Amicale are currently in pole position on the ladder – their 18 points put them five ahead of Tafea – and a win at PVL Stadium on Saturday would be enough for them to take the title and render their final league match next weekend against third-placed Tupuji Imere nothing more than a friendly.
But a Tafea victory would throw the title race wide open and leave both sides with a chance of qualifying for the O-League going into the final round.
Amicale were Vanuatu’s representatives in the 2011 O-League and performed above the expectations of many onlookers to finish as runners-up behind New Zealand side Auckland City.
They are keen to return to the biggest club football stage in the Pacific region but are fully aware that defeating Tafea, 15-time winners of the National Super League, will be no easy task.
Tafea last appeared in the O-League in 2010 and came third in Group B behind eventual champions Hekari United and Lautoka.
Amicale assistant coach Philemon John is expecting a tough game and has nothing but praise for the opposition.
“They are one of the best teams in Vanuatu, and not just this year,” he says. “We are proud to be playing them and I think it will be a good match to watch.”
The key to an Amicale victory is likely to be their ability to restrict the impact of striker Joe Luwi, who has terrorised defences throughout the campaign and is the league’s top scorer. But he will be without usual partner in crime Francois Sakama, who will have to sit out the game due to suspension.
Tafea’s other key players include Michel Kaltak, Richard Iwai and Daniel Natou.
They will match up against the likes of Amicale stars Fenedy Masauvakalo, Jack Wetney, Moffat Deramoa and Gibson Daudau in a series of individual battles that will have a large bearing on the outcome.
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