Ba have posted two wins from two games and boast a healthy goal difference of plus six. But the Yogendra Dutt-coached side face a Hekari United team playing for pride.
Dutt kept his cards close to his chest ahead of the final group match for his team after the crushing 4-0 win over Tafea FC.
“We will sit down with the management and the players and decide our next move for the game with Hekari United because remember it’s after two days and two days is a long time in football.
“At present we cannot think what to do but with a clear mind, a cool mind, we will be able to think about our approach to the match with Hekari United,” he says.
A win for Ba would cement a semi-final place for the second consecutive season for the ‘Men in Black’ but for Dutt’s opposite number Jerry Allen, there is an element of freedom now his team is eliminated from the semi-final chase.
“I think we will go back and refocus our minds on Ba,” he says, “Against Ba we have nothing to lose and will give the final match everything.”
Hekari United have only beaten Ba once previously in their four OFC Champions League showdowns dating back to 2008 and Allen will be without goalkeeper Leslie Kalai who was sent off in the 2-2 draw with AS Magenta.
But there is good news for Hekari United as talismanic striker Tuimasi Manuca is back from suspension.
The other match in Group C pits AS Magenta up against Tafea FC where the New Caledonians find themselves in a similar situation to Hekari United.
Eliminated from the semi-final picture, AS Magenta coach Alain Moizan says all that remains to do is try to finish as high up the table as possible.
“We will try to win obviously, to finish second in the group. But I think that Ba will probably win against Hekari so we will try to beat Tafea to finish second in the pool, unfortunately even if we win it won’t be enough to qualify for the semi-finals,” he says.
Tafea FC are shorn of defender Kevin Shem but coach Moise Poida is clinging to hope that victory could still propel his young side into the last four.
“I think now after taking a 4-0 loss in our last game, my one and only objective is to win against Magenta.
“Maybe we’ve still got hope. If we play well, we play our football, we can beat them we have the same style, same height maybe we can do something. But we really want to win our last game to stay in the competition,” Poida says.
Ba’s match with Hekari United kicks off at 4pm in what is expected to be a full house at Govind Park, while the Tafea FC-AS Magenta match takes place at 1pm at the same venue.
“Kick Dengue Out of Fiji” – UNICEF Pacific/OFC/Fiji FA/Fiji Government
The OFC Champions League also marks the UNICEF Pacific, Fiji Government, OFC and Fiji FA social responsibility campaign “Kick Dengue Out of Fiji”, aimed at raising awareness of Dengue Fever.
For an informative videos on this campaign click here and here
For more information about “Kick Dengue Out of Fiji” please visit www.oceaniafootball.com and download the official Media Guide located under the “Fans” banner.
The OFC also acknowledges competition partners Vodafone Fiji, Courts and Sports World.
Media Coverage
Television stations EMTV – Papua New Guinea, Solomon Telekom TTV – Solomon Islands, VBTC – Vanuatu, FBC Fiji, Fiji TV and TNTV – Tahiti will broadcast all matches live in their nations and territories.
For radio, broadcasters FM 107 – Vanuatu, FBC Radio – Fiji and Communications Fiji Ltd will provide live coverage of matches, while OFC Radio will present live audio coverage of every match in English.
The OFC Radio (ENG) link can be accessed here: http://bit.ly/1okoVwU – with Jason PINE.
Live streaming of matches is suspended but full coverage of matches can be viewed at the official OFC TV YouTube channel the following day.
Ends
Extra information:
Tafea FC v AS Magenta
Govind Park, Ba
Sunday 13 April, 2014
Kick-off: 1pm
TAFvMAG
Head to head: No previous meetings
Tafea FC Form: W-L
The players: Kevin SHEM is suspended following his red card in the 4-0 defeat to Ba.
The vital statistics: Tafea FC need a win to have any hope of qualifying for the OFC Champions League semi-finals. But, with a goal difference of minus two, the Vanuatu club may need results in other groups to also go their way if their to have an outside shot at the last four.
Squad list: 1. Seiloni IARUEL [GK], 2. Lucien HINGE, 3. Freddy VAVA, 4. Jaycen BOTLENG, 5. Kevin SHEM, 6. Jais MALSARANI, 7. Jonah TURU, 8. Bong KALO, 9. Alista KALIP, 10. Zica MANUHI, 11. Robert TASSO, 12. Edisson STEPHENS, 13. Dalong DAMALIP, 14. Joseph NAMARIAU, 15. Moses MOLI-KALOTANG, 16. Joseph NAMULI, 17. Nicol TARI, 18. Ignas IAMAK, 19. Cyril WIS, 20. Kaloran FIRIAM [GK], 21. Don MANSALE, 22. David CHILIA, 23. Joses NAWO, 24. Selwyn SESE ALA, 25. Jack NIKO, 26. Winjo WILLIAM, 27. Nemani ROQARA, 28. Abdul ROQARA, 29. Jacques WANEMUT, 30. Didier KALIP
Coach: Moise POIDA (VAN)
AS Magenta Form: L-D
The players: Bertrand KAI proved his worth to AS Magenta scoring on his OFC Champions League debut against Hekari United. But the dreadlocked former OFC Player of the Year may need more help from his team-mates if the New Caledonians are to finish the group stage tournament on a high. Ludovic WAKANUMUNE returns from suspension.
The vital statistics: Marooned at the bottom of their section alongside Hekari United, AS Magenta were eliminated after their 2-2 draw with the Papua New Guinea champions. Alain MOIZAN’s team is playing for pride but could yet wreck Tafea FC’s hopes of a semi-final spot by registering their first win in the competition.
Squad list: 1. Jelen IXOEE [GK], 2. Jean JEWINE, 3. Pierrot JELEWED, 4. Loic WAKANUMUNE, 5. Ludovic WAKANUMUNE, 6. Cedrick SANSOT, 7. Noel KAUDRE, 8. Paul POATINDA, 9. Bill NICHOLLS, 10. Pierre WAJOKA, 11. Bertrand KAI, 12. Joris GORENDIAWE, 13. Jeremie DOKUNENGO, 14. Kalaje GNIPATE, 15. Olivier DOKUNENGO, 16. Jean READ, 17. Leopold MAKALU, 18. Michel HMAE, 19. Jordy XALITRE, 20. Wilson FOREST, 21. Jean WAKANUMUNE, 22. Benjamin BERNARD-HERVE, 23. Jean WADRIAKO, 24. Jonathan KAKOU, 25. Kevin MAWEA, 26. Willy WAHEO, 27. Emmanuel HMAEN, 28. Jean WAKANUMUNE, 29. Jean-Jacques WACHOU [GK], 30. Leon IXOEE [GK]
Coach: Alain MOIZAN (FRA)
Ba v Hekari United
Govind Park, Ba
Sunday 13 April 2014
Kick-off: 4pm
BAvHEK
Head to head: Played: 4, Ba 3 wins, Hekari United 1 win, 0 draws.
Ba Form: W-W
The players: Osea VAKATALESAU could be the key figure in this match with the Fijian striker hitting the back of the net twice in previous encounters between the two clubs. VAKATALAESAU scored once in Ba’s 2-1 win over Hekari United in Port Moresby in December, 2008, and was on target again when the Men in Black lost 3-1 to the Papua New Guinea champions at Govind Park in February, 2009.
The vital statistics: Ba, secure at the top of the group with a 100 percent record, have only previously lost once to Hekari United. They haven’t lost to their Papua New Guinea opponents for five years and in their last encounter defeated Hekari United 3-1 in Port Moresby thanks to goals by Tuimasi MANUCA, Sanni ISSA and Malakai TIWA.
Squad list:Coach: Yogendra DUTT (FIJ)
The players: Goalkeeper Leslie KALAI is suspended for one match following his red card in the dramatic 2-2 draw with AS Magenta. Tuimasi MANUCA returns from suspension.
The vital statistics: Hekari United share bottom spot in the group with AS Magenta and have only pride to play for after registering just a single point from two games. The one-time Oceania champions track-record with Ba is poor with the Papua New Guinea club pointing to only one win over Ba in four previous meetings. That win came on February 14, 2009, when Hekari beat Ba 3-1 at Govind Park. In an ironic twist, Tuimasi MANUCA scored as a Ba player in this corresponding fixture last season in April, 2013, when Hekari United lost 3-1 to the Fijians.
Squad list: 20. Godfrey BANIAU [GK], 2. Daniel JOE, 3. Brian KALTAK, 4. Kila POLENA, 5. Philadelphea VELA, 6. Neil HANS, 7. Raymond GUNEMBA, 8. Nicholas MURI, 9. Nigel DABINYABA, 10. Tutizama TANITO, 11. Joachim WAROI, 12. David MUTA, 13. Andrew MARAMPAU, 14. Kolu KEPO, 15. Wilson KILA, 16. Pita BOLATOGA, 17. Kema JACK, 18. Ericson KOMENG, 19. Koriak UPAIGA,], 21. Tuimasi MANUCA, 22. Paul WIVA [GK], 23. Ian YANUM, 24. Tonga ESIRA, 25. Taniela WAQA, 26. Scott GANNON, 27. Jean KALTACK, 28. Billson BULLO, 29. Isaac TOROT.
Ends