The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) has announced the draw for the 2009 O-League competition set to start in November which includes new teams from Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

The six team tournament is split into two groups of three with Group A comprised of two time O-League champions Waitakere United (NZL), 2006 Oceania Club champions Auckland City (NZL) and Port Vila Sharks (VAN). Group B holds Fijian champions Ba alongside newcomers Koloale FC (SOL) and Hekari Souths United FC (PNG).

The tournament is set to kick off on 1 November 2008 when Waitakere United meet Auckland City in Auckland and Ba and Koloale FC meet in Fiji.

Hekari Souths United FC earned their place in the new competition after they won the Papua New Guinea National Soccer League and qualified for the three team O-League preliminary tournament. After the withdrawal of the representative clubs from Cook Islands and Tuvalu from the tournament Hekari won their spot in the 2009 O-League, at the expense of the bottom placed finisher from 2008 – AS Manu Ura (TAH).

Koloale replace 2008 O-League finalists Kossa FC as the Solomon Islands representatives after taking out the Solomon Island Football Federation (SIFF) National Club Championship earlier this year.

Port Vila Sharks will replace Tafea FC as the Vanuatu representative after beating them to the title in the Vanuatu Football Federation (VFF) Fed Cup championship.

Waitakere United will enter the competition as favourites after securing back to back titles in 2007 and 2008. They will represent OFC at the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan in December as a result of last year’s OFC Final aggregate win over Kossa FC.

Participating clubs in 2009 O-League

•                     Waitakere United   [NZL] Winner 2007/8 NZFC

•                     Auckland City FC   [NZL] Runner-up 2007/8 NZFC

•                     Koloale FC   [SOL] Winner 2008 SIFF National Club Championship

•                     Ba    [FIJ] Winner 2008 National League Round 1

•                     Port Vila Sharks   [VAN] Winner 2008 VFF Bred Cup

•                     Hekari Souths United FC  [PNG] Winner 2009 O-League Preliminary

Match Schedule for 2009 O-League Group Stage

Group A

 Date Home Club Away Club City Stadium
Match Day 1 1 November 2008 Auckland City FC Waitakere United Auckland TBC
Match Day 2 22 November 2008 Waitakere United Port Vila Sharks Auckland TBC
Match Day 3 13 December 2008 Port Vila Sharks Auckland City FC Port Vila TBC
Match Day 4 14 February 2009 Auckland City FC Port Vila Sharks Auckland TBC
Match Day 5 7 March 2009 Port Vila Sharks Waitakere United Port Vila TBC
Match Day 6 28 March 2009 Waitakere United Auckland City FC Auckland TBC

Group B

 Date Home Club Away Club City Stadium
Match Day 1 1 November 2008 Ba Koloale FC Ba TBC
Match Day 2 22 November 2008 Koloale FC Hekari Souths Honiara TBC
Match Day 3 13 December 2008 Hekari Souths Ba Port Moresby TBC
Match Day 4 14 February 2009 Ba Hekari Souths Ba TBC
Match Day 5 7 March 2009 Hekari Souths Koloale Port Moresby TBC
Match Day 6 28 March 2009 Koloale FC Ba Honiara

TBC

 Group B

 Date Home Club Away Club City Stadium
Match Day 7 18 April 2009 TBC TBC TBC TBC
Match Day 8 2 May 2009 TBC TBC TBC TBC