As the countdown begins to OFC Champions League 2014 we take a look at the Red and Whites ascent to the very top of Oceania club football and their first forays into the FIFA Club World Cup.
OFC Champions League 2007
The 2007 edition was the first version of Oceania’s top club competition to feature a home and away group round in what was a momentous swing toward bringing more international standard football to the pacific region.
Defending champions Auckland City FC, Waitakere United and AS Mont Dore were drawn in Group A while AS Temanava of Tahiti, Marist of the Solomon Islands and Fiji giants Ba lined up in Group B.
The competition was launched at a press conference in Auckland with former FIFA World Cup winner Christian Karembeu and his ex-Middlesbrough team-mate Dean Gordon offering their support for the new format.
“The new format is good and the more games that are played around the pacific means more promotion of the competition and development of football,” Karembeu told a press conference on November 28, 2006.
While crowd numbers were somewhat low in Group A, in the section containing Marist, Temanava and Ba, attendances hit 15,000 in Honiara and 7,000 in Ba, thus proving the competition’s concept popular.
Very little could separate Auckland City FC and Waitakere United. A pair of 2-2 draws left the New Zealand duo in search of goal frenzies against AS Mont Dore with the West Aucklanders knocking nine past the New Caledonians in two matches.
Auckland City FC’s 2-0 and 4-0 victories were not enough and the defending champions were bundled out of the competition on goal difference at the group stage, AS Mont Dore finishing winless.
Temanava and Marist dropped points to each other opening an opportunity for Ba to dominate in Group B.
Led by goalscoring goalkeeper and captain Laisenia Tuba, Ba qualified for the home and away final with three wins and a draw.
Tuba – who netted twice in matches with Marist due to his insistence on taking Ba’s penalties – conceded just three goals as a defence led by Peni Finau stood firm.
Riding a wave of confidence, Ba went into the first leg of the O-League final believing they could cause an upset.
That inkling Ba could turn over Waitakere United turned to solid fact in front of a sold out Govind Park.
Ronald Chandra opened the scoring after just 7 minutes before Commins Menapi – the Solomon Islands international – equalised for Waitakere United near the hour mark with what would prove to be a vital away goal.
With time slipping away, Josaia Bukalidi sent Ba fans into celebration mode netting the winner on 74 minutes to set up an intriguing second leg.
If Ba intended on defending their slender lead in front of 10,000 fans at Mount Smart Stadium, they certainly didn’t show it.
The Fijian champions threw everything into the first half an hour creating a host of chances yet failing to net one of them.
Waitakere United hit Ba on a counter-attack when Allan Pearce scored on 55 minutes giving the New Zealanders the edge courtesy of Menapi’s crucial away goal at Govind Park.
Red cards for Craig Wylie and George Suri left Waitakere stripped down to nine players for the final few moments but they held on to record the club’s first Oceania title success and book their tickets for the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2007.
Waitakere United’s experience – or lack of it – showed at the finals when they were well beaten by Sepahan of Iran.
A nightmare start saw the Iranian club race into a 2-0 lead after goals by Emad Mohammed within the first few minutes before Abdul Wahab grabbed a third just after halftime.
Waitakere skipper Danny Hay forced Hadi Aghili into scoring an own goal with just minutes left to hand the Oceania champions a consolation.
OFC Champions League winners: Waitakere United
Runners-up: Ba
Golden Boot: Commins MENAPI (Waitakere United) 5
OFC Champions League 2008
Waitakere United’s defence of their O-League crown took a big step forward when they once again edged Auckland City FC in the group stage.
A 1-0 away win at Auckland City FC’s Croatian Club ground ensured Waitakere would grab top spot in a pool that also contained AS Manu Ura of Tahiti.
AS Manu Ura – not seen at this level in three years – struggled to muster a challenge for a final spot but their 1-1 draw with Auckland City FC was enough to damage their rivals hopes of a return to the final they won back in 2006.
Ba, eager to go one step further than the season before, turned in a series of flat performances losing three of their four group games before beating Tafea FC 1-0.
Solomon Islands KOSSA have much to thank Ba for, having been unable to top Tafea FC in either of their clashes, both matches ending in tense 1-1 draws.
Led by the enigmatic James Naka and pacey striker Joe Luwi, KOSSA were the complete attacking unit.
Backed up by the defensive strength of national team skipper Gideon Omokirio, KOSSA looked a good bet to become the first club from outside of Australia or New Zealand to win the O-League trophy and qualify for a FIFA world event.
That Solomon Islands optimism may have been somewhat premature.
Waitakere United had recruited shrewdly in the off-season with Benjamin Totori – a Solomon Islands favourite – plucked from YoungHeart Manawatu to bolster an attack that had punished ASB Premiership defences all summer.
Totori’s appearance in the colours of another club would prove to be a big talking point in the lead-up to the first leg, scheduled for sweltering Honiara where humidity and a midday temperature of 35 degrees celsius would place home advantage very much in favour of KOSSA.
Waitakere United were far from a one man team – Neil Emblen, Darren Bazeley, Jonathan Perry, Allan Pearce and Richard Gillespie were big names on the New Zealand domestic scene.
But KOSSA, as Ba did the year before, took full advantage of their Lawson Tama Stadium home venue.
Two first half goals by Joe Luwi ensured KOSSA enjoyed a shock 2-0 lead at the break much to the delight of the 20,000 strong crowd.
Their mood was deflated four minutes after the break when Perry nodded home a corner to give Waitakere United an away goal.
James Naka netted KOSSA’s third just minutes from the end when he broke beyond a sapped Waitakere United defence a goal that restored a two goal cushion for the return trip to Trust Stadium in Henderson.
Coach Chris Milicich was bullish at the end of the first leg and made a promise to the gathered media that Waitakere United would put things right in Auckland.
“We’ve played in these conditions and its been tough but I can promise you when we go back to Auckland we will win the game and this tie,” he told the post-match press conference.
Milicich was as good as his word.
Driving rain, a wet pitch, cold temperatures and a clinical display saw the West Aucklanders retain their title with a commanding performance.
Totori – anonymous in the first leg – scored after just eight minutes.
Emblen chimed in with a second on 25 minutes before a second half double by Allan Pearce set the Kiwis well on their way to victory.
Jake Butler added the icing on the cake when he struck a fifth five minutes before the end to give Waitakere United a 6-3 aggregate success.
A return trip to the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2008 showed that lessons had been absorbed by Waitakere United players and staff alike.
Drawn with Hyundai A-League club Adelaide United gave the Oceania champions plenty of belief that the trans-Tasman rivalry could factor into their favour.
They weren’t too far wrong when Paul Seaman capitalised on some slack Adelaide United defending to hand Waitakere a shock lead on 34 minutes.
Daniel Mullen equalised within five minutes and Adelaide skipper Travis Dodd sealed the win with a goal on 83 minutes, leaving Waitakere shattered.
Coach Chris Milicich remained proud that his team improved on their previous showing the year before.
“We’ve got our pri
de back. I think everyone could see that our defensive structure, as well as our adherence to the gameplan had improved beyond recognition.
“One of the differences between ourselves and other teams from around the world is that they have better experience – and that’s why this competition is crucial for us.
“In the past 12 months, it’s that this group of men have developed into a really strong unit which has made a team coming out of the weakest confederation compete with team from one of the strongest confederation.
“Based on what I have seen tonight, we will reach the next round of this tournament in 2009, if we’re fortunate enough to qualify from Oceania,” Milicich told reporters at the time.
OFC Champions League Winners: Waitakere United
Runners-up: KOSSA
Golden Boot: Allan PEARCE (Waitakere United)/James NAKA (KOSSA) 4

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