Held at the Sudima Hotel in Airpark Drive, Mangere, the Executive Committee convened on 29 March, 2014, where the OFC Executive Committee agreed the hosting rights for a number of its Men’s and Women’s age-group competitions and futsal and beach soccer tournaments.
They also decided, following consultation with the Member Association clubs, a change in format of the OFC Champions League final from a one-off match to a two-legged home and away final to be played in May 2014.
OFC President Chung says the decision is the correct one for football in the Oceania region.
“The OFC Champions League is our premier football club event and we recognise the additional marketing opportunity a two-legged format presents participating teams and their Member Associations they might not otherwise enjoy in a one-off final.
“This event is growing in stature each season with 43 clubs participating in the 15 year history of the competition and this decision means more football fans around Oceania can be part of the excitement this presents.
“We firmly believe the home and away format for the final is the correct decision,” he says.
The OFC Executive Committee acknowledged changes to the OFC Statutes in to be approved at the next OFC Extraordinary Congress scheduled for June in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The Executive Committee also supported the outcome statement of the Interpol Conference on match-fixing and corruption made after the seminar held in Nadi, Fiji, in June.
Agreed in principal was the supply of apparel from OFC Commercial for each Member Association with national team strips, track suits, apparel and football gear over the next four years.
“For the OFC it makes sense for us to provide our Member Associations with apparel for the national teams and domestic competitions.
“Any money spent on apparel by our Member Associations is returned to them,” Chung says.
The meeting was preceded by an OFC Executive Committee visit to the work site at Ngahue Reserve where construction of Oceania’s future Home of Football is well underway.
OFC President David Chung was satisfied with the progress of the Ngahue project since the last OFC Executive Committee meeting in November 2013.
“Everything is on track for Ngahue Reserve project and it was important to show the OFC Executive Committee members how we have progressed in four months.
“The House of Football will be a hub for football development for our region and the local community,” Chung says.
Also revealed is the possible pathway toward the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ and FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia.
Ends
The OFC Executive Committee decided:
• Approved the OFC Budget for 2014.
• Agreed to continue negotiations to sell the OFC Ascot Offices in Greenlane, Auckland.
• Confirmed OFC Champions League Final 2014 as a home and away play-off scheduled for May 10-11 and May 17-18.
• Confirmed OFC U-20 Men’s Championship hosts as Fiji with tournament scheduled 23-31 May.
• Confirmed OFC Futsal Championship Invitational host as New Caledonia with four OFC nations and four non-OFC nations in 11-16 August 2014.
• Agreed Papua New Guinea as host of the OFC Women’s Nations Cup 21-25 October 2014.
• Confirmed OFC President’s Cup scheduled dates as 17-23 November 2014 with two OFC clubs, two AFC clubs and two invitational clubs participating.
• Agreed with outcome statement of the Interpol Conference held in Fiji in February.
• Acknowledged amendments to the OFC Statutes and OFC Code of Ethics with changes to be taken forward for approval to the next OFC Congress in Brazil in June.
• Approval of the new OFC Disciplinary Code, OFC Code of Ethics and OFC Code of Conduct.
• The next OFC Extraordinary Congress will be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil on 9 June 2014.
2015
• Host for the OFC Champions League Preliminary competition to be determined, competition scheduled for 7-11 October 2014.
• Agreed American Samoa as host of the OFC U-17 Men’s Championship in 13-27 January 2015.
• Agreed Tahiti as host of the OFC Beach Soccer Championship in 16-22 February 2015.
• Agreed Fiji as host of the OFC Champions League Group Stage competition in 17-26 April 2015.
• Agreed Papua New Guinea as host of the OFC Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament in 4-18 July 2015. OFC will use the South Pacific Games as Stage 1 of the OFC Women’s Olympic Championship. Stage 2 will see the winner play New Zealand home and away for OFC’s berth at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in 2016.
• Agreed the Men’s Football Tournament at the South Pacific Games will NOT be a qualifier for an OFC/FIFA tournament.
• Agreed Tahiti as host of the OFC Futsal Championship Invitational 1-8 August 2015.
• Agreed Cook Islands as host of the OFC U-17 Women’s Championship in 13-28 September 2015.
• Host for the OFC President’s Cup to be determined, competition scheduled for 9-17 November 2015.
• Agreed Tonga as host of the OFC Olympic Men’s Championship 2015, scheduled for 2-12 December 2015.
2016 (Host nations to be determined by the OFC Executive Committee in September 2014)
• Host for the OFC Champions League Preliminary competition to be determined, competition scheduled for 1-5 September 2015.
• OFC U-20 Women’s Championship host to be determined, competition scheduled for 16-30 January 2016.
• OFC Futsal Championship Invitational host to be determined, competition scheduled for 15-20 August 2016.
• OFC U-20 Men’s Championship host to be determined, competition scheduled for 19-26 September 2016.
• OFC President’s Cup host to be determined, competition scheduled for 14-20 November 2016.
2016 OFC Nations Cup
• The 2018 FIFA World Cup™ Qualifying Tournament will double up as the OFC Nations Cup and will be organised as follows:
Stage 1 Preliminary Round 4 teams, round robin, central tournament
Stage 2 Group Stage 8 teams, 2 groups, 6 home-and-away matches per team
Stage 3 Semi-Finals 4 teams, 2 home-and-away matches per team
Stage 4 Final 2 teams, 2 home-and-away matches per team
Seeding and groups to be confirmed by regulation.
Stage 1 – Preliminary Round
Venue TBC
Dates 8-16 June 2015
Teams American Samoa, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga
Format Round robin – League system
Qualification The winner qualifies to Stage 2
Stage 2 – Group Stage
Dates Match Day 1 and 2 5-13 October 2015
Match Day 3 and 4 21-29 March 2016
Match Day 5 and 6 30 May – 7 June 2016
Format 2 groups of 4 teams playing a round robin, home-and-away basis
Qualification The winner and runner-up of each group qualifies to Stage 3
Stage 3 – Semi-Finals
Dates 29 August – 6 September 2016
Format Group winners will be paired up with runners-up to play 2 matches on home-and-away basis
Qualification The winner of each semi-final series qualifies to Stage 4
Stage 4 – Finals
Dates 7-18 November 2016
Format 2 semi-final winners will play 2 matches on home-and-away basis
Qualification The winner of the final playoff series qualifies for both the FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 and 2018 FIFA World Cup™ Intercontinental Playoff in November 2017.
• A proposal from the OFC Secretariat to delete Stage 3 and Stage 4 above and amend the semi-finals and finals format with a further 4 team round robin played on a league basis exists as follows:
Stage 3 – Group Stage Finals
Dates Match Day 1 and 2 29 August/6 September
Match Day 3 and 4 3-11 October
Match Day 5 and 6 7-18 November
Format Group winners will play each other on home-and-away league system basis
Qualification The winner of the league qualifies for the FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 (as the OFC Nations Cup winner) and 2018 FIFA World Cup™ Intercontinental Playoff in November 2017.
2017 (Proposed
; Host nations to be determined by the OFC Executive Committee in September 2014)
• OFC U-17 Men’s Championship host to be determined, competition scheduled for 15-29 January 2017.
• OFC Beach Soccer Championship host to be determined, competition scheduled for February 2017.
• OFC Futsal Championship Invitational host to be determined, competition scheduled for 14-19 August 2017.
• OFC U-17 Women’s Championship host to be determined, competition scheduled for 18-25 September 2017.
• OFC President’s Cup host to be determined, competition scheduled for 13-19 November 2017.
Ends