Oceania Football Center

Fiji: Suva beats Rewa and confirm OFC Champions League’s berth

In a thrilling encounter at the OFC Champions League national play-offs, Suva secured a place in the group stage with a 2-1 win over Rewa. The match took place in Suva, Fiji, and saw both teams battle it out for a coveted spot in the upcoming tournament.

Suva took the lead early in the second half when Solomon Islands’ attacker Marlon Tahioa found the back of the net in the 48th minute. The goal was a much-needed boost for Suva, who had struggled to create clear-cut chances in the first half.

Suva doubled their lead in the 78th minute when Iowane Matanisiga scored an own goal in favor of Suva after deflection on a finish of Merril Nand. The goal was a harsh blow for Rewa, who had fought hard to keep the scoreline level up to that point.

Despite being two goals down, Rewa refused to give up and continued to push for a way back into the game. Their efforts were rewarded in stoppage time when Iosefo Verevou scored a consolation goal for his team. However, it was too little too late for Rewa, and the final whistle blew with Suva emerging victorious. You can watch the highlights of the match by clicking here.

Suva celebrate its qualification – *Fiji FA Media*

The first leg between the two teams had ended in a 1-1 draw earlier in the week, making the second leg a winner-takes-all affair. Suva, who is coached by Babs Khan, put in a strong performance to secure their place in the upcoming OFC Champions League group stage.

The tournament is set to take place in Vanuatu this May, and Suva will be looking to build on their recent success as they prepare to face some of the best teams in the region. The win over Rewa will undoubtedly give Suva a confidence boost as they gear up for what promises to be an exciting and challenging tournament.

Eddy Kaspard taking his opportunities in French football

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Eddy Kaspard is one of the good players who played the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup for Tahiti, alongside players as Samuel Liparo, Kalahani Beaumert, Terai Bremond – all of them playing in the French football system by that time. From the players mentioned Kaspard was the only that managed to stay in the top five divisions of France after the tournament – but with very little game time for Trelissac. The situation had changed when in early December, 2022 he moved to Pouzauges FC – club where Tahitian national team defender François Hapipi also plays.

Since his arrival Kaspard has played seven matches out of a possible 12, having sat out two matches serving a suspension after being sent off against Poiré-sur-Vie with only eight minutes to play. The 21-year-old Tahitian has scored one goal so far, on his debut in a 3-2 defeat against La Roche Vendée.

Eddy Kaspard playing for Pouzauges – *Happy Zoom*

An interesting change has been Kaspard’s switch from attack to a more defensive role, playing mostly as a full-back. In contrast to Kaspard who has been gaining space and minutes, Francois Hapipi has only played three matches in the competition, and most of the time he was not even listed with the squad for the match. It is still unknown the reasons why the central defender has not been used regurarly by the team.

Paolo Hausner is ready for Tahiti national team call up

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A few Tahitian players have managed to play at professional level in France like Marama Vahirua and Nicolas Vallar, althought it is still rare to see Tahitians playing in European football scenario. This is the case of Paolo Hausner, the left wing of FC Metropole Troyenne in Regional 1 – the fifth tier of French football. The Troyes’ team currently leads its group and remains strong in its mission to return to National 3. Before signing with Metropole Troyenne, the 21-year-old Tahitian played for Auxerre’s youth teams playing for the U-15, U-17 and U-19 teams.

Paolo Hausner playing for Metropole Troyenne

Hausner was born in the Dominican Republic and moved early to French Polynesia where he spent 14 years of his life until he traveled to France to follow his dream of playing professional football.

Theplayer Oceania Football Center that the FTF – the governing football entity from Tahiti – has already contacted him and that he will probably be in Samuel Garcia’s squad that will travel to the Solomon Islands for the Pacific Games in Honiara this year.

Micah Lea’alafa debuts for FK Beograd in Australia

In Adelaide, this Saturday (25th Feb), Solomon Islands international Micah Lea’alafa made his debut for National Premier League side FK Beograd, and it turned out to be a memorable one. FK Beograd had signed the former Auckland City striker and current Solomon Islands national team captain for the season, and his first appearance came in their second match of the season, away from home against MetroStars.

The match was crucial for FK Beograd as they were looking for their first win of the season after drawing their opening game, and Lea’alafa’s presence in the team brought renewed hope and excitement. As the game kicked off, the fans eagerly waited to see what the new signing had to offer.

Lea’alafa wasted no time in making his mark, as he showed off his impressive ball control and dribbling skills. He also showed great awareness and positioning, constantly putting pressure on the opposition defenders.

As the game progressed, FK Beograd’s hard work paid off as they scored two goals, one in each half. Beograd took the lead at 10th minue of play, suffered an equaliser in the second half but in the late stage of the came striker Joshua Mori came in the rescure to score the winner for Beograd.

Lea’alafa skills and experience make him a potential player to have success in the league; FK Beograd coach Joshua Smith talked to Oceania Football Center and told he is keen on taking the best of the player to play a great season for his new club.

Ifira Black Bird will represent Vanuatu at OFC Champions League after beating Siaraga

The Ifira Black Bird football team has secured their spot in the OFC Champions League group stage after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Siaraga in the second leg of the national play-off held in Luganville, Vanuatu. This is a significant achievement for the Port Vila champions, who are returning to the regional tournament after a long absence.

In this game, the playmaker Godine Tenene proved to be the difference maker for Ifira, scoring the game-winning goal at the 2nd minute of play. His shot sailed past the Siaraga goalkeeper and into the net, giving Ifira the early lead they needed to hold on for the win.

Godine Tenene scored the winner for Ifira BB – *PVFA Media*

Ifira had previously dominated Siaraga with an impressive 3-0 win in Port Vila during the midweek, and they carried that momentum with them into the second leg of the playoff. Their defense was solid throughout the match, preventing any attempts on goal by the Siaraga side.

The win was a testament to the skill and determination of the Ifira Black Bird team, who were coached by Robert Yelou. Their return to the regional tournament is a cause for celebration among their fans, who have been eagerly waiting for this moment. You can watch the highlights of the match by cliking here.

The OFC Champions League group stage will also be played in Vanuatu this coming May, and Ifira will undoubtedly be looking to make a splash on their home turf. With players like Godine Tenene and Tonly Kalotang leading the way, Ifira is a team to watch out for in the upcoming tournament.

Football Ferns in dire straits as FIFA Women’s World Cup looms

The New Zealand women’s football team has always been one of the greatest prides of Oceania, managing to compete at a high level with teams such as Brazil, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and other powers of the sport.

Just a few months before the World Cup where New Zealand will be one of the hosts alongside Australia, the Football Ferns have five losses in 2023, with two 5-0 losses to the United States, the reigning World champions, and to the Portugal, that just qualified for its first women’s World Cup. In the past weeks they lost again and could not even score a goal after two matches against Argentina, the performances have led to much criticism from the local media and also the Czech coach Jitka Klimková who has been in charge of the Ferns since 2021.

New Zealand non-winning streak reached eight matches – with no goals scored – with seven losses and a draw with South Korea in the period. New Zealand’s last win came against the Philippines by 2-1 – they are to meet again in the FIFA Women’s World Cup group stage.

If we extend the record to 2022 the situation is even worse, only two wins against Mexico and the Philippines, two draws against Wales and South Korea, and defeats to Australia (twice), Norway, Japan, South Korea, the United States (twice), Portugal and Argentina (twice). In the period there were only 6 goals scored and 28 goals conceded.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup is just around the corner and the red alert is on for the Football Ferns; the team has to improve considerably if they want to make a good showing in front of their own fans.

Tahiti: AS Pirae hammers AS Dragon to confirm OFC Champions League group stage spot

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AS Pirae and AS Dragon played the second leg of the national-playoffs this Saturday (25th Feb) in the capital of French Polynesia, Papeete, to decide who would represent Tahiti in the group stage of the OFC Champions League.

Pirae had the advantage as they had won the first game 2-0 last week, and inside the field they gave no chance to Dragon who could do little in the match. The current top-placed side of the Ligue 1 were heavily beaten.

AS Pirae opened the scoring early in the 13th minute with Jacques Tetauira on a shot from outside the box after an excellent transitional play – AS Dragon did not have much time to react, three minutes later after a free-kick was taken at the wall, the ball was switched to captain Heimano Bourebare who hit the goal with a powerful long-range shot scoring the second for his team – 2-0 to Pirae with less than 20 minutes played.

Before the break AS Pirae eliminated any chances for the Dragons to seek a reaction; at the 40th minute after a beautiful cross from Yohann Tihoni, Jacques Tetauira scored another after a beautiful header.

AS Pirae players celebrating the second goal – *AS Pirae Media*

AS Pirae’s show continued after the break, at the 50th minute Yohann Tihoni won the ball from two defenders and shot from outside the box past Anapa Debruyne to score the fourth goal.

Pirae scored again with Jacques Tetauira in the 66th minute who took advantage of a defensive breakdown to complete his hat-trick. Almost immediately afterwards the top scorer of Ligue 1 Tahitian Roonui Tiniarauarii scored the first goals for AS Dragon.

AS Pirae still scored twice more with Belgian Désiré Ngiamba and French-Taitian Benoit Mathon. Gervais Chan Kat scored again for AS Dragon to make the final score 7-3. You can watch the highlights of the match by clicking here.

AS Dragon now turn their energies to the Tahitian Ligue 1 while AS Pirae will split their attention with the two tournaments, the team of Tahitian legend Raimoana Bennett is one of the favorites to reach the final of the tournament after two incredible performances.

A-League: Brian Kaltak sees another questionable red card; his third of the season

The Central Coast Mariners, Brian Kaltak‘s club in Australia, had a very tight contest against New Zealand-based side Wellington Phoenix in Gosford this Friday (24th Feb) – the final result was a 1-1 draw; New Zealand international duo Storm Roux and James McGarry combined for the first goal of the Mariners – Roux crossed and McGarry with a first touch finish found the nets of Oliver Sail. The Wellington Phoenix managed to find a late equaliser thanks to a goal of the Polish striker Oskar Zawada at stoppage time.

But the spotlight of the match came once again to Brian Kaltak; this time in a negative way. The Vanuatu international tackled English striker David Ball, he caught the ball at first, slided it over and touched the leg of the Phoenix’s player. The referee does not waste time and shown a direct red card for Kaltak – his third of the season, the most of any player in the league so far. You can see the exact moment of the red card by clicking here.

The referee possibly understood the play as high tackle by Kaltak, although the Ni-Vanuatu 29-year-old player caught the firstly – making the red card a very harsh decision from the referee. Many Mariners were unhappy with the decision of the referee on social media; the Brazilian striker Matheus Moresche was also sent-off, reducing Mariners to finish the game with only nine players.

Kaltak sees another red card – *A-League Media*

Kaltak saw a red recently on 4th February against Sydney FC – that was also very controversial. The Vanuatu national team captain was sent-off in a match against Macarthur FC last November. All of the three red cards were shown directely.

Despite the dissapointment, Mariners still sits second on the A-League’s table as they are impressing in the season so far. Their next match is scheduled to be played on Saturday 4th March against Western Sydney Wanderers – that Kaltak will not be taking part as will be serving his third game of suspension in this season.

Solomon Islands international Ali Mekawir scores against China U-23

The former Waneagu United striker Ali Mekawir is playing his trade currently in United Arab Emirates; he is currently attached to TFA Dubai and he recently scored his first competitive goal for his new team. The striker did not waste time to find the nets again; this time the Solomon Islander scored against China U-23 national team that played a friendly match against his team – Mekawir opened the score for TFA. You can watch his goal by clicking here.

The Chinese is preparing towards the Asian Games and unfortunately for Mekawir’s side, the match ended up in a 4-1 win for the Chinese; but certainly this is an important achivement for the 22-year-old player that already made history turning himself into the first ever Solomon Islander to score a goal in English FA Cup.

Prior to his experience in England, the striker also played in Australia’s National Premier League side Adelaide City. After his stint in Australia, Mekawir represented Solomon Islands national team in the FIFA OFC World Cup qualifying tournament. This week the national team head coach, the Spaniard Felipe Vega-Arango, announced a provisional squad heading for the upcoming friendly matches for the Solomon Islands, Ali Mekawir was included in the list of the head coach.

Dominant Lupe o le Soaga puts seven past Tupapa Maraerenga to confirm OFC Champions League berth

The match between Lupe o le Soaga and Tupapa Maraerenga was a crucial decider to determine which team would qualify for the OFC Champions League to be held in Vanuatu in May. The Samoan champions were clearly the dominant team on the field, winning the match with an impressive scoreline of 7-1.

Lupe started strong and opened the scoring at the 23rd minute through English striker Jared Cunniff. However, the team suffered a setback when Andrew Setefano was sent off after receiving his second yellow card for his involvement in a brawl on the pitch. Despite being reduced to ten men, Lupe managed to hold onto their lead until halftime.

In the second half, Lupe continued to dominate the game and capitalized on their numerical advantage. Darren Talilai scored the second goal of the match, taking advantage of the rebound from Tupapa’s goalkeeper. Jamie Mason added another goal to Lupe’s tally after Tupapa’s goalkeeper gifted him a goal.

The substitute Lawrie Letutusa scored Lupe’s fourth goal with a brilliant assist from the wonderkid Michael Tumua Leo, who later scored his seventh goal of the tournament to make it 5-0 for the home team. Tupapa Maraerenga managed to score a consolation goal after a lapse in concentration from Lupe’s defense with a strong finish from Silas Trego, but it was too little too late.

Cunniff scored his second goal of the match after a fantastic individual play, beating two defenders to score Lupe’s sixth goal of the match. Arona Matau, who came on as a substitute, scored the final goal of the game at the 93rd minute to seal Lupe’s dominant 7-1 win over Tupapa Maraerenga.

Lupe o le Soaga players, staff and supporters celebrate the win – *Lupe o le Soaga SC Media*

The Samoans’ coach, Paul Ualesi, must be pleased with his team’s performance, especially after playing with ten men for more than half of the match. The victory has secured Lupe o le Soaga’s place in the OFC Champions League, and they will be hoping to continue their impressive form in the upcoming tournament.