OFC

The survived a final fightback to beat Suva FC and successfully defending their OFC Champions League title.

Up 2-0 at halftime, Auckland City battled a rampant opposition, extreme heat, the loss of key midfielder Gerard Garriga and a Fijian-friendly home crowd to claim their 11th title and will now represent the Oceania region at the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia this December.

The coaching team, headed by Anthony Pakakota and Troy Gunemba, are going through an immense task of selecting a competitive side to take part in the OFC U19 Championships in Tahiti in September.

Pakakota is happy with the first selection trials held in Lae where players from Mt Hagen, Wewak, Madang, Lahi and Lae Football Association took part.

Despite limited time, both coaches are happy and are confident of putting together a competitive side.

The executive, David Chung, was the president of the Oceania Football Confederation, whose 14 members wield little power competitively or politically in FIFA. But Chung, of Papua New Guinea, had outsize influence as the most senior of FIFA’s eight vice presidents.

Chung cited personal reasons for his decision, but the announcement came as he found himself under mounting pressure to step down after an audit into a multimillion-dollar project to build a new headquarters for the O.F.C.

The match this Saturday against Team Wellington at David Farrington Park in New Zealand will be the first time the two teams have crossed paths at an OFC tournament.

“I don’t underestimate them but I don’t underestimate my team either. It all comes down to who can play for the full 90 minutes.

“We don’t fear any team and I have all the trust in my team. I know our attack from the front will cause headaches. All we have to do is score and then defend.”

Goals were scored at the back end of the first half.

PNG hit the lead through Nicollete Ageva in the 41st minute.

Samoa levelled up in additional time when Hunter Malaki powered the ball past keeper Amatha Mistera.

Samoa’s Shalom Fiso tested Mistera’s reach in the 51st minute sending a high ball into the penalty box but Mistera was up the task making the save.

Ageva came close to breaking the deadlock in the 77th minute firing a shot at the keeper. But Jacky Toma managed to punch the ball clear.

PNG were under the pump from the start and the home side put themselves in front after 12 minutes when Atkin Kaua drove one past keeper Ronald Warisan.

Solomon Islands continued to dominate possession and a cross from Jerry Donga saw captain Benjamin Totori do the rest putting boot to ball to beat Warisan for the second time in the 37th minute.

Solomon Islands led 2-0 at the break.

PNG struck back three minutes into the second half through captain Michael Foster who powered a shot into the nets to start the fight back.

Dwellers opened their account in the 8th minute after Raymond Gunemba slotted one past Naruel Maliu.

The Lae boys kept the pressure on and it was 2-0 minutes out from the break when Peter Dabinyaba Jr. fired a shot into the nets.

Vanuatu’s Revivors were let right back into the match on the stroke of half-time through an own goal from Gunemba.

It came from a corner kick from John Alick that slipped through Gunemba’s legs knocking it into his own goal.

This fired up the Dwellers who came out hungry for more points in the second half.

Papua New Guinea set off in the opening minute of the game as they ran downfield from the sideline with Peter Dabinyaba set free to cut in from the right but can't walk through easily from the first attempt as New Caledonia’s Mickael Ulile clears the attack.

In the 28 minute a succession of New Caledonia corner results in a great chance to Pothin Poma but saved brilliantly by PNG’s goal keeper Edward Lakae.

     One year on from the devastation of Tropical Cyclone Pam and six months on from Tropical Cyclone Winston, the Just Play Emergency Programme has been shortlisted for the Beyond Sport Innovation award in recognition of the work in both Vanuatu and Fiji.