munich Academy FC’s U14 team, SC Waterloo Region in Canada’s 1 Pro League, FC Al Jazeera in Qatar’s QCFL, and Delfines Del Este FC in the Dominican Republic’s LDF 1 PRO. He also served as the sporting director of FC Elva in Estonia.

Stefan Ristic is the new Nadroga head coach

Ristic’s appointment comes after Nadroga’s first win of the season in the last matchweek against Tavua. The new head coach will have a big task ahead of him to improve the team and make them more competitive against the top sides in Fiji.

The press conference and promotion for Ristic’s appointment will be held on March 25, with the place and time to be announced later. The community and club have warmly welcomed Ristic into their family, and they are excited to see how his experience and expertise will benefit the team.

Rewa’s Kumar called-up for Fiji national team

Rewa FC midfielder Ivan Kumar has been called up to the Fiji squad for the Tri-Nations FIFA International Friendlies, replacing Labasa FC midfielder Akeimi Ralulu. Ralulu had to withdraw from the squad due to family commitments, but Fiji will still be looking to put on a strong performance in the upcoming friendly competition.

The Tri-Nations FIFA International Friendlies will see Fiji play against Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. The Bula Boys will begin their campaign against Vanuatu next Monday (20th March) at 5 pm at Churchill Park in Lautoka. The national team will be hoping to build on their recent success and secure positive results against their opponents.

Ivan Kumar’s inclusion in the squad is well-deserved, as he had a good season for Rewa FC in 2022. The 25-year-old midfielder has been in impressive form for his club, and his selection to the national team is a testament to his hard work and dedication. Kumar had previously played in New Zealand and also played for Fiji U-23 side in the 2019 OFC Olympic qualifying tournament.

Fiji’s football fans will be eagerly anticipating the upcoming friendly competition, and they will be hoping to see their national team perform well against their opponents. With Ivan Kumar now part of the squad, the Bula Boys will be looking to make the most of their opportunities and make a strong impression in the competition.