The Ni-Vanuatu star defender Brian Kaltak did not even need an entire season to prove his capabilities to his club in Australia, the Central Coast Mariners.
The 29 year-old center-back penned a new contract that confirms his stay at the Central Coast until the end of the 2024/25 A-League season.
Brian Kaltak – CCM Media
“Brian deserves all the plaudits he has been given so far and has proved so many people wrong. That’s what I love the most about him, and that’s why he already has hero status at the club amongst the fans“, said Central Coast Mariners head coach Nick Montgomery.
“It has taken me a while to get my professional contract, now that I am here looking back, what a journey it has been. I am grateful and just happy to be here,” Kaltak said after putting pen to paper. This is the first experience of Kaltak as pro-footballer – and he has been playing very well for his team.
A night to remember! An amazing achievement today for the Kiwi rising star Ben Waine.As recently announced regarding his transfer to England football, the striker has scored his first goal for the Pilgrims in the quarter-final game against Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Stadium valid for the English Football League Trophy. He played his first game at starting eleven today however made his debut against Bolton Wanderers last Saturday joining on the 66th-minute and almost scoring a header cleared off the line.
Differently from the scoreless draw, today All Whites forward has opened his goalscoring account making fans and boss Steven Schumacher delighted with the performance. “It was a brilliant header, right in the top corner. Waine showed strength to get rid of the centre back that was marking him, and guide it onto the corner. Amazing goal! “, praised the boss.
Argyle’s players celebrate after Ben Waine (centre) opened the scoring in the Papa Johns Trophy quarter-final against Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Stadium on Tuesday, January 10, 2023 – Photo: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK
The New Zealander also had two good other opportunities to score the net which he missed the target. The first was created by Scottish Ryan Hardie played the ball across to Waine but he stumbled as he shot and sent the ball well wide of the target. On the 67th-minute, another chance missed shooting on the turn blocked behind for a corner by Rovers defender Bobby Thomas. The fans are now nicknamed him as “Waine Train“.
“He’s going to be a good player, because we’ll spend time with him, put in the effort and keep working on his weaknesses. What a fantastic start to his career at Argyle!”, said boss Schumacher.
Waine went off on the 89th-minute with a small injury with no big concerns. Argyle fans voted for Waine as player-of-the-match in the post-match with 63% of the votes. The final of the competition will be played at Wembley, and Argyle go into the semi-final draw with Accrington Stanley, Bolton Wanderers and Cheltenham Town.
Since leaving Labasa in Fiji to join the New Zealand-outfit Waitakere United, the striker made a name from himself. The now 35-year old player was expected to continue on his prime after guiding the Indian Super League side Mohun Bagan to very good seasons.
Every football fan, every football expert and even every Fijian citizen must agree with one point: Roy Krishna is the best-ever footballer produced by Fiji.
After leaving the Wellington Phoenix in the best season of his career, the Fijian moved to India to sign a very profitable contract. His football level did not drop: bring a constant threat to opponents’ defense, the striker was always at the top of the goalscorers list.
This season, Krishna decided to take a new challenge: still in India, the Fijian Flyer joined Indian superstar Sunil Chhetri at Bengaluru FC. Unfortunately, the duo definitely did not click yet.
Roy Krishna in BFC colours – ISL Media
Bengaluru FC’s last game against NorthEast United was the first since 17th December that they ended up winning. This was the 10th match in a row Krishna did not find the nets. The striker scored just once in 12 matches played in this season of the Indian Super League.
The Fijian has scored 37 goals in 66 ISL matches so far, but changing the way the team plays might be the reason for his drought of goals – not exactly bad performances only: “I don’t think it’s so much down to Roy Krishna but the way Simon Grayson wants them to play. I think with ATK Mohun Bagan, he was given the license to just solely play there up top and be that focal point. He had players there that would give him the ball much quicker and players that understood the system that was in place for him,” ISL expert and commentator Paul Masefield commented to Indian Super League media.
“At Bengaluru FC, there is a different type of formation that Simon Grayson plays. It’s more a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3. So, he has to adapt, and get involved a little bit more,” he added.
Krishna is certainly a star not only for Fijian and Oceania football but as well for his team in India. His teammates surely count on his striking records to pursue achievements in the season. Currently, Bengarulu is sitting 8th in the table, already 20 points away the top of the table – ten points away the top four that will confirm spots for the semifinals.
Meagen Gunemba is undoubtedly one of the greatest talents the Pacific Islands have ever produced in women’s football. She is the sister of another Pacific football legend – Papua New Guinea striker Raymond Gunemba.
Since making her international debut in the 2019 Women’s Nations Cup she has 22 caps and 28 goals having won a gold medal at the Pacific Games in Samoa in 2019 and the 2022 Women’s Nations Cup. Gunemba is undoubtedly the main star of the Papua New Guinea national women’s team.
Meagan Gunemba playing in the OFC Women’s Nations Cup 2022 – OFC Media
Papua New Guinea faces Panama hoping to clinch a spot in the intercontinental playoff final against either Paraguay or Taiwan in February in New Zealand and become the first Pacific Island team to play in a World Cup at senior level – but they will be without their star player to do so.
The news that took everyone by surprise that Meagen Gunemba is pregnant as reported by local media and will therefore not be able to perform in what would probably be the most important game in the history of Papua New Guinea and her football career.
The Oceania Football Center wishes the best to and for Gunemba and her future child.
On Wednesday the 11th New Caledonia and New Zealand will kick off the OFC U-17 Championship. Nine teams (Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti, American Samoa, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands) begin the race for two spots in this year’s U-17 World Cup to be held in Peru.
Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea will not participate in the tournament for different reasons. The Solomon Islands are serving a penalty for fielding an over-age player in the 2018 OFC U-16 championship, while Papua New Guinea had problems with their paperwork with the OFC.
New Zealand are the defending champions and favorites to win again – OFC Media
There are three groups with three teams, with the best two from each group plus the second best two teams advancing to the quarterfinals, meaning that only one team will be eliminated in the first round.
Group A is Fiji, and Samoa and Tonga.
Group B is New Zealand, New Caledonia, and American Samoa.
Group C is Tahiti, Vanuatu, and the Cook Islands.
You can check the match schedule released by the Oceania Football Confederation by clicking here.
The matches will take place from January 11 to 28 in the cities of Ba and Suva and will be broadcast by the streaming application Eleven.
The lads are getting ready for the big challenge ahead. Auckland City FC players started the training today at Nixon Park, Auckland, for the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup competition in Morocco. It will be the 19th edition of the FIFA Club World Cup, a FIFA-organised international club football tournament.
Less than a month before the kick off, this whole week preparation will happen in Auckland with an intersquad game at Kiwitea Street before the depart. Three friendly matches are yet to be confirmed before the first game.
Players and staff will be ready to depart New Zealand on 16th of January having two groups for a training camp at the Futbol Salou Sports Center near Barcelona, Spain.
Auckland City FC media
AUCKLAND CITY FC X AL AHLY
The Navy Blues will face the Egyptian club Al Ahly, currently runners-up of CAF Champions League, at the first match of the tournament on Wednesday, 1 February 2023. The Spanish boss and ex-Navy Blues player, Albert Riera, said that will be a tough game for the kiwi team as Al Ahly is on the top of Egyptian league and haven’t lost a game ’till now.
“I expect their fitness levels to be very sharp. But the beauty of football is that anything is possible. The beauty of football is that you always have a chance, it might be slim, it might not, we’ll see.“, commented Riera.
Auckland City FC was not so lucky last time the team played against Al Ahly. The Egyptians won 2-0 on 10 December 2006 in Toyota City, Japan.
ARGENTINIAN EMILIANO TADE, THE RECORD GOALSCORER
Argentinian Emiliano Tade, 35-year-old, is excited to play again in the Club World Cup for Auckland City. The South American is one of the most experienced players in the squad being part of four trophy haul this year and taking his personal goals count to 144 in 219 games. He will be definitely the hope for netting in the next game.
With good memories of the bronze medal obtained in 2014 after the game against a Mexican club, Cruz Azul. Navy Blues fans remembered well the 2014 games when Auckland City almost went to final against the powerful Real Madrid and made history in the Club World Cup 2014.
“The memories of the tournament in Morocco in 2014 is always going to be one of the highlights in my life, for the rest of my life, and I’ll always be able to look back and say ‘wow’. Now having the Club World Cup in Morocco just around the corner means we as players are all thinking about it because we know what to expect and we have been there many times and its time to try and prove ourselves again,” he said.
David Browne is one of the most successful players born in the Pacific Islands, he was the first Papua New Guinea-born ever to play professionally in Europe for a first division team. Since 2020 the 27-year-old has been playing for HJK Helsingin, Finland’s biggest football club.
During these three seasons at HJK, this one has surely been the most special for Browne even though the year did not start in the best way for him as he was unable to play the World Cup qualifiers with Papua New Guinea due to a problem with his passport.
David Browne celebrating his goal against Silkeborg IF – HJK Media
The season started with Browne switching roles in the team from winger to wing back – sometimes also playing on the left – in a three-back formation.
After scoring twice more in the National League, Browne made history, becoming the first Papua New Guinean-born player to score a goal in a UEFA competition, and the third Pacific Islander to score a goal in UEFA competitions after Pascal Vahirua and Marama Vahirua – Browne scored a beautiful goal against Maribor to help HJK advance. In the next round he scored again in HJK’s crucial win over Silkeborg IF, that helped HJK reach the group stage of the Europa League.
In the group stage Browne collected good performances against Roma, Betis and Ludogorets even scoring against Roma – a goal later overturned due to VAR interference and also almost scoring against Roma at Olympic Stadium.
David Browne playing against Roma at the Olympic Stadium – HJK Media
But the best was yet to come for David Browne, he achieved the peak of reaching 100 caps for HJK against FC Honka and two rounds later Browne scored the goal that gave HJK the 32nd Veikkausliiga title against FC Haka crowning a magnificent season for the Papua New Guinea star-player.
The start of 2023 has not been good news off the field for Oceania football, after the news of the death of the New Caledonian left back Ruben Kutran, one more tragic news come from Tahiti: the death of Tefana’s midfielder Kaena Onuu.
The news was reported by the local media; Keana Onuu was found dead near a motorcycle at midnight from January 1st to January 2nd.
Kaena Onuu playing for Tefana
Kaena Onuu had been playing for Tefana since 2015, the midfielder made his OFC Champions League debut at the age of just 16. With the Tahiti national team he played in the 2015 OFC U-17 Championship – where his country finished as runners-up – and also the 2016 OFC U-20 championship.
Teammates like Tehau Holozet, Moana Pito and Tahitian football legend Mickael Roche used their social media to say they were devastated by the news and pay their tributes to Onuu – as did the Facebook official page of the club he played for since the youth squads, AS Tefana.
The Oceania Football Center sends its deepest and most sincere condolences to his family, teammates and friends.
Very important news came from Port Villa this week: two of the most prominent players of Galaxy FC – one of the most important clubs of Vanuatu – will move to Australia to represent a club from Adelaide.
The striker Andre Batick and the defender Tasso Jeffrey will join State League 2 side Gawler Eagles FC. The team is two division behind the National Premier League in Australia – the most important semi-pro football league in the country, that is not linked to the professional A-League where the Ni-Vanuatu international Brian Kaltak plays.
Batick and Jeffrey – PVFA Media
Both players have also experience playing for Vanuatu National Team and in the OFC Champions League.
The moves were possible thanks to the action of Galaxy FC boss Mr. Andrew Leong and the assistance of the former Vanuatu national Team staff member Joshua James from Australia.
Ben Waine, 21-year-old, is ready to set his feet at Home Park, known as the Theatre of Greens, stadium of Plymouth Argyle, top team of English Football League One (3rd-tier of England) in season 2022/23. The young All White and previous Wellington Phoenix striker is already in Plymouth, Devon, England and joined the team officially on 1st of January 2023.
Waine made a deal with The Pilgrims until the end of the 2024/25 season, however the transfer fee keeps unrevealed by both parties. “It was a though competition to have him on board as Argyle have fought off strong interest from a number of clubs, including Championship sides,” said Argyle boss Steven Schumacher.
The young footballer calls the transfer as a “dream coming through” in his career. “I’ve always had this desire and kind of addiction of wanting to move over to the UK and play over here”, stated in a video he recorded for Phoenix fans.
It is expected to see his debut in the next Argyle’s away game which is on Saturday (7th of January – England time) against Bolton Wanderers.
Photo / Photosport
A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR WAINE
The young player had a brilliant career so far performing for Wellington Phoenix and the New Zealand national team (including the Olympic games in Tokyo 2020). The expectation is to see him shining as his All Whites colleague Chris Wood who is playing for Newcastle United in the Premier League.
“We will miss a great component of our team, but he’s got a great attitude. He wants to become better and hopefully we’ve helped him to get where he wants to be“, said Wellington Phoenix coach Ufuk Talay.
Another curiosity is Waine will not be the first kiwi to play for Plymouth Argyle. Also, former All Whites striker and Phoenix Academy coach Rory Fallon played for the Pilgrims in 149 appearances between 2007 and 2011, netting 22 goals for the greens. Defender English Scott Wootton currently playing for Wellington Phoenix also played for Plymouth Argyle.
Oceania Football Center 