/ ISSUE FIVE DECEMBER / JANUARY 2015
David Chung earns new term Vanuatu in Beach Soccer action Navy Blues Club World Cup glory OFC Executives speak: Harmon, Maltock, Patel Big Interview — Ivan Vicelich Just Play at OFC President’s Cup
OFC Insider
I want to wish everyone all the best for the year ahead and to let football stakeholders everywhere know how humbled I am by the endorsement and support of the OFC member associations in re-electing me as the OFC President for the next four years. I would also like to extend thanks to those members elected to OFC Executive Committee and I look forward to working with all of them in this next term. As OFC President, I rely on their expertise and experience to help guide OFC in the right direction. Although some member associations are not represented officially on the Executive Committee I have invited those member associations not elected as Executive Committee members to attend the meetings as observers. We need to be united, inclusive and transparent to make sound collective decisions for the overall good of OFC. You must know that OFC is not an independent organisation it belongs to its members and our vision for the next four years is for the benefit of the members and our stakeholders, their clubs, players, coaches, referees and administrators. So although our last four years has provided the foundation to launch OFC’s pursuit of our objectives, our focus over the next four years is to: 1. Continue to grow the game through development programmes and to popularise football in the region through television, radio and new competitions 2. C ontinue to create pathways for our elite players and teams 3. S trive to create revenue and become financially sustainable so we can reinvest in growing the game and creating pathways for our elite players and teams. We face many obstacles to develop football in the region, competing with sports like rugby and netball for popularity, a lack of support from sponsors and governments and the small size of our federations many of which are financially challenged. But I am determined to continue this vision for the next four years and OFC needs to remain united and supportive to each other. As you will appreciate this is a long term vision and we must realise the next four years will not be easy for OFC. We must continue to invest in developing, growing and popularising football in our region and like any business we need to continue to provide capitalisation and investment in our commercial activities and our Home of Football. Only after the next four years will we see results on the international stage and the cash flow from our commercial entities. OFC is very grateful to the FIFA President and FIFA Secretariat in helping OFC reach its objectives through the various FIFA development initiatives over the past four year term.
The next four years will also be an exciting period for OFC and I shall close this missive by once again thanking sincerely the member associations of OFC for putting their trust in me as the OFC President. I will need the support of each of our OFC member associations to lead our Confederation successfully and to enable us to grow the game, create pathways for our elite, and generate income to make us financially sustainable and create wealth that we can reinvest back into football. Finally, I wish to pass on my congratulations to Auckland City FC for their outstanding performance at the FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco in December. A third place finish is a wonderful achievement for the Oceania champions and sets a fine example for the clubs of our region to aspire to.
Yours in football
David Chung OFC President FIFA Vice-President PNGFA President
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OFC Insider
IN THIS ISSUE
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OFC PRESIDENT’S CUP IN REVIEW
JUST PLAY SPORTS DAY
VANUATU HIT THE SAND
OFC Insider reflects on the inaugural OFC President’s Cup played at The Trusts Arena in Henderson in November.
Just Play Sports Day took centre stage at The Trusts Arena as part of the OFC President’s Cup activities. OFC Insider was there to capture it all as UNICEF and OFC marked Universal Children’s Day.
Vanuatu push Australia and Thailand all the way at the Australian Beach Soccer Cup in Wollongong.
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THE BIG INTERVIEW: Ivan Vicelich
FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP: Navy Blues glory
OFC PRESIDENT EARNS NEW TERM
Auckland City FC skipper earns New Zealand Order of Merit, FIFA Club World Cup Bronze Ball and Bronze Medal. We find out what Vicelich had to say as he reflects on a glorious 2014.
Auckland City FC create history with a third place finish at the FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2014. We bring you a review of the OFC Champions League, ASB Premiership and OFC President’s Cup champions Miracle in Marrakech.
OFC President David Chung earns another four year term after standing unopposed at the 23rd OFC Congress in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, in January. OFC Insider was there to capture the highlights.
Official publication of the Oceania Football Confederation The views expressed in signed articles are not necessarily the official views of the OFC. The reproduction of articles published in OFC Insider is authorised, provided the source is indicated. Produced by: OFC Media and Communications Cover photo: OFC via Getty IMages Photography: Getty Images and Phototek
Oceania Football Confederation Headquarters, 12 Maurice Road, Penrose, Auckland 1061, New Zealand Tel: +64 9 531 4096 Fax: +64 9 529 5143 Email: media@oceaniafootball.com Website: www.oceaniafootball.com
OFC Insider
OFC President’s Cup in review Auckland City FC may have claimed yet another piece of silverware in Oceania after downing Amicale FC 2-1 in the final of the inaugural OFC President’s Cup at The Trusts Arena in November but the event can also be judged a success off the field of play. The inaugural OFC President’s Cup drew six teams from three Confederations and six nations together to promote football, invigorate the local economy and provide three Oceania teams with preparatory matches ahead of major tournaments coming up over the next six months. The tournament attracted 5,000 fans over four match days and included involvement of a community of sponsors such as Sudima Hotels, Kiwi Water, Pacific Line Direct, Future Print, Omni Insurance, Unichem, Vuksich and Borich, and the Pegasus Sports Foundation. UNICEF also contributed as OFC marked 25 years of the rights of the child to play with the vaunted Just Play programme used to promote healthy living and exercise on a special open day organised at The Trusts Arena. On the football pitch, Auckland City FC prevailed with a morale-boosting 2-1 triumph over Amicale in the final, a result that set up a sensational run at the FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco. A proud Ramon Tribulietx reflected on another trophy win for his team. “It was a very tight final, very difficult. We had to come back from 1-0 down but I’m very happy that the boys kept playing with the same ideas once again and we didn’t crumble but showed character to come back again. Amicale technical director Anthony Pisano was understandably disappointed by losing the final but pointed to his team’s 2-1 win over professional side Busaiteen as a highlight. “It was a disappointing end to what has been a thrilling tournament for a reworked Amicale side. We were quite happy with
what we did this week, we’ve exceeded our expectations by beating Busaiteen and the boys lived up to our expectations and we’re really happy.” Busaiteen midfielder Mujtaba Malek was pleased to pick up third place in the competition. “I’ve enjoyed the OFC President’s Cup very much. It’s a fantastic moment that we’ve had here, especially when we came for the UNICEF festival and visited the kids,” he said. For Subramani Shunmugham and Singapore’s U-23 it was disappointing not to get a final win, but an excellent development opportunity for his squad. “It’s been a good experience for these young boys. Now they will know what it’s like to play professional football, and what international football is. With each experience hopefully they can bring the positive back to Singapore and continue from there.” Ramon Sealy, who won the competition’s Golden Gloves award for his outstanding performances for Bodden Town, rated the OFC President’s Cup a success even if his team’s results were variable. “The tournament has been a success in terms of our development,” Sealy said, “It’s showed us our flaws and our weaknesses and we’re going to work on them and also improve on our strengths as well. It also showed us different styles of play from the other teams which we can incorporate into our style of play in the future.” For Ravinesh Kumar the tournament was another step in the Fiji side’s journey to the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup. “This is not the end of football for these boys and for Fiji. Each time they play games they will learn lessons,” Kumar said, “That’s
GROUP A Auckland City FC 4 – 0 Singapore U-23 Bodden Town 0 – 0 Singapore U-23 Auckland City FC 9 – 0 Bodden Town
GROUP B Fiji U-20 0 – 3 Amicale Amicale 2 – 1 Busaiteen Busaiteen 7 – 1 Fiji U-20
FIFTH PLACE MATCH Bodden Town 3 – 0 Fiji U-20
THIRD PLACE MATCH Singapore U-23 0 – 3 Busaiteen
FINAL Auckland City FC 2 – 1 Amicale GOLDEN BALL Nikas Panagiotis (AUS) – Amicale GOLDEN BOOT Emiliano Tade (ARG) – Auckland City FC GOLDEN GLOVES Ramon Sealy (CYM) – Bodden Town FAIR PLAY AWARD Bodden Town
why we were in this tournament, to see our mistakes and correct them before the FIFA U-20 World Cup next year.” In the individual awards runners-up Amicale midfielder Nikas Panagiotis was awarded the Golden Ball for player of the tournament after some inspired performances. Auckland City striker Emiliano Tade took home the Golden Boot with four goals in three games. Bodden Town goalkeeper Ramon Sealy was awarded the Golden Gloves thanks to a series of outstanding saves over the course of the tournament and runners-up Amicale also took home the Fairplay Award.
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OFC Insider
OFC President’s Cup — Just Play Sports Day brings together UNICEF and OFC On Universal Children’s Day (November 20) and as part of the Oceania Football Confederation’s (OFC) inaugural President’s Cup, UNICEF will celebrate 25 years of children’s rights by hosting Just Play Sports Days in ten Pacific Island nations. In Auckland, more than 400 children from West Auckland schools will gather at Trusts Arena in Waitakere to take part in the award winning Just Play programme, which uses football as a tool to focus on educating children in four key areas; health and wellbeing, gender equality, social inclusion for all children, and keeping children safe. Vivien Maidaborn, Executive Director at UNICEF New Zealand, said of the milestone celebration, “The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) enshrines every child’s right to equal opportunity, education, protection and health, regardless of their gender, ethnicity or socio-economic status. Equally important, and included in the CRC, is their right to play. “Play and sport are not luxuries reserved for only a few — they are every child’s right. Play is vital to the wellbeing and future development of children, teaching them important life lessons and giving them skills they need to live together peacefully. “25 years on from the establishment of CRC we need innovative ways to realise rights for all children and Just Play does this in a fun and active way.” Head of Social Responsibility and International Relations with OFC, Franck Castillo, said of the event, “We have developed a strong and vital partnership with UNICEF and we share the same vision, which is using football as a tool to improve children’s lives.
“Child protection is one of the four pillars of the Just Play programme and through this platform we are able to compliment UNICEF’s work for children’s rights, both through activities and advocacy campaigns.” The Just Play programme has already seen enormous success in the Pacific region. Just Play Sports Days will also take place in nine other Pacific Island countries including American Samoa, the Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu. UNICEF Pacific Representative, Dr. Karen Allen said, “In an area of the world where access to information is restricted by poor internet, television and radio penetration, the OFC President’s Cup is a valuable platform that allows UNICEF to communicate important information on children’s rights to a large target audience.” She added, “The Just Play programme and Sports Days are helping UNICEF and OFC to provide educational opportunities to children through play. Through active participation, children learn about teamwork and fair play. Girls and boys play together and physical activity and exercise has once again become fun.” OFC President, Mr. David Chung reiterated this by saying, “Children are naturally drawn to sport, recreation and play, which are an important part of childhood. Not only are they important to helping children grow, learn and explore, they are also every child’s right.”
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Vanuatu push Australia, Thailand in Beach Soccer Cup The beautiful Wollongong Beach in Australia hosted a new edition of the Australian Beach Soccer Cup in December and featured Oceania representatives Vanuatu.
Together with Australia and Thailand, Vanuatu helped produce an absolute thriller of an event. Hosts Australia were beaten 5-2 by Thailand in the opening match of the competition leaving them with a must-win tie against Vanuatu. A defeat for Thailand to Vanuatu was not part of the script as the OFC outfit beat the Thais in a dramatic penalty shoot-out. As expected, the match between Vanuatu and Australia was a fierce one, only decided thanks to an extra-time effort by the Australian star, David Zdrilic, who sent his team into the final with a decisive goal in a 7-6 win. Zdrilic last scored a goal against an Oceania side nearly ten years ago when as a football player he won the OFC Champions League in Tahiti as Sydney FC defeated AS Magenta 2-0 in the final. With Vanuatu edged out of the final spot due to the weight of their penalty shoot-out win not being enough to advance, the final was contested by the hosts and Thailand. Thailand defeated Australia in the final by 5-4, an improvement by Australia, but ultimately not enough to lift the title.
13 December 2014 Group Stage Australia 2 – 5 Thailand Thailand 2(0) – 2(1) Vanuatu* *Vanuatu won 1-0 on penalties
14 December 2014 Group Stage Vanuatu 6 – 7 Australia - AET Final Australia 4-5 Thailand
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OFC Insider
THE BIG INTERVIEW
IVAN VICELICH
HONOURED BY NEW ZEALAND ORDER OF MERIT Ivan Vicelich is now a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit and recognised on the New Year’s honours list.
The Auckland City FC skipper and former All Whites mainstay led the Navy Blues to third place at the FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco in December. He scooped up the Bronze Ball award third behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos of Real Madrid. Vicelich expressed delight and surprise at this latest news, admitting he had no idea who nominated him. “I found out via a letter in the post that I had been nominated and I was absolutely thrilled and overwhelmed to be thought of that way by New Zealanders. I am really grateful to be recognised. “The people who nominate you remain confidential but I’m just buzzing to be nominated. For me, for the family, for Auckland City FC and for football in general, it’s great to see football recognised.
OFC Insider “I found out about week ago when my wife Marisa received the letter and opened up my mail, which is great,” Vicelich joked, “but when I went away with the squad to Morocco, I had no idea.” “Marisa was excited as well. I gave her a daily call to see how she was, how the kids were, and she mentioned we got the letter in the post. Great news. “I’m very privileged to be honoured in that way, its great for football to be recognised. I loved playing for my country, I love playing for Auckland City FC for the last six years,” Vicelich said. The towering midfielder won 88 international caps, spanning two decades and credits Auckland City FC chairman Ivan Vuksich for the longevity of his stellar playing career in the ASB Premiership, OFC Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup. He also acknowledged his love for the All Whites but said age had caught up with him on that front despite turning out at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa having played all of his football at that time in the ASB Premiership.
I was always proud to wear the silver fern and the responsibility of ex-players is to help out the national team and build it up in the future. “We came back to New Zealand six years ago with Marisa pregnant and gave a quick call to the club president and our friend Ivan Vuksich to ease that process. “I’ve always loved wearing the silver fern and would love to be wearing it now but obviously age catches up. But hopefully this can help raise the profile of football in New Zealand,” he said. Vicelich said while there are less playing days in front of him, he had considered a switch from grass to the dugout eventually. “I’m still heavily involved in Auckland City FC and very glad I didn’t give the game away last year or the year before or I would’ve missed out on all of this. “I’m still fit and still enjoying training and looking forward to the Japan game early next year. It’s very hard to see myself stopping playing — I’m still enjoying the moment and the results. It’s great to see I can still be part of the team and be valuable and pass on my experience to the younger players,” he said. Vicelich’s last match for the All Whites was the highly forgettable 5-1 thrashing by Mexico at the Azteca
Stadium in November 2013, but he dismisses any thought he had left the national team environment in his heart. Any opportunity to be involved with the All Whites would appeal to him he said. “I don’t know if I ever left the All Whites. I’m still involved with the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) and what’s going on around that. If something comes along in the future, I’m open to discussion. “I was always proud to wear the silver fern and the responsibility of ex-players is to help out the national team and build it up in the future. “I’m involved at Auckland City FC in an assistant coach role under Ramon and I’m enjoying that and learning a lot off him. But it’s very hard when you’re playing and training six times a week to make that switch. “Coaching might be a pathway in the future once you get into that then you find out really whether you like it or not,” he said. While Auckland City FC club is up for a Halberg Award, and Vicelich basks in the glow of the New Zealand Order of Merit, he had some words for his coaching mentor, Tribulietx. “Auckland City FC nomination for the Halberg Awards are great. We went to the FIFA Club World Cup not really thinking about winning awards or anything like that. “But Ramon deserves all the recognition he gets. His team has been great, he’s helped the team perform very well and believe me, and we’re playing against players that are just absolute superstars. “It’s very difficult to comprehend in New Zealand just how good our opponents are and we’ve managed to beat teams of such high calibre. There are players we’ve faced that are earning professional money, in professional teams, winning continental and national competitions that are so difficult to win, yet we’ve managed to topple them. “Ramon deserves all the accolades right now because he’s coached an ASB Premiership team to third place in the world, won a bronze medal at the FIFA Club World Cup. You can’t beat that achievement in New Zealand football, I don’t think it’s ever been achieved in a national context. It’s a special moment for New Zealand sport,” he said. Vicelich also won the OFC Player of the Year Award in 2009.
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Navy Blues’ Miracle in Morocco Auckland City FC ended their historic FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2014 campaign by finishing in third place after defeating CONCACAF champions Cruz Azul 4-2 on penalties. OFC Insider takes a look back game by game at the Oceania champions incredible run to the final Match Day in what was dubbed as the ‘Miracle of Morocco’. Auckland City FC’s long road to Club World Cup success began four years previously with the appointment to the role of head coach of Catalonian-born Ramon Tribulietx. The 42-year-old former Segundo Liga coach was part of Auckland City FC’s fifth place finish at the Club World Cup under his predecessor Paul Posa. Since Tribulietx’s appointment he has led the Navy Blues to four consecutive OFC Champions League titles, an ASB Premiership title, two ASB minor premiership titles, two ASB Charity Cups and victory in November’s inaugural OFC President’s Cup.
Friendly Match December 4, 2014 Dubai, UAE Uzbekistan 0 Auckland City FC 0
The sense that Auckland City FC’s progress had transcended improvement at domestic and continental level to the wider international scene gathered momentum after they held Uzbekistan to a 0-0 draw in Dubai on December 4 in a match where, but for a post, Ryan De Vries may well have scored a deserved winner.
FIFA Club World Cup Playoff December 10, 2014 Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat Att: 35,247 Moghreb Tétouan 0 Auckland City FC 0 *Auckland City FC won 4-3 on penalties FIFA Man of the Match: Ivan VICELICH (Auckland City FC)
Tétouan, making their debut at the Club World Cup, were the more dangerous of the two teams with set pieces and some good build-up play troubling the Auckland City FC backline throughout the 30 minutes of extra time, but the goal they were so desperately looking for never came. Angel Berlanga nearly found the winner with nine minutes remaining for Auckland, connecting on De Vries’ cross with a diving header that narrowly missed. Tired legs led to a nervy penalty shoot-out as both sides stepped up to the spot exhausted. Tim Payne opened the scoring for Auckland, sneaking his effort under Mohamed El Yousfi, who correctly guessed to his right. Tamati Williams saved Ahmed Jahouh’s shot as the Navy Blues took a 2-0 lead after John Irving confidently scored Auckland’s second. Zaid Krouch scored one for the hosts and El Yousfi was unlucky not to get a hand on Darren White’s penalty, which maintained Auckland’s two-goal margin. Serigne Fall hit Tétouan’s first strong penalty, cutting Auckland’s lead to 3-2 and El Yousfi did well to deny Mario Bilen, allowing Tétouan to level the score at 3-3 when Zouheir Naim’s penalty went in off of Williams’ hand. Sanni Issa buried his shot into the top corner to give Auckland the
advantage and Mehdi Khallati smashed his penalty into Williams’ left-side post to give the Oceanic champions a 4-3 win on penalties and a spot in the quarter-finals.
FIFA Club World Cup Quarter-Final December 13, 2014 Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat Att: 22,153 ES Setif (0) 0 Auckland City FC (0) 1 (John IRVING 52’) FIFA Man of the Match: John IRVING (Auckland City FC)
Three days after winning the Play-off for the Quarter-Finals, Auckland City won their second FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2014 match, sinking ES Setif 1-0 in a rainy Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat. The victory sent the Oceania champions into the semi-finals for the first time, where they would face CONMEBOL kings San Lorenzo in Marrakech four days later. Ryan De Vries dispossessed the Setif backline in the 30th minute and took a shot from the top of the area, missing just wide as well. A few minutes later a melee in Setif’s box nearly led to the opening goal but some brave defending cleared the danger before Auckland could find a clear shot on target. Just before the stroke of half-time, Angel Berlanga chipped Setif goalkeeper Sofiane Khedairia, but his effort glanced off the top of the crossbar to keep the score level as the two teams went into the break scoreless.
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Auckland City found their opening goal shortly after the break through an unlikely source. A Navy Blues’ corner snuck through a crowd in the middle of the area and fell to centre-back John Irving. Auckland’s No6 calmly touched it around his defender and found the near corner past Khedairia’s outstretched fingertips. Tamati Williams – Auckland’s hero in the penalty shoot-out win against Tétouan on Wednesday – made some crucial stops for the Oceanic side, the best of which was to deny Benyettou’s close-range effort in the 61st minute. The final 20 minutes had a frentic pace about it, with Setif searching for the equaliser and Auckland looking to make their lead safe, and the rains only made the game quicker.
FIFA Club World Cup Semi-Final December 17, 2014 Stade de Marrakech, Marrakesh Att:18,458 San Lorenzo (1) 1 (2) 2 (Pablo BARRIENTOS 45+2’, Mauro MATOS 93’) Auckland City FC (0) 1 (1) 1 (Angel BERLANGA 67’) After Extra Time
San Lorenzo made the most of their maiden appearance at the FIFA Club World Cup with a 2-1 win in extra time of the semifinals against a resilient Auckland City to set up a date in the final with European champions Real Madrid. It was a game of strong challenges and several fouls with few chances for either team, but Pablo Barrientos and Angel
Berlanga capitalised on either side of the interval, which forced the extra time period. Mauro Matos only needed three minutes to find a winner, which ultimately sent the Argentinian side through. The first half started slowly with few chances for either side, but at the stroke of half-time Barrientos received a cross from the left side and buried a half-volley to give San Lorenzo a deserved lead heading into the break. The South American champions looked the likelier to the two teams to score in the second half, but Berlanga breathed life into his Oceanic side midway through the final 45 minutes. A rare counter attack from Auckland City saw Ryan De Vries drive through the heart of San Lorenzo’s backline before the ball squeaked out to Berlanga, streaking down the edge of the box. Berlanga then did well to finish from an extremely acute angle to give Auckland City their equaliser. It took less than three minutes of extra time for San Lorenzo to re-establish their lead when Matos finished with a simple strike from 16 yards out following a missed clearance. Barrientos was battling in the middle of the box and John Irving looked to poke the ball clear but instead it feel straight to Matos, who had no hesitation finding the back of the net. Tamati Williams came up with a big save against Cauteruccio towards the end of the first period of extra time to keep Auckland within reach of the South American champions. And in the second period of extra time, Tim Payne nearly brought Auckland level again but his effort struck the post. San Lorenzo were able to hold on for the remaining few minutes to set up a showdown against Real Madrid.
FIFA Club World Cup Third Place Match December 20, 2014 Stade de Marrakech, Marrakesh Att: 38,345 Cruz Azul (0) 1 (Joao ROJAS 57’) Auckland City FC (1) 1 (Ryan DE VRIES 45+2’) FIFA Man of the Match: Tim PAYNE (Auckland City FC)
Cruz Azul got off to a shaky start after Francisco Rodriguez easily lost possession to Fabrizio Tavano, whose shot was saved by an alert Jose Corona in the Cruz Azul goal. Both sides looked to be heading into the break level, however, Ryan de Vries had other plans. In stoppage time, a long diagonal ball from Tade found the 23-yearold who shook off his defender to slot his shot past Corona and give Auckland City a 1-0 lead. The Mexican side appeared to have their equaliser minutes after the break when Mauro Formica headed in a cross from the right wing, but he was adjudged to be offside. The CONCACAF champions continued to put pressure on the Auckland City goal, and they finally found the equaliser in the 57th minute when Vela’s cross from the left wing found Rojas, whose header was initially blocked by Takuya Iwata, but the ball landed at his feet and he made no mistake with his strike. Auckland City held their nerves from the spot and defeated Cruz Azul 4-2 on penalties with Sanni Issa scoring the eventual winner, to become the first Oceanian side to win a medal at the FIFA Club World Cup.
FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2014 TOURNAMENT AWARDS
VITAL STATISTICS
adidas Golden Ball
Sergio RAMOS (Real Madrid)
420 minutes Most game time
adidas Silver Ball
Cristiano RONALDO (Real Madrid)
adidas Bronze Ball
Ivan VICELICH (Auckland City FC)
257 minutes Without conceding a goal (up to 45+2’ v San Lorenzo)
FIFA Fair Play Award Real Madrid
Golden Boot
1st First OFC side to defeat a Mexican club in four previous attempts
1st First OFC side to qualify for Club World Cup semi-finals
Gareth BALE (Real Madrid) Sergio RAMOS (Real Madrid) Gerardo TORRADO (Cruz Azul)
2nd Second time an OFC side has defeated CAF champions
2nd Second time an OFC side had defeated Host Nation club champions
3rd Highest placed finish by an OFC team at a FIFA event — bronze medal winners
3rd Ivan Vicelich adidas bronze ball
3 FIFA Man of the Match Awards
3rd Match ever between two teams from the Southern Hemisphere at a Club World Cup
8th Match ever decided on penalty kicks at a Club World Cup (v Moghreb)
9th match ever decided on penalty kicks at a Club World Cup (v Cruz Azul)
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OFC Executive Committee — Harmon, Maltock, Patel new OFC Vice Presidents The first meeting of the newly formed OFC Executive Committee was held on Wednesday 7 January with the first order of business the appointment of three Vice-Presidents. Fiji’s Rajesh Patel, Lambert Maltock of Vanuatu and Lee Harmon of Cook Islands were unanimously elected to the positions, which will see them provide close support to the re-elected OFC President David Chung over the 20152019 term. “I would like to congratulate all three of our Vice-Presidents and look forward to working closely with them on developing our united vision for the Confederation,” Chung extended. Being elevated to OFC VicePresident was surprising, but an incredibly welcome honour for Maltock, Vanuatu Football Federation President. “It’s something I’ve been working for for a long time, but it was still unexpected,” he said.
“It’s not a privilege but a responsibility to help the President with his vision to develop football in Oceania. “My hope is that the last four years have laid the foundation for the next four years and it is good to continue with the leadership of David Chung and what he has in mind for OFC to be competitive on the field and off.” Patel, Fiji’s President, shares his colleague’s optimism and excitement for the future. “I’m very pleased to be elected a Vice-President of OFC. It shows the Member Association’s confidence in me but by the same token, the huge responsibility of representing all 11 OFC MAs,” Patel said.
“With David Chung I want to give my all to take Oceania football to greater heights. It will be a challenge being appointed to Vice-President for the first time, but also a great opportunity to help take the OFC vision and the vision of FIFA to the next step.” The appointment of three VicePresidents is a first for the OFC Executive Committee following a decision at the 23rd Ordinary Congress to replace the previous roles of Senior Vice-President, President and Treasurer.
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Chung at helm for another four years David Chung secures re-election standing unopposed at 23rd OFC Congress in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Unity and solidarity were the themes of the 23rd OFC Ordinary Congress in Papua New Guinea today as the Confederation returned incumbent President David Chung to office for another four year term. Papua New Guinea’s Chung, who has been OFC President since November 2011, was elected unopposed to take the reins of OFC for another four years In the presence of representatives from FIFA and local Papua New Guinea media the OFC Executive Committee was also elected with representatives from Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, American Samoa and Vanuatu all earning their place on the committee. Chung was both ecstatic and humbled to receive the endorsement of his peers for a second term in office and thanked them for their continued support. “The next four years will be an exciting period for the OFC and I am sincerely thankful to the Member Associations of OFC for putting your trust in me as your OFC President,” he said during his acceptance speech. “I would like to take the time to congratulate those members elected to the OFC Executive Committee and I look forward to working with you in this next term and will rely on your expertise and experience to help guide OFC in the right direction.” He also acknowledged the continued support of the FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter and the FIFA Secretariat in helping OFC make grounds in developing the game throughout the region courtesy of the various FIFA Development initiatives provided over the past four years. Chung noted that while some Member Associations are not officially represented on the Executive Committee, he is committed to running a transparent organisation and therefore invites those non-elected members to attend meetings as observers. “We need to be united, transparent and make collective decisions for the good of OFC,” he says. “You must know that OFC is not an independent organisation, it belongs to you the members and our vision for the next four years is for the benefit of the members and you our stakeholders; your clubs, players, coaches, referees and administrators.” Working on his vision for the next four years, Chung outlined three points which his administration will focus on. “We will continue to grow the game through Development Programmes and to popularise football in the region through television, radio and new competitions, continue to create pathways for our elite players and teams and strive to create revenue and become financially sustainable so we can reinvest in growing the game and creating pathways for our elite players and teams.”
The next four years will be an exciting period for the OFC and I am sincerely thankful to the Member Associations of OFC for putting your trust in me as your OFC President The 53-year-old also outlined the proposals to aid Oceania on the international stage stating his continued work with the FIFA President on gaining direct entry for OFC to the FIFA World Cup™ and FIFA Club World Cup, a second seat on the FIFA Executive Committee and the provision of further financial assistance and programmes for OFC Member Associations in support of elite academies, Centres of Excellence, mentoring of coaches and the cost of participating on Oceania qualifiers for FIFA U-17 and U-20 events. “I will need your support to lead our Confederation and enable us to grow the game, create pathways for our elite and generate income to make us financially sustainable and create wealth to distribute to our Member Associations and reinvest back in football in each country,” Chung concluded. With his re-election as President, David Chung also becomes a FIFA Vice-President with immediate effect. He will be officially presented to the Congress of FIFA on the 1st of June. The OFC Executive Committee sees just one new member join the newly elected group. American Samoa’s Iuli Alex Godinet makes up the committee alongside Lee Harmon (COK), Lord Ve’ehala (TGA), Rajesh Patel (FIJ), Laupama Solomona (SAM), Barnabas Anga (SOL) and Lambert Maltock (VAN). Other matters addressed during the OFC Congress saw the unanimous endorsement of the 11 Point Plan to Combat Match Fixing, which was adopted by the Executive Committee in November 2014. A resolution unanimously supporting FIFA President Joseph S Blatter in his bid for re-election was supported by a letter signed by all 11 OFC Member Associations.
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NEWS FROM MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS
Winston Reid
AMERICAN SAMOA
Jacob Moli
American Samoa gears up to co-host the OFC U-17 Men’s Championship for the first time in 12 years. American Samoa will co-host the event with near-neighbours Samoa. They last co-hosted the competition with Australia in 2003.
minor upset in the Coupe de France when they defeated Le Havre 2-0 in Round 8. New Caledonian-born striker Frederic Piquionne has signed a one year contract with Ligue 2 side US Creteil. Piquionne won 1 cap for France and turned out for Martinique rather than represent the territory of his birth.
COOK ISLANDS
NEW ZEALAND
Cook Islands Football Association has launched an inaugural international youth event for all interested football clubs and schools wanting to play football in the beautiful tropical island of Rarotonga. The event caters for the youth and families and is a fantastic opportunity to combine a holiday in paradise while playing the beautiful game of football. The competition is scheduled for April 7-11 at CIFA Matavera Complex, Rarotonga, Cook Islands and features an U-15 Boys’ and U-16 Girls division. The Event Contact is Melina Tuiravakai Email: media@cookislandsfootball.com. Cook Islands FA President Lee Harmon was elected as an OFC Vice President at the 23rd OFC Congress in Port Moresby in January.
FIJI Fiji FA President Rajesh Patel has been elected to the OFC Executive Committee as an OFC Vice President. The Fiji FA has announced the deferment of the start date for its National League competition following the sad passing of Sundip Patel. Patel, who was managing director of the CJ Patel Group, died in December. The competition was scheduled to kick off on January 10. Fiji FA Competition’s manager Amitesh Pal said the league would now start on January 24 following close consultation with the CJ Patel Group.
NEW CALEDONIA George Gope-Fenepej loan spell with Boulogne is producing happiness for player and club alike. Gope-Fenepej has scored three goals in four games and his new club caused a
All Whites skipper Winston Reid continues to be linked with a big money move from West Ham United to Barclays Premier League rivals Arsenal. Reid, 26, has played over 100 games for the Hammers. Wellington Phoenix are riding high in the Hyundai A-League with Ernie Merrick’s men sitting in second place just four points behind table toppers Perth Glory. Auckland City FC made history by finishing third at the FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco, the highest placing of any New Zealand side at a FIFA world event.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA The 23rd OFC Congress was held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, with PNGFA President David Chung re-elected unopposed to the position of OFC President. The 52-yearold will be presented to the FIFA Congress on June 1 and retains his position on the FIFA Executive Committee. Chung is up for reelection in 2019.
SAMOA Samoa plays co-host to the OFC U-17 Men’s Championship in Apia featuring a six team group that includes themselves, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. The last event hosted at the JS Blatter Fields was the OFC Champions League Preliminary 2014 won by Lupe Ole Soaga. The top two teams advance to the semi-finals in Pago Pago, American Samoa, on January 24. Laupama Solomona is now an OFC Executive Committee member.
SOLOMON ISLANDS Solomon Islands made a welcome return to the international stage after a four year absence. Coach Jacob Moli assembled a side to compete at the OFC U-17 Men’s Championship in January. In a further boost to football in the Solomon Islands, Barnabas Anga was elected to the OFC Executive Committee on January 7.
TAHITI Federation Tahitienne de Football (FTF) has announced a new operating budget for 2015 of $3.3M NZD. By contrast, FTF’s operating budget in 1997 stood at $228,000 NZD approximately. FTF also announced the repayment of a loan toward the construction of its training centre in Pirae and plans to launch its new five year development plan at its next elective meeting scheduled for July 25, 2015.
TONGA Tonga’s Lord Ve’ehala is re-elected to the OFC Executive Committee for another term following the OFC Congress in Port Moresby in January.
VANUATU Vanuatu Football Federation President Lambert Maltock was elected as an OFC Vice President at the 23rd OFC Congress in Port Moresby in January. The Vanuatu Beach Soccer team finished third at the Australian Beach Soccer Cup in Wollongong in December. They defeated eventual champions Thailand in a penalty shoot-out in the group stage but were knocked out of finals contention by Australia in a 7-6 thriller.
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FORTHCOMING EVENTS
RESULTS
COMPETITIONS
FIFA Club World Cup Playoff December 10, 2014 Moghreb Tétouan 0-0 Auckland City FC* *Auckland City FC won 4-3 on penalties
OFC U-17 Men’s Championship 13-26 January / Apia, Samoa & Pago Pago, American Samoa OFC Champions League 15-25 April / Ba & Suva, Fiji FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup New Zealand 2015 30 May – 20 June / New Zealand XV Pacific Games Papua New Guinea (OFC Men’s Olympic Football Tournament Qualifiers/OFC Women’s Olympic Football Tournament Qualifier – Stage 1) 4-18 July / Port Moresby OFC President’s Cup August / TBC FIFA World Cup™ Oceanian Preliminary Qualifiers 31 August – 8 September / TBC OFC U-20 Women’s Championship 10-24 September
FIFA Club World Cup Quarter-Final December 13, 2014 ES Setif 0-1 Auckland City FC Australian Beach Soccer Cup December 13, 2014 Thailand 2-2 Vanuatu* *Vanuatu won by golden goal Australian Beach Soccer Cup December 14, 2014 Vanuatu 6-7 Australia - AET FIFA Club World Cup Semi-Final December 17, 2014 San Lorenzo 2-1 Auckland City FC – AET FIFA Club World Cup Third Place Match December 20, 2014 Cruz Azul 0-0 Auckland City FC* *Auckland City FC won 4-2 on penalties
FIFA U-17 Men’s World Cup Chile 17 October – 8 November FIFA Club World Cup Japan December / TBC *All dates correct at the time of publication
NOTICES OFC President David Chung is re-elected unopposed for another four year term following the 23rd OFC Congress held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on 7 January, 2015. Elected to the position of OFC VicePresident are Lee Harmon (Cook Islands), Lambert Maltock (Vanuatu) and Rajesh Patel (Fiji). The OFC Executive Committee includes American Samoa’s Iuli Alex Godinet makes up the committee alongside Lord Ve’ehala (Tonga), Laupama Solomona (Samoa) and Barnabas Anga (Solomon Islands). Moiz Munif has resigned as Fiji FA Media Officer after four years in charge of the department in Fiji.
The match officials for the OFC U-17 Men’s Championship in American Samoa and Samoa were named in December and feature a group of 19 referees, assistant referees and referee assessors led by OFC Referee Development Officer Mark Hester. Lemusa Alatasi (ASA), Salesh Chand (FIJ), Ujwaal Mudliar (FIJ), Lonisa Dilioni (FIJ), Nadi Browning (NZL), Maria Tamalelagi (SAM), Gerald Oiaka (SOL), Nelson SOGO (SOL), Douglas Mete (SOL), Averii Jacques (TAH), Kader Zitouni (TAH), Phillipe Revel (TAH), Lata Kaumatule (TGA), Sione Teu (TGA), Ichikawa Polovili (TGA), Robinson Banga (VAN), Hilmon Sese (VAN) and Mahit Chilia (VAN) complete the line-up.
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