TOTORI TOPS OFC OLYMPIC GOAL CHARTS

AUCKLAND – Benjamin Totori enjoyed a double celebration after his club Waitakere United went top of the New Zealand Football Championship (NZFC) following its third consecutive derby win over bitter rivals Auckland City FC at Trusts Stadium on the weekend.

Not only did the Solomon Islands and Waitakere United goal-getter see his club side assume pole position in the NZFC to go alongside its commanding position in OFC O-League Group A but Totori sealed the Golden Shoe Award at the OFC Men’s Olympic Football Tournament in Lautoka with an impressive tally of ten goals in six matches.

Totori thanked his international team-mates for helping make his job of scoring goals a lot easier.

“The team played well so it makes scoring goals easier. Joses (Nawo), Joachim (Rande) and Alick (Maemae) are fast players with skill and it gives other teams problems.

The goals I scored show the whole team played well,” Totori told www.oceaniafootball.com in Lautoka.

Totori’s goal scoring feats at domestic and international level have not gone unnoticed outside of the Oceania region – Totori has been linked with an American A-League club.

The Solomon Islands goal-getter is coy about the possibility of continuing his football adventure outside of New Zealand preferring to help his club win the NZFC and earn another trip to the FIFA Club World Cup – Japan 2008.

“I want to help Waitakere United win the NZFC but it won’t be easy. It is very close and Auckland City and Team Wellington are good teams,” Totori said.

Second in the goal-scoring stakes was inspirational Fiji midfield man Malakai Tiwa.

With the host nation’s campaign falling short of expectations, Tiwa’s contribution in front of goal is all the more extraordinary.

With Osea Vakatalesau unable to find his XIII South Pacific Games form and Roy Krishna deployed in a deeper role behind the strikers, Tiwa won plaudits in the local media for his no-nonsense and committed approach.

Coach Juan Carlos Buzzetti paid glowing tribute to the Ba player.

“Malakai is a special player you can see when he plays that the team plays also. He could play in Europe, no problem.

If he had maybe two or three months to adjust, then yes, I think Tiwa would fit in.

When Malakai was on the pitch you can see his effect but after he came off (injured) against Solomon Islands, then you see the team changes and we have less possibility to win the game,” Buzzetti said.

A surprise amongst the leading lights is Papua New Guinea striker Tau Winnie. Winnie – alongside Raymond Gunemba and David Muta – turned out to be one of the tournament’s most exciting strike talents scoring a highly respectable six goals in five matches.

Six goals in a team that was not expected to provide too much resistance to the likes of Fiji, New Zealand or Solomon Islands was attention grabbing and left fans wondering what type of campaign Papua New Guinea may have had if it had defended with a less gung-ho approach.

OFC Men’s Olympic Football Tournament

Golden Shoe Award

Gold    Benjamin TOTORI (SOL) 

Silver   Malakai TIWA (FIJ)

Bronze Tau WINNIE (PNG)