/ ISSUE TWO MARCH / APRIL 2014
OFC Champions League: Oceania’s Road to Morocco continues Anna-Marie Keighley on women’s refereeing OFC Media Workshop under the spotlight OFC bids farewell to Toetu Petana Junior Football Ferns Costa Rican adventure
OFC Insider
Dear members of the Oceania football community, The month of April saw the OFC Champions League kick into action in Ba and Lautoka and we now contemplate an exciting final showdown between the defending champions Auckland City FC and their erstwhile opponents from Vanuatu, Amicale FC. For the 12th edition of this tournament we enjoyed greater representation from our Member Associations than ever before with 12 clubs from eight nations competing. Only one of the remaining two clubs can win the title and qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco in December and I am sure we will see some high quality football interwoven with the usual emotion and drama we’ve come to expect from this competition. Just 12 days after the conclusion of the OFC Champions League Final, we return to Fiji for the OFC U-20 Men’s Championship at this stage scheduled for Suva from 23-31 May at the magnificent ANZ Stadium. ANZ Stadium is a state-of-the-art venue and makes for a wonderful backdrop for one of our most popular competitions with the added incentive for the winner of qualifying for the FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup New Zealand 2015.
Playing this competition in 2014 allows the winner more than a year to prepare for the final tournament and is part of the outcomes of our last OFC Executive Committee meeting held in Auckland in November last year. With New Zealand already qualified as host nation, a prime opportunity exists for one of our Member Associations to join them at FIFA’s second biggest tournament. As football is one of the most popular sports in Fiji, everyone involved shares both the joy of hosting these tournaments and absolute determination to make them a success. Yours in football
David Chung OFC President FIFA Vice-President PNGFA President
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IN THIS ISSUE
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OFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SPECIAL
OFC MEDIA WORKSHOP
THE BIG INTERVIEW: Anna-Marie Keighley
OFC Insider looks at the OFC Champions League group stage and reviews who won, who scored and asks who will win Oceania’s top title
The fourth OFC Media Workshop took place in Lautoka, Fiji, in April and we shine the spotlight on some of the findings that emerged.
One of OFC’s top female referees shares her experiences as a match official and offers advice to youngsters aiming for the top in her chosen field.
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KICK DENGUE OUT!
OFC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
MEMBER ASSOCIATION NEWS
The OFC Champions League provided a showcase of football in April but also raised awareness about Dengue in Fiji as part of an OFC, UNICEF Pacific, Fiji FA and Fiji Government-inspired social responsibility campaign.
The OFC Executive Committee met in Auckland, New Zealand, and OFC Insider brings you all the key decisions.
OFC Insider provides a wrap of football news from around the Oceania Football Confederation and its Member Associations.
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 Media Photography: Phototek
Oceania Football Confederation Headquarters, 12 Maurice Road, Penrose, Auckland 1061, New Zealand Tel: +64 9 531 4096 Fax: +64 9 529 5143 Email: info@oceaniafootball.com Website: www.oceaniafootball.com
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Toetu Petana
The OFC bid farewell to one of its fondest sons when Samoa Football Federation (SFF) President Toetu Petana passed away in April. The 51-year-old administrator led the way for SFF after it emerged from normalisation in 2011. Petana oversaw the successful implementation of the Just Play programme and Samoan club champions Kiwi FC qualification for the OFC Champions League proper for the first time in 15 years. Tributes to Toetu poured in from across the Oceania region with OFC President David Chung leading the way. “Toetu Petana dedicated his life to the betterment of football in Samoa and the Oceania region and his passing has saddened everyone connected with the sport. “Our deepest condolences go out to Toetu’s family and the Samoa Football Federation at this very sad time,” Chung says. “We all have aspirations, but to make those aspirations come true it takes a lot of determination and sacrifice and Toetu had all these traits as part of his make-up. “Toetu’s achievements in developing football will leave an enduring legacy for future generations of young people in Samoa,” concluded Chung. Petana’s passing was also recognised by New Zealand Football interim chairman Bill Moran who said the game in Oceania has lost a wonderful servant. “Toetu’s work in promoting football in Samoa and beyond serves as a shining example of what can be achieved by those passionate and dedicated to the game,” Moran said. “On behalf of everyone connected with football in New Zealand, I extend our deepest sympathies to Toetu’s family, the Samoa Football Federation and Oceania Football at this sad time.” Toetu served on the FIFA Associations Committee and FIFA Organising Committee for Olympic Football and was also the Treasurer for the OFC and an OFC Executive Committee member for three years. He is survived by his wife Telesia and their four children.
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OFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP STAGE IN REVIEW The OFC Champions League group stage concluded in Lautoka and Ba, Fiji, after nine days of intense competition that revealed the four semi-finalists Auckland City FC, Amicale, AS Pirae and Ba. The action in Group A was electrifying with Tahitian outfit AS Pirae taking top honours on the final day. Led by Marama Vahirua, Raimana Li Fung Kuee and Naea Bennett, AS Pirae won all three of their group matches, an achievement that included the elimination of New Zealand club Waitakere United. Solomon Warriors finished runners-up in the section after an inspirational display that produced a narrow defeat to AS Pirae, a 1-1 draw with Waitakere United and an 8-0 demolition of Kiwi FC. Two-times champions Waitakere United looked a pale shadow of their former selves and delivered their lowest ever placing at an OFC Champions League of seventh out of the 12 competing clubs. In Group B, Amicale emerged as the dominant force under coach Nathan Hall and a squad littered with foreign players from as far afield as Serbia, Scotland, Solomon Islands and Nigeria. A nervy 1-0 win over AS Dragon set Amicale on the road to the last four before a thrashing of struggling host club Nadi all but sealed a semi-final slot. Dreams of reaching the knock-out stage kicked into overdrive when a Kensi Tangis goal midway through the second half of their match with Auckland City FC delivered a 1-0 win. Auckland City FC squeezed through to the playoffs after AS Pirae defeated Waitakere United 3-1 on the final day of group play.
AS Dragon were unable to reproduce their OFC Champions League heroics of 2013 losing their first two matches to Amicale and Auckland City FC. The Tahitians finished on a relative high by thrashing Nadi 5-0. The Fijians struggled from start to finish and lost three players to an extended suspension when Samuela Drudru, Uraia Loki and Ratu Bainivalu were each sent off in Nadi’s matches. Group C was labelled the ‘Group of Death’ for good reason — host club Ba, former OFC champions Hekari United, and two former runners-up in Tafea FC and AS Magenta meant there was very little room for error. Tafea FC began strongly winning its first match with Hekari United 3-1 in what was considered an upset. Ba disposed of AS Magenta 2-0 in their first game to take the initiative. Hekari United’s semi-final hopes took a dip when they twice surrendered the lead to AS Magenta in their second game of the tournament, the pair ending their match with a 2-2 draw. Tafea FC’s tournament hopes blew apart with two defeats in their final two games losing 4-0 to Ba and 3-1 to AS Magenta. The New Caledonians grabbed runners-up spot behind Ba but would be left to ponder what may have been possible had talismanic striker Bertrand Kai been available for their opening match.
GROUP A Kiwi FC 0-2 Waitakere United Solomon Warriors 1-2 AS Pirae AS Pirae 8-0 Kiwi FC Waitakere United 1-1 Solomon Warriors Kiwi FC 0-8 Solomon Warriors AS Pirae 3-1 Waitakere United GROUP B Amicale 1-0 AS Dragon Auckland City FC 3-0 Nadi AS Dragon 0-3 Auckland City FC Nadi 0-6 Amicale Nadi 0-5 AS Dragon Amicale 1-0 Auckland City FC
GROUP C Tafea FC 3-1 Hekari United AS Magenta 0-2 Ba Ba 4-0 Tafea FC Hekari United 2-2 AS Magenta Tafea FC 1-3 AS Magenta Ba 1-1 Hekari United
SEMI-FINALS Auckland City FC 3-0 AS Pirae AS Pirae 2-1 Auckland City FC Ba 1-2 Amicale FC Amicale FC 0-0 Ba
Amicale FC
FINAL v Auckland City FC
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OFC Media Officer’s Workshop The fourth OFC Media Workshop took place at the Tanoa Waterfront Hotel in Lautoka, Fiji, April 2-6 as Member Association media officers from nine of the 11 nations comprising the confederation met for the first time in two years. The four day agenda focused on industry developments in media, communications, social media, radio, television and digital media, with an emphasis, naturally, targeted toward a specific football flavour. OFC Head of Media and Communications Gordon Watson said the workshop was a success and shed light on some innovative media strategies being employed across the region by media officers. “One intriguing trend shows that Member Associations located in Polynesia rely far more on Facebook than their official website when it comes to engagement with their own communities. “The instant nature of Facebook and its reliance upon a still image of video is a drawcard for people — effectively it’s a community noticeboard, it’s very flexible and easy to update quickly.” Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Tahiti and New Caledonia have made great strides forward in television with each Member Association producing its own football show in partnership with a local broadcaster and sponsors. “This is a key success and if we reflect upon how ten years ago there was no television presence, let alone a collaborative process between Member Associations and sponsors, then we have a very good marker for the progress, innovation and talent in football media and administration today. “Perhaps one area we aren’t exploring to its full potential is that of radio. Radio remains the one vehicle that provides Oceania with its most comprehensive platform for touching communities in the most remote areas, areas where television and smartphone technology doesn’t reach. “The OFC Podcast was realised with this in mind and involves a relatively simple process of recording audio and distributing it via a local radio partner or making it available to the wider world through the internet, or for smartphones in Android and iTunes,” he said. Former Yahoo! New Zealand online sports editor Mike Kilpatrick is a podcast expert and has produced sports and entertainment podcasts at home and abroad and was on hand to deliver a presentation that gave an overview of the platform’s advantages. Kilpatrick remains closely linked with the OFC Podcast in an editing capacity. Other consultants brought in to enhance the workshop activities included Radio broadcaster Jason Pine who provided his expert commentary throughout the OFC Champions League group stage tournament and award-winning photographer Shane Wenzlick who delivered a presentation that highlighted the closing gap and emerging integration between photography, videography and social media within an Oceania football context. “The co-operation and sharing of ideas was a key focal point in what the OFC Media Workshop sets out to achieve as
the Member Association media officers each bring a unique approach to their role. Some have more football experience than others but the willingness to innovate and try new approaches and ideas is perhaps more important than knowing football in a forensic way,” Watson said. The timing of the OFC Media Workshop allowed participants the opportunity to work on a major sports event, the OFC Champions League group stage, with New Caledonia’s Romain Painbeni and OFC’s Xavier Audu providing French commentary for each match of the tournament for both radio and television, a regional first for an OFC competition. Harry Atisson of Vanuatu provided commentary of Amicale and Tafea FC’s matches for radio, while Nahema Temarii of Tahiti, Leo Jakanduo from Papua New Guinea, Melina Tuiravaki of the Cook Islands, Brian Vitolio from American Samoa and Teaki Heimuli from Tonga provided ENG news stories for OFC TV and Fiji broadcaster FBC. Fiji Football Association media duo, Moiz Munif and Avikash Chand, covered the tournament’s media operations tasks, a job that included media accreditation, working with the participating clubs, coaches and players, as well as local and international press. “It’s easy to forget that each of the participants not only engaged fully at the workshop then undertook tasks for the OFC Champions League, but they kept their own workloads back home on the go, too. “The key challenge with any Member Association media officer and their ever changing role within the football framework is avoiding burn-out. “Media Officers become all things to all people and finding their own “off switch” can be elusive. The group we have currently is an exceptional one and it’s my hope that we can convene the fifth OFC Media Workshop in January 2015, before the new year gets underway,” Watson said. One initiative to emerge from the OFC Media Workshop is the confirmation of Member Association media officers working alongside the OFC Media and Communications department on major football events. “It’s an important learning opportunity for our Member Association media officers to experience a regional event and gain exposure to a variety of logistical challenges of a more international variety. “It’s my hope to be able to bring in one, possibly two, Member Association media officers to work alongside — possibly even run — an OFC Media and Communications project during a tournament, starting later this year with either the OFC Champions League Preliminary tournament, OFC President’s Cup or Futsal Invitational competition,” Watson said.
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THE
BIG INTERVIEW Referee Anna-Marie Keighley shares her experiences as a top level women’s referee — the fitness, the nutrition and the ambition to be one of the best female match officials in Oceania today. OFC Insider: What prompted you to become a top level referee? Keighley: Opportunity and aspiration. Early on in my refereeing I heard Michael Hester share his experiences at an Olympics, and that stuck with me. Since then it has been my ambition to make it to that level, and so far I have been rewarded with a number of wonderful opportunities. OFC Insider: What are some of the obstacles you have overcome in pursuit of your dreams? Keighley: I wouldn’t really say I have had too many obstacles, more choices and decisions. Initially I think it was having the courage to dream big, then the will to put in the hard yards to try and make it happen, and then finally the support of family, friends and colleagues that have encouraged me along the way. OFC Insider: Can you describe for us in detail your career highlights? Keighley: I think the firsts are always the most memorable. First…game with a red card; …NZF academy; …overseas tournament (Dallas Cup in 2011); …international ‘friendly’ between NZ and Australia; …international match shown live on SKY (NZ v China);
However, more recently the highlights have been my selection to be a part of the Women’s World Cup programme (attending the first seminar at the home of FIFA in Zurich), and then being included in the team of officials for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica. All of these feats have been met with the same nervous excitement, but also bring about a sense of fulfilment, pride and accomplishment. OFC Insider: Do you model your approach to your craft on any particular colleague, or is how you officiate very much down to personality? Keighley: I don’t think there is one particular individual that I solely look up to, rather many with a range of positive traits that I try to incorporate into my officiating. I do think everyone has their own style, which each individual crafts from their own personality.
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OFC Insider: You’ve officiated in men’s competitions previously — what has the reaction been by players, coaches and supporters? Keighley: I would say the first few times that I officiate in a men’s division I am a bit of a novelty, and so the men are unsure how to take it. On several occasions, when I have been with a trio of men, the team management will naturally assume the older male is the referee, and so are surprised when they are directed to me. Having said that, to my advantage I do find many of the men show a level of courtesy because I am a female. OFC Insider: What are the challenges to officiating in the Oceania environment? Keighley: In the women’s game the level of competition is so varied between the countries that there isn’t the same demands in each area. Also being spread so far apart it makes it hard to work with and develop the referee trio.
The fitness tests match officials undergo is a rigorous one and comprises of a Test 1 = 6 x 40m sprints that need to be less than 6.6 seconds. The other, Test 2, comprises an intermittent test of 20 repetitions of 150m in 35 seconds, 50m in 40 seconds. It’s very tough! OFC Insider: What is your ultimate career goal? Keighley: To referee at the Women’s World Cup in 2015 and the Olympics in 2016. OFC Insider: Is there anything you wish to add that you believe would add value to our readers in New Zealand, Oceania and around the world? Keighley: Set your goals high, and keep striving. If you believe it, you can achieve it!!
OFC Insider: What advice would you offer to any young woman wishing to join the OFC/FIFA ranks as a referee or assistant referee?
OFC Insider: Did you play football? If so, what made you swap the playing side of the game for refereeing?
Keighley: Do it!! We need more female officials in the game. Have the courage to be involved, be assertive with what you want and be willing to work hard toward it. There are many opportunities available if you want to put in the time and effort.
Keighley: I did a little at high school and then at university, which lead me into coaching. From there I had to referee a half, and thought I should really learn some rules to ensure I was doing it right.
OFC Insider: How much preparation do you put into your physical fitness? Nutrition?
The refereeing opportunities and prospects eventually lured me away from playing to solely focus on the pathway of officiating. Although I still miss the collegiality of a team, I am thankful for all the wonderful opportunities and experiences I have had and continue to have through being a referee.
Keighley: Many, many hours. Maintaining fitness levels takes significant time, motivation, persistence and perseverance. I work hard to try and find a balance between strength, anaerobic (sprints & high intensity) and aerobic fitness (long runs). I am thankful that good nutrition has always been a part of my lifestyle. So with a little preparation and organisation to maintain adequate levels of nutrients and variety I am able to sustain nutritional requirements.
OFC Insider: What do you expect from the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica? Keighley: An unforgettable experience!
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Campaign to Kick Dengue Out of Fiji a success The OFC Champions League Group Stage Tournament was a massive success both on and off the pitch with the UNICEF, Fiji Government, OFC and Fiji FA joining forces to promote the “Kick Dengue Out of Fiji!” campaign. With Dengue affecting 80,000 Fijians this year alone, enough to fill Lautoka’s Churchill Park, ten times over, the OFC Champions League harnessed the popularity of football to raise awareness of this mosquito-borne disease. A regional audience of 3 million television viewers, 450,000 daily listeners via radio and 7,000 social media followers received comprehensive “Kick Dengue Out of Fiji!” messages, not to forget that fans in the stadiums were able to read about Dengue in the official Match Programmes, with over 2,000 distributed across Ba and Lautoka. OFC Competitions Michael Song says the initiative was highly successful. “The “Kick Dengue Fever Out of Fiji!” campaign was extremely successful and we’re delighted that the OFC Champions League could be a platform for the betterment of peoples’ health not only in Fiji, where Dengue is prevalent, but elsewhere across Oceania. “We’re certainly very hopeful that we can collaborate with Franck Castillo and our colleagues at UNICEF Pacific, Fiji Government and the Fiji FA on future projects to help raise awareness of social obstacles and disease in a practical and meaningful way,” he says. The promotion of “Kick Dengue Out of Fiji!” stretched across the world with FIFA Weekly covering the tournament operation and logistics and a further 270 journalists informed daily about the competition and activities around the corporate social responsibility. The group stage and semi-finals are now complete with Amicale FC and Auckland City FC engaged in a twolegged home and away final playoff to determine Oceania’s representatives in Morocco in December. The FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2014 kicks-off on December 10 and culminates in the final ten days later with the OFC representative club guaranteed to pick up at least $500,000 USD in prize money. Oceania’s champion club travels to the FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2014 in December.
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Junior Football Ferns make history in Costa Rica With their first female coach, former Czech Republic international Jitka Klimkova, at the helm New Zealand’s U-17 women’s team headed off to Costa Rica and the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup full of optimism. Klimkova’s side was a mix of youth and experience — as much as that can be said of a youth tournament — with Daisy Cleverley and Martine Puketapu among the returnees from the 2012 campaign. In a difficult group alongside Japan and Spain, they also had relatively unknown entity Paraguay in the mix as their first up opponent, with this encounter proving to be an early buoy to their campaign. Carrying a six-game losing streak into their first match New Zealand came close to earning their first win at this level after Daisy Cleverley nipped past three defenders before releasing in the direction of the far post in the 69th minute. Unfortunately the three points slipped through the Young Football Ferns fingers when Paraguay headed home an 84th minute corner to come level and deny the New Zealanders the win. In their previous encounter at the 2010 edition of this competition Spain came out 3-1 winners, and this time around following a similar performance they managed to keep a clean sheet. Struggling to break down the Spanish back-line the Young Football Ferns were dominated by their European counterparts as they ran home two first half efforts, before sealing the win with a third in the second period. A consolation goal looked on the cards late in the game when the Kiwis were awarded a penalty, but Isabella Coombes saw her shot deflected off the post and away from danger. Going into the final match Klimkova was confident the young girls had learnt from their two preceding encounters. “We secured our first point in our U-17 World Cup history and we are happy about that,” she said, “against Paraguay we scored one of the most beautiful goals at the tournament, we dominated in possession and we created great chances. “Our second game was different and Spain is a very strong team and played good football. We gave them a little bit more space defensively but we fought to the end of the game, we didn’t give up and that will be a key point for the game against Japan as well.” The final group match was an encounter with a strong Japan side who continued their unbeaten run with a 3-0 triumph over the Young Football Ferns. The scoreline mirrored the last time these two teams met in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup at Azerbaijan 2012, though Japan won 6-0 two years earlier in Trinidad and Tobago. The result will surely be seen as continued improvement for the Oceania side, who had fallen 5-0 to Japan in a pre-tournament competition in the USA. Japan went on to triumph in the competition following a 2-0 victory over fellow Group C opponents Spain, and with decent results against the two finalists the Young Football Ferns should be incredibly proud of a campaign which saw them finish third in the group standings. While football was well and truly the focal point of their trip to Costa Rica, the Young Football Ferns did find some time to relax and take in some of the sights as the entire squad embarked on a typically Costa Rican activity — a canopy tour. While not entirely comfortable with the height initially, players like Paige Satchell soon adjusted to dangling 50m above the ground while traveling along a 500m-long zip-line. “It was really fantastic. It was so much fun. I was a bit scared to begin with but that didn’t last long,” she said.
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OFC Executive Committee Outcomes — March 2014 Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) has released the approved decisions from the first OFC Executive Committee meeting of 2014. Held at the Sudima Hotel in Airpark Drive, Mangere, the Executive Committee convened on 29 March, 2014, where the OFC Executive Committee agreed the hosting rights for a number of its Men’s and Women’s age-group competitions and futsal and beach soccer tournaments. They also decided, following consultation with the Member Association clubs, a change in format of the OFC Champions League final from a one-off match to a two-legged home and away final to be played in May 2014. OFC President Chung says the decision is the correct one for football in the Oceania region. “The OFC Champions League is our premier football club event and we recognise the additional marketing opportunity a two-legged format presents participating teams and their Member Associations that might not otherwise enjoy in a one-off final. “This event is growing in stature each season with 43 clubs participating in the 15 year history of the competition and this decision means more football fans around Oceania can be part of the excitement this presents. “We firmly believe the home and away format for the final is the correct decision,” he says. The OFC Executive Committee acknowledged changes to the OFC Statutes in to be approved at the next OFC Extraordinary Congress scheduled for June in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The Executive Committee supported the outcome statement of the Interpol Conference on match-fixing and corruption made after the seminar held in Nadi, Fiji, in June.
Also agreed in principle was the supply of apparel from OFC Commercial for each Member Association with national team strips, track suits, apparel and football gear over the next four years. “For the OFC it makes sense for us to provide our Member Associations with apparel for the national teams and domestic competitions. “Any money spent on apparel by our Member Associations is returned to them,” Chung says. The meeting was preceded by an OFC Executive Committee visit to the work site at Ngahue Reserve where construction of Oceania’s future Home of Football is well underway. OFC President David Chung was satisfied with the progress of the Ngahue project since the last OFC Executive Committee meeting in November 2013. “Everything is on track for the Ngahue Reserve project and it was important to show the OFC Executive Committee members how we have progressed in four months. “The House of Football will be a hub for football development for our region and the local community,” Chung says. Also revealed is the possible pathway toward the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ and FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia.
The OFC Executive Committee decided: 2014
The 2018 FIFA World Cup™ Qualifying Tournament will double up as the OFC Nations Cup and will be organised as follows:
• Agreed to continue negotiations to sell the OFC Ascot Offices in Greenlane, Auckland.
• Confirmed OFC U-20 Men’s Championship hosts as Fiji with tournament scheduled 23-31 May. • Confirmed OFC Futsal Championship Invitational host as New Caledonia with four OFC nations and four non-OFC nations in 11-16 August 2014.
STAGE 1 Preliminary Round 4 teams, round robin, central tournament STAGE 2 Group Stage 8 teams, 2 groups, 6 home-and-away matches per team STAGE 3 Semi-Finals
4 teams, 2 home-and-away matches per team
STAGE 4 Final
2 teams, 2 home-and-away matches per team
• Agreed Papua New Guinea as host of the OFC Women’s Nations Cup 21-25 October 2014.
Seeding and groups to be confirmed by regulation.
• Confirmed OFC President’s Cup scheduled dates as 17-23 November 2014 with two OFC clubs, two AFC clubs and two invitational clubs participating.
STAGE 1 — PRELIMINARY ROUND
• Agreed with outcome statement of the Interpol Conference held in Fiji in February.
Venue
TBC
Dates
8-16 June 2015
Teams
American Samoa, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga
• Acknowledged amendments to the OFC Statutes and OFC Code of Ethics with changes to be taken forward for approval to the next OFC Congress in Brazil in June.
Format
2015 • Host for the OFC Champions League Preliminary competition to be determined, competition scheduled for 7-11 October 2014. • Agreed American Samoa as host of the OFC U-17 Men’s Championship in 13-27 January 2015. • Agreed Tahiti as host of the OFC Beach Soccer Championship in 16-22 February 2015. • Agreed Fiji as host of the OFC Champions League Group Stage competition in 17-26 April 2015. • Agreed Papua New Guinea as host of the OFC Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament in 4-18 July 2015. OFC will use the South Pacific Games as Stage 1 of the OFC Women’s Olympic Championship. Stage 2 will see the winner play New Zealand home and away for OFC’s berth at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in 2016. • Agreed the Men’s Football Tournament at the South Pacific Games will NOT be a qualifier for an OFC/FIFA tournament. • Agreed Tahiti as host of the OFC Futsal Championship Invitational 1-8 August 2015. • Agreed Cook Islands as host of the OFC U-17 Women’s Championship in 13-28 September 2015.
Round robin – League system
Qualification
• Approval of the new OFC Disciplinary Code, OFC Code of Ethics and OFC Code of Conduct. • The next OFC Extraordinary Congress will be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil on 9 June 2014.
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2016 OFC NATIONS CUP
• Approved the OFC Budget for 2014.
• Confirmed OFC Champions League Final 2014 as a home and away play-off scheduled for May 10-11 and May 17-18.
OFC Insider
The winner qualifies to Stage 2
STAGE 2 — GROUP STAGE Dates
Match Day 1 and 2
5-13 October 2015
Match Day 3 and 4
21-29 March 2016
Match Day 5 and 6
30 May – 7 June 2016
Format 2 groups of 4 teams playing a round robin, home-and-away basis Qualification The winner and runner-up of each group qualifies to Stage 3
STAGE 3 — SEMI-FINALS Dates
29 August – 6 September 2016
Format Group winners will be paired up with runners-up to play 2 matches on home-and-away basis Qualification
The winner of each semi-final series qualifies to Stage 4
STAGE 4 — FINALS Dates
7-18 November 2016
Format 2 semi-final winners will play 2 matches on home-and-away basis Qualification The winner of the final playoff series qualifies for both the FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 and 2018 FIFA World Cup™ Intercontinental Playoff in November 2017.
• Host for the OFC President’s Cup to be determined, competition scheduled for 9-17 November 2015. • Agreed Tonga as host of the OFC Olympic Men’s Championship 2015, scheduled for 2-12 December 2015.
2016 (Host nations to be determined by the OFC Executive Committee in September 2014)
A proposal from the OFC Secretariat to delete Stage 3 and Stage 4 above and amend the semi-finals and finals format with a further 4 team round robin played on a league basis exists as follows:
STAGE 3 — GROUP STAGE FINALS Dates
Match Day 1 and 2
29 August/6 September
• Host for the OFC Champions League Preliminary competition to be determined, competition scheduled for 1-5 September 2015.
Match Day 3 and 4
3-11 October
Match Day 5 and 6
7-18 November
• OFC U-20 Women’s Championship host to be determined, competition scheduled for 16-30 January 2016.
Format Group winners will play each other on home-and-away league system basis
• OFC Futsal Championship Invitational host to be determined, competition scheduled for 15-20 August 2016.
Qualification The winner of the league qualifies for the FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 (as the OFC Nations Cup winner) and 2018 FIFA World Cup™ Intercontinental Playoff in November 2017.
• OFC U-20 Men’s Championship host to be determined, competition scheduled for 19-26 September 2016. • OFC President’s Cup host to be determined, competition scheduled for 14-20 November 2016.
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NEWS FROM MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS
Samuela DRUDRU of Nadi (Fiji)
Tuimasi MANUCA of Hekari United (PNG)
Paul TEMPLE coach of Waitakere United (NZL)
AMERICAN SAMOA
SAMOA
The documentary film “Next Goal Wins” premiered in New York on April 19. The film that tells the story of American Samoa’s journey toward FIFA World Cup Oceanian Qualifier glory is set for release in Australia, New Zealand and the wider Pacific in May 2014.
Melina Tuiravakai is the new Cook Islands Football Association Media Officer. Tuiravakai attended the fourth annual OFC Media Officer Workshop in Lautoka, Fiji, as part of her new duties.
Football Federation Samoa is in mourning following the passing of its President Toetu Petana. Petana, who was 51, passed away after a short illness and is survived by his wife and four children. On the field of play, Samoa club champions Kiwi FC were eliminated from the OFC Champions League at the group stage after three straight defeats. New York Red Bulls and Australia international, Tim Cahill, is set for his third consecutive FIFA World Cup appearance. The 34-year-old has won 67 caps for Australia and scored 31 goals, but made two appearances for Samoa U-20 before switching nationality in 2004.
FIJI
SOLOMON ISLANDS
Wellington Phoenix striker Roy Krishna signed a new two year contract extension with the Hyundai A-League club. In the OFC Champions League played in Ba and Lautoka, Ba advanced to the semi-finals winning a group that contained Tafea FC, Hekari United and AS Magenta. Compatriots Nadi FC were eliminated at the group stage following three straight defeats where they failed to score a single goal. Banned Nadi trio Samuela Drudru, Ratu Bainivalu and Uraia Loki face further sanctions when the OFC Disciplinary Committee is convened.
The Solomon Islands was in emergency mode following a flash flood that left 10,000 people homeless and countless others missing. Lawson Tama Stadium, the nation’s only major football venue, was left undamaged by the flood waters as relief efforts from Australia and New Zealand set about the recovery process. Solomon Warriors were eliminated at the group stage of the OFC Champions League while Benjamin Totori (Waitakere United), Michael Fifi’i (Kiwi FC), Tutizama Tanito (Hekari United), Nelson Sale (Amicale FC) turned out for foreign clubs.
NEW CALEDONIA
TAHITI
AS Magenta were eliminated from the OFC Champions League group stages despite a runners-up finish in Group C in Ba. The Alain Moizancoached outfit lost its first match 2-0 to the ‘Men in Black’ before rallying to draw 2-2 with Hekari United then defeat Tafea FC 3-1.
Former France international Pascal Vahirua has returned to French Polynesia to head up AS Tefana’s grassroots and youth development programme. The 48-year-old won 22 caps for France and played club football for Auxerre and Cannes. His cousin, Marama Vahirua, helped guide AS Pirae into the semi-finals where they lost to Auckland City FC 4-2 on aggregate despite a brave home leg performance.
COOK ISLANDS
NEW ZEALAND All Whites midfielder Ryan Thomas completed a successful first season in Dutch football with PEC Zwolle after his team thrashed Ajax 5-1 in the KNVB Cup Final. Thomas, who made his All Whites debut in the 4-2 loss to Japan, scored twice as PEC Zwolle swept to their first ever KNVB Cup victory in just their third finals appearance. PEC Zwolle finished KNVB Cup runners-up in 1928 and 1977. Auckland City FC won their first ASB Premiership title since 2009 when they defeated Team Wellington in the grand final. Team Wellington qualified for the OFC Champions League 2015 in place of deposed champions Waitakere United.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA Hekari United’s four year wait for a shot at the FIFA Club World Cup stretched to at least five after the Papua New Guinea champions were knocked out of the OFC Champions League at the group stage. Nigel Dabingyaba was Hekari United’s stand-out performer while Solomon Islands import Tutizama Tanito also caught the eye.
TONGA Tevita Makasini was in action at the OFC Champions League as an Assistance Referee. Makasini was also involved at the FIFA U-17 Men’s World Cup in UAE held last year.
VANUATU Amicale FC qualified for the OFC Champions League Final for just the second time in their history after a sensational 1-0 upset win over defending champions Auckland City FC in Lautoka. Dominique Fred scored the winner to send the Vanuatu champions into the semi-finals where they defeated Fiji’s Ba 2-1 on aggregate. A crowd of 10,000 turned out in Port Vila for the OFC Champions League Final 1st leg clash with Auckland City FC as the teams drew 1-1.
OFC Insider
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FORTHCOMING EVENTS OFC Executive Committee Meeting 9 June / Venue TBC
COMPETITIONS OFC U-20 Men’s Championship 22 -31 May / Suva, Fiji 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ June 12 – July 13 *All dates correct at the time of publication
NOTICES The match officials for the OFC Champions League Final 1st and 2nd Leg have were announced in late April. Kader Zitouni, Didier Hmuzo and Terry Piri controlled the 1st leg in Port Vila with Isidore Assiene-Ambassa the fourth official. Tahitian referee Norbert Hauta, assistant referees Tevita Makasini and Phillipe Revel and fourth official Averii Jacques have the 2nd Leg duties at Kiwitea Street. Avikash Chand has joined the Fiji Football Association as number two to incumbent Media Manager Moiz Munif. Chand has 15 years’ experience in the media industry that also includes time as a newspaper photographer. Chand will assist Munif in the production of the TV show ‘Fiji Foot’ shown on national broadcaster FBC.
OBITUARIES Toetu PETANA The football community in Oceania mourned the loss of Samoa Football Federation President Toetu Petana. The 51 year-old, who was also an Oceania Football Executive Committee member, passed away following a short illness. Toetu is survived by his wife Telesia and four children. Alan FRASER, MBE The Auckland Football Federation community mourned the loss of former CEO/ Secretary Alan Fraser, MBE. Fraser served with the AFF for 16 years in a variety of roles before he passed away in Christchurch, New Zealand. Alan is survived by his wife Loris and has many grandchildren who are carrying on his passion and infectious enthusiasm for football.