In Group A, Amicale will welcome Hekari United while Ba are set to play host to Solomon Warriors. The Group B action comes in the form of a double header for fans based in Auckland with two matches at Trusts Arena, Auckland City taking on Dragon before Waitakere United meet Mont-Dore.
See below for a look at the action that’s in store across the four matches on the fourth day of the OFC Champions League.
Amicale [VAN] vs. Hekari United [PNG]
The details:
3pm local time, Wednesday 17 April
Port Vila Stadium
Port Vila, Vanuatu
The officials:
Referee: John SAOHU [SOL]
Assistant referee 1: Michael JOSEPH [VAN]
Assistant referee 2: Hilmon SESE [VAN]
4th official: Robinson BANGA [VAN]
The lowdown:
Amicale have made a good start to the campaign and share the Group A lead with Ba after posting two wins and a draw from their three matches. They will be keen to keep that unbeaten run going and will also have hopes of turning Port Vila Stadium into a fortress, having defeated Solomon Warriors 2-0 in front of their fanatical fans on Saturday. Hekari have just one point to show for their efforts so far and have no choice but to try to secure their first win on Wednesday – failure to do so would result in the 2010 champions being forced to all but give up on their semi-final hopes. They will have to keep Amicale’s lethal strike force of Fenedy Masauvakalo and Pape Gueye quiet although the Reds proved they have the ability to score from elsewhere against Warriors as Alphonse Bongnaim and Dominique Fred got on the scoresheet. Goalscoring has been an issue for Hekari and they have managed to find the net just once, through Kema Jack on the opening day. The Papua New Guinea international missed a penalty in the loss to Ba on Saturday and will have to find his range quickly if Hekari are to keep their semi-final chances alive. Both sides will be missing two players through suspension, Amicale are set to be without Samuela Kautoga and Jack Wetney while Hekari have lost Pita Bolatoga and Koriak Upaiga.
The quote:
“The fans are great and without them we would not have beaten Warriors. We still have three more games to play and we will need the same number of fans to come out and support us. Our aim is to reach the semi-finals and to do that we must treat every game like a final.” – Amicale coach Richard Iwai
The squads:
Amicale: 1. Chikau MANSALE [GK], 2. Samuel KALOROS, 3. Chanel OBED, 4. George VUTI, 5. Laitia TUILAU, 7. Jean-Robert YALOU, 8. Johnny TIRAENG, 9. Jean NAPRAPOL, 10. Richard ANISUA, 11. Fenedy MASAUVAKALO, 13. Pape GUEYE, 15. Alphonse BONGNAIM, 16. Daniel NATOU, 17. Nelson Sale KILIFA, 19. Souleymane SARR, 20. Michael RUTHERFORD [GK], 21. Paul YOUNG, 22. Paul NGOM, 23. Roddy LENGA, 24. Kency TANGIS, 25. Joses NAWO, 26. Alick MAEMAE, 27. Moffat DEROMOA, 28. Aliou TRAORE, 29. Dominique FRED, 30. Francois SAKAMA, 32. Natou NANUA, 33. Joel NAKAPUE [GK]
Coach: Richard IWAI [VAN]
Hekari United: 1. Leslie KALAI [GK], 2. Daniel JOE, 3. Malon KALTANAK, 4. Kila POLENA, 5. Daniel TAYLOR, 6. Samuel KINI, 7. Raymond GUNEMBA, 8. Maciu DUNADAMU, 9. Nigel DABINYABA, 10. Wira WAMA, 11. Joachim WAROI, 12. David MUTA, 13. Andrew LEPANI, 15. Wilson GIASUAU, 17. Kema JACK, 18. Erikson KOMENG, 20. Godfrey BANIAU [GK], 21. Clifton AUMAE, 22. Gure GABINA [GK], 23. Ian YANUM, 25. Taniela WAQA, 27. Calvin BILL, 28. Billson BULLO, 29. Joey AMBROSE, 30. Tuti ZAMA
Coach: Jerry ALLEN [PNG]
Ba [FIJ] vs. Solomon Warrirors [SOL]
The details:
3pm local time, Wednesday 17 April
Govind Park
Ba, Fiji
The officials:
Referee: Hillary ANI [PNG]
Assistant referee 1: Ravinesh KUMAR [FIJ]
Assistant referee 2: Rakesh CHANDRA [FIJ]
4th official: Andrew ACHARI [FIJ]
The lowdown:
Undefeated and the pool’s top scorers, Ba are the form team of Group A and it would be a major surprise if they don’t capitalise on their strong start to book a place in the semi-finals over the coming weeks. Their opponents on Wednesday are in an opposite position and are yet to experience the sensation of a Champions League victory in their debut season. A win here is therefore an absolute must but coach Brendan Crichton will be under no illusions as to how tough that could prove as a trip to Govind Park appears the most difficult assignment in Group A at the moment. Crichton will be disappointed to have scored only two goals so far and also has problems at the other end as Warriors have the poorest defensive record in the group. He will need the likes of goalkeeper Eddie Newman and centre back Brian Kaltack to put in an inspired performance against the Men in Black while getting more out of captain Judd Molea, futsal international Micah Lea’alafa and New Zealand import Sam Ayers going forward. Nigerian striker Sanni Issa has been in inspirational form for Ba – he scored one goal and set up the other in Saturday’s win over Hekari – and he appears to have the potential to fire Ba into the semi-finals.
The quote:
“We went into recovery mode quickly as there is a short time span between the games. In the national league we play differently but in the Champions League we have to lift our intensity as the standard is very high. We need to play more international games to improve.” – Ba coach Yogendra Dutt
The squads:
Ba: 1. Ratu JONE [GK], 2. Avinesh SUWAMY, 3. Meli CODRO, 4. Jacob MORRISON, 5. Ronil KUMAR, 6. Jone VESIKULA, 7. Tuimasi MANUCA, 8. Aisea CODRO, 9. Abbu ZAHID, 10. Mavileko NAKAMA, 11. Josefata NEIBULI, 12. REMUERU, 13. Kini VILIAME, 14. Malakai LEVATIA, 15. Osea VAKATALESAU, 16. Malakai TIWA, 17. Malakai KANAHEWE, 18. Laisenia RAURA, 19. Varun KUMAR, 20. Sanni ISSA, 21. Marika MADIGI, 22. Epeli CODRO [GK], 23. Fayah CAMARA, 24. Clarence CLARKE, 25. Jone SALAUNEUNE, 26. Scott GANNON, 27. Alvin SINGH
Coach: Yogendra DUTT [FIJ]
Solomon Warriors: 1. Eddie NEWMAN [GK], 2. Hadisi AENGARI, 3. Welshman HOUKARAWA, 4. Tome FAISI, 5. Dennis IFUNAOA, 6. Molea TIGI, 7. Brian FENI, 8. Molis GAGAME, 9. Karol KAKATE, 10. Judd MOLEA, 11. Kidston BILLY, 12. Jerry DONGA, 13. Moffat KILIFA, 14. Jeffery BULE, 15. Willy DAUDAU, 16. Emmanuel POILA, 17. Micah LEA’ALAFA, 18. Sam AYERS, 19. Gibson DAUDAU, 20. Casper AENGARI, 21. Brian KALTACK, 22. Bata FURAI, 23. Gagame FENI, 24. Silas SEDA [GK], 25. Chris TAFOA, 26. Loea TAISARA, 27. Nemani ROQARA, 29. Michael MOLEA, 30. Matson FENNY, 31. Alfred LOFANA [GK]
Coach: Brendan CRICHTON [NZL]
Auckland City [NZL] vs. Dragon [TAH]
The details:
3pm local time, Wednesday 17 April
Trusts Arena
Auckland, New Zealand
The officials:
Referee: Gerald OIAKA [SOL]
Assistant referee 1: Chris WOLKEN [NZL]
Assistant referee 2: Ben NORMAN [NZL]
4th official: Nick WALDRON [NZL]
The lowdown:
Football fans in Auckland will be treated to a feast of football on Wednesday with both of New Zealand’s representatives in the Champions League in action at the same venue. Auckland City have to privilege of kicking off proceedings at Trusts Arena against Dragon and will want to post a good result to increase the pressure on Waitakere, who take on Mont-Dore shortly afterwards. That will be easier said than done though as Dragon have proved a particularly tough nut to crack so far, defeating Mont-Dore 4-1 in the francophone derby and frustrating Waitakere for long periods over two evenly-fought matches. The first of those was a scoreless stalemate in Auckland while Waitakere managed to prevail 1-0 in the return fixture in Tahiti last Friday. Those results will have made Auckland coach Ramon Tribulietx take notice and it seems clear that Dragon – who boast many members of the Tahiti national team – are just as serious a threat as Waitakere to Auckland’s hopes of progressing. Auckland’s excellent start to the tournament – they are the only side to have won all three matches – has put them in the box seat however and confidence lev
els will be sky high after a record-breaking 12-2 triumph over Mont-Dore. With two of their remaining three matches against Auckland, Dragon face a tough run in and their chances on Wednesday have not been helped by the suspension of captain Nicolas Vallar.
The quote:
“Now Waitakere will play Mont-Dore twice and they have a great chance to win these games. We need to get a result against Auckland but they are the favourites of this group and are very experienced. They have won the Champions League before and participated in FIFA Club World Cups. But we will approach the match with confidence and a positive frame of mind.” – Dragon coach Ludovic Graugnard
The squads:
Auckland City: 1. Jacob SPOONLEY [GK], 2. Simon ARMS, 3. Takuya IWATA, 4. Adam MCGEORGE, 5. Darren WHITE, 6. Matthew RIDENTON, 7. James PRITCHETT, 8. Chris BALE, 9. Manel EXPOSITO, 10. Gustavo SOUTO, 11. Daniel KOPRIVCIC, 12. Tamati WILLIAMS [GK], 13. Alex FENERIDIS, 14. Adam DICKINSON, 15. Ivan VICELICH, 16. Albert RIERA, 17. Pedro GARCIA, 18. Damian HIRST [GK], 19. Mario BILEN, 20. Emiliano TADE, 21. David BROWNE, 22. Andrew MILNE
Coach: Ramon TRIBULIETX [ESP]
Dragon: 1. Mikael ROCHE [GK], 2. Alexis MAURI, 3. Sebastien GAIRIN, 4. Tamatoa WAGEMANN, 5. Henri CAROINE, 6. Kevin GAUDIN, 7. Efrain ARANEDA ESTAIN, 8. Yannick VERO, 9. Samuel HNANYINE, 10. Raimana LI FUNG KUEE, 11. Andre TEIKIHAKAUPOKO, 12. Jonathan TEHAU, 13. Steevy CHONG HUE, 14. Matatia PAAMA, 15. Heimano BOUREBARE, 16. Edson LEMAIRE, 17. Sylvain GRAGLIA, 18. Xavier SAMIN [GK], 19. Vincent SIMON, 20. Torea MARUOI, 21. Alessandro VALLAR, 23. Teaonui TEHAU, 24. Jonathan CABALE, 25. Heremana TEIKIPUPUNI
Coach: Ludovic GRAUGNARD [TAH]
Waitakere United [NZL] vs. Mont-Dore [NCL]
The details:
6pm local time, Wednesday 17 April
Trusts Arena
Auckland, New Zealand
The officials:
Referee: Kader ZITOUNI [TAH]
Assistant referee 1: Jan-Hendrik HINTZ [NZL]
Assistant referee 2: Nick VAN DER SALM [NZL]
4th official: Mirko BENISCHKE [NZL]
The lowdown:
The prospects of Waitakere look a lot brighter than at this stage last week and coach Paul Marshall will be massively relieved to have emerged from Tahiti with three points as a loss to Dragon would have dealt a near fatal blow to their title dreams. The 1-0 win, earned thanks to a header from captain Jake Butler just before half-time, has turned around the fortunes of the New Zealand champions in a big way and, with two matches against winless Mont-Dore and another clash with fierce foes Auckland to come, they now look well-placed to launch a bid for the semi-finals. But, while they will be heavy favourites in both meetings with Mont-Dore, the results still need to be put on the board and the New Caledonians will surely be in the mood to make that as difficult as possible after suffering the highest loss in the history of the competition to Auckland on Saturday. The heavy nature of that defeat will have led to much soul-searching in the Mont-Dore camp and coach Stephane Drahusak will want to see a positive response against Waitakere. Romain Painbeni has been the main goalscoring threat but needs more support if Mont-Dore are to seriously threaten a Waitakere defence that has conceded goals in only one of their three matches. Waitakere have managed to score just twice themselves and this fixture offers a good opportunity for the likes of Roy Krishna, Allan Pearce and Ryan de Vries to fill their boots. Not getting that chance will be suspended midfielder Chad Coombes.
The quote:
“With four points, we’re now right back in the race for the semi-finals. And since Dragon have to play Auckland twice while we play Mont-Dore two times, I’d say we have a slight advantage over Dragon. I’m looking forward to Auckland’s match against Dragon because I think they are going to give Auckland some problems.” – Waitakere United coach Paul Marshall
The squads:
Waitakere United: 1. Danny ROBINSON [GK], 2. Aaron SCOTT, 3. Jack BEGUELY, 4. Tim MYERS, 5. Brian SHELLEY, 6. Matt CUNNEEN, 7. Jeremy CHRISTIE, 9. Milos NIKOLIC, 10. Allan PEARCE, 11. Luiz DEL MONTE, 12. Roy KRISHNA, 13. Julyan COLLETT, 14. Daniel JONES, 15. Salesh KUMAR, 16. Tristan PRATTLEY, 17. Jake BUTLER, 18. Sam MATHEWS, 19. Daniel MORGAN, 20. Ryan DE VRIES, 21. Dylan STANSFIELD, 22. Richard GILLESPIE [GK], 23. Masaki NOMOTO, 24. Harshae RANIGA, 25. Bill ROBERTSON, 26. Billy COLTON, 27. Chris PALMER, 28. Alex CARR [GK], 29. Kyosuke KITANO, 30. Rory TURNER
Coach: Paul Marshall [NZL]
Mont-Dore: 1. Yoran WAIMA [GK], 2. Dominique SAWA, 3. Dan VAKIE, 4. Joseph TCHACKO, 5. Loic BESSIERES, 6. Ludwig ZEOULA, 7. Jean-Pierre BOB, 8. Romain PAINBENI, 9. Jackyno MAOU, 10. Cedric DECOIRE, 11. Alphonse TOKOTOKO, 12. Jean-Marc HMALOKO, 13. Olivier DOKUNENGO, 14. Pascal KENON, 15. Mathieu HERVO, 16. Fabrice WACAPO, 17. Ben MALAKAI, 18. Lamo XEWE, 19. Louis WAIA, 20. Pierre WEINANE, 21. Jacques WAMYTAN, 22. Thomas SCHMIDT [GK], 23. David WADRA, 24. Raphael OIREMOIN, 30. Louis SAMEKE [GK]
Coach: Stephane DRAHUSAK [NCL]

Share