OFC Champions League 2018

Dwellers to play Team Wellington

This was confirmed this week after the official draw was held at the OFC Academy in Auckland, New Zealand, giving the quarter final match-ups, the semi-finals and finals.

Team Wellington, who topped Group D in Honiara at the weekend, will welcome Group A runners-up Lae City Dwellers to Wellington. This match is set for April 7.

Solomon Warriors, runners-up in Group B, will again find themselves on the road as they also travel to New Zealand to play reigning champions Auckland City FC.

Madang hoping to finish with a win

Both sides are winless so far in Pool C and will want to end with a win to salvage some pride and avoid finishing at the bottom.

The Maurie Wasi side suffered their first loss to Lautoka FC going down 3-1 last Sunday followed by a 5-0 beating by defending champions Auckland City FC on Wednesday.

The OFC reported:

“We’re just going to go out there and try to win the game.

“Hopefully we play like we did against Auckland and in the first game. If we can add goals to that we’ve got a chance. We’re just going out there to try and get a result,” said Wasi.

Madang fall to Lautoka

The Fijian side pushed out to a 2-0 lead with goals to Benjamin Totori in the 21st and Cory Chettleburgh eleven minutes later.

Madang fired back minutes before the break through midfielder Maskulan Pulung.

However, Lautoka secured the win in late in the second half when Brian Kaltack found the back of the nets to register the first win in Pool C.

Next up for Madang FC will be the defending champions Auckland City FC. This match is scheduled for next Wednesday, February 28 at 4pm (1pm PNG time).

Coach notes improvement in PNG football

This was stated by Toti City FC coach, Peter Gunemba, after touching down today at the Jackson International Airport with the lads from Lae, Morobe Province.

Finishing second in the Pool A matches of the OFC Champions League 2018 played this month in Vanuatu, Gunemba said the team did quite well despite not having any lead up matches to the tournament.

However, the team still played four games which gave them enough workout to get them prepared for the tournament.

“Overall I was very pleased and proud with the performance of the boys.”

Madang, Lautoka to open Pool C matches

Madang FC, Lautoka FC, AS Venus and defending champions Auckland City FC make up the pool.

The opening match will be between Madang FC and Fiji’s Lautoka FC at 1pm (10am PNG time) this Sunday.

Following this AS Venus from Tahiti takes on the home side Auckland City FC starting at 4pm.

The format is the same with the top two teams to advance on to the quarter-finals.

PNG’s other team in the Champions League, Lae City Dwellers FC, made history last Friday by becoming the second team from PNG to advance past the pool matches after finishing second in Pool A.

Gunemba pleased after big win

Dwellers’ 7-2 win over Tupapa Maraerenga FC over the weekend has not only put them on top in Pool A but also sent out an ominous warning to the other teams that the lads from Lae mean business.

The current standings:

#

Club

Tot

Won

Draw

Lost

G+

Toti City open with a bang

Dabinyaba got things going firing through Toti's first points in the 10th minute.

The lead was increased to 3-0 after Gunemba and  Tutizamo Tanito found the back of the nets.

The Cook Islands side reduced the deficit to 3-1 just before half time  through a penalty goal that came in stoppage time.

Toti City dominated the second term with three more goals to Gunemba and another to Dabinyaba to set up a comfortable win.

Tupapa again scored in the dying minutes with a goal to Maro Bonsu-Maro.

Toti City are ready

Coach, Peter Gunemba said the team will rely on home-grown senior players in skipper Raymond Gunemba, Nigel Dabinyaba, Emmanuel Simon, Jacob Sabua and Ronald Warisan for their campaign.

“With the injection of the two Solomon Islanders- Andrew Rarangia and Tutizama Tanito, I am sure we can win some pool matches to decide our next phase of play.

 “Carrying the flag of the country and Morobe province is not an easy task for us, but we will give our best shot at the competition to make our country, province and our sponsor Lae Biscuit Company proud.

Toti City depart for OFC League

The lads from Lae are in the same pool alongside Tupapa Maraerenga FC from Cook Islands, Vanuatu’s Nalkutan FC and Ba FC from Fiji.

Toti City will kick off their campaign against Tupapa Maraerenga FC at Korman Stadium on February 10.

PNG’s other team that will take part in the Champions League, Madang FC, have been slotted into Pool C.

Pool C matches will be played at The Trusts Arena, New Zealand, in March.

The winners of the 2018 OFC Champions League will qualify as the OFC representative at the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.