On Saturday, Samoan champions Lupe Ole Soaga secured a dream debut and hosts Ba turned out a professional performance which leaves them top of the table.
Those who witnessed the early kick-off saw Lupe register their first point in the tournament with a dramatic comeback to draw 3-3 with AS Pirae.
Then it was the turn of the home side, Ba FC, who picked up the three points with a comprehensive 3-0 win over New Caledonia’s FC Gaitcha, another side making their first appearance at the tournament.
There was barely time to take a breath in game one’s opening, as Pirae’s Jay Warren and Lupe’s Scott Gannon traded brilliant, curling free-kicks in the opening eight minutes.
Pirae raced to a 3-1 lead shortly after with goals to Heiarii Tavanae and Teaonui Tehau and it appeared as though the points were safe.
With Tavanae and Tehau running rampant alongside Warren and Roonui Tinirauarii, those in attendance might have expected Pirae to add to their lead.
But few would have predicted the spectacular comeback that the Samoan champions were about to embark on.
They pressed hard on Pirae’s defenders, working hard to win the ball back and – led by impressive import Scott Gannon – always looked dangerous from set pieces.
They were back in the game after an hour when Suivai Ataga nodded home a corner and ten minutes later the crowd was on its feet once more to celebrate the equaliser.
Luki Gosche picked up a speculative long ball and, with the goalkeeper stranded, poked home an historic goal for the qualifiers.
While Pirae pushed and pushed for a winner, it never came, and the Tahitians must now regroup ahead of an important assignment mid-week against FC Gaitcha.
Lupe coach Paul Ualesi said that his knowledge of an under-strength Pirae contributed to the comeback.
“In the first half we lacked a little, but for the last 20 minutes and the second half we were doing much better in attack,” he said. “I know some of AS Pirae’s defenders were injured and we were looking to exploit that weakness.”
A delighted Ualesi thanked the support of his country before turning his attention to Tuesday’s crunch match against Ba.
Pirae coach Sam Garcia said the draw makes the team’s progress through the competition tougher.
“A little disappointed with the result of course, it’s a result that has made things a bit complicated,” he said. “We have to give credit to the team from Samoa, but at the same time we didn’t play our game”.
He admitted that the thinness of his squad had an impact as well.
“You need to know that we’ve come here with just 14 players and unfortunately we have a young goalkeeper who is just 16 years old,” he said. “We made some errors that come with youth and we are in general a young squad.”
The Men In Black were at their best for the late kick-off, racing to an early advantage which coach Shalen Lal admits changed the nature of the game.
Abbu Zahid benefited from a deflected shot on the edge of the area before turning and poking home after 21 minutes.
It was a deserved lead for the hosts who, encouraged by a vocal home crowd, took early control of the game through the discipline of central defenders Remueru Tekiate and Alvin Singh, and the hard work and physicality of Keegan Linderboom and Saula Matayalo.
They doubled their advantage just past the half-hour when Malakai Tiwa bundled home from close range.
Tekiate and Singh deployed the off-side trap to perfection in the second half as Gaitcha coach Kevin Coma looked to use the pace of his wide players to get in behind.
Ba iced the cake in the final few minutes when Avinesh Naran rounded the goalkeeper and slammed home from close range.
The result lifts Ba to the top of Group A after the first round of games and puts them in the box seat to qualify for the semi-finals.
Coma was disappointed that the three goals were avoidable for his side.
“This is a big disappointment especially in the sense of the boys’ performance,” he said. “I’m not surprised; three goals, three errors. Something that we knew in Caledonie, something that we weren’t sure if we’d be able to fix ahead of arriving here and at this level it’s cost us.
“We weren’t surprised by Ba’s level. We know that at a footballing level we offer something more beautiful, or tidier. But in terms of efficiency we’re not quite there yet”
Coma said the result was disappointing but his side are still a chance to qualify for the semi-finals courtesy of the earlier draw.
The players are trying to create history and we have two more matches to do that,” he said. “The story isn’t finished yet and I hope that they will lift their heads rather than putting them down and closing their eyes ahead of what is left to come”.
Ba’s Shalen Lal was pleased with the way his side responded to the challenge. “The first game is supposed to be the toughest,” he said. “We were lucky to have scored so early in the first half and it turned the momentum of the game for Ba”.
He credited his defenders for shutting out a desperate Gaitcha attack led by New Caledonian international Bertrand Kai.
“I know Gaitcha were making good runs from midfield. With Alvin [Singh] at the back we were able to absorb the pressure.”
Ba takes on an inspired Lupe Ole Soaga on Tuesday April 14 at 4:30pm, while Gaitcha takes on Pirae in the 7pm kick-off, at Govind Park.

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