Goals in either half have helped Auckland City FC to a 2-0 victory over AS Tiga Sport at Lawson Tama Stadium, confirming their place in the semi-finals of the OFC Men’s Champions League 2025 with one group stage game still to play. 

Dylan Manickum scored his second goal of the competition halfway through the opening stanza, before Haris Zeb wrapped up the three points late in injury-time.

In contrast to the sunshine of the day’s earlier Group A fixture in Honiara, a thunderstorm greeted the two teams at the start of the match. 

Auckland City got the ball rolling, but it proved a false start, with both sides pulled from the field after six minutes for lightning in the surrounding area. 

Play resumed shortly after, and it didn’t take long for the Navy Blues to implement their style on the match, forcing Tiga onto the back foot. 

A well-executed set-piece play put City ahead after 24 minutes, as Myer Bevan found Dylan Manickum in the box who tucked the ball past Thomas Schmidt on his right foot to open the scoring. 

Bevan almost doubling the lead seconds later, striking the top right corner of the crossbar after latching onto a pass in-behind Tiga’s defence. 

The 12-time champions tried to be direct but struggled for a way through Tiga’s compact defensive unit as the opening stanza wore on allowing the New Caledonian outfit to consolidate heading towards the half-time break. 

Tiga made an effort to come out of their shells at the start of the second half, pressing forward more often than they managed in the first. 

They struggled to get captain Shene Welepane into the action up front though, slowing the pace of the contest right down. 

Both coaches, Paul Posa and Léonardo Lopez, tried to switch it up with a couple of changes apiece. And Haris Zeb got involved for Auckland City FC straight away, whipping a delivery into the box that Bevan couldn’t quite head towards goal. 

Bevan turned provider soon after, only for Manickum to poke an effort just wide of the left post from close range. 

The nail in the coffin finally came in the fourth minute of injury-time, when Tiga failed to deal with a delivery into the box from Matt Ellis, allowing Zeb to volley the ball into the top of the net from close range for City’s second goal.

Auckland City FC will now look to wrap up top spot in Group A when they face Rewa FC on the final matchday, whilst Tiga Sport have a crucial clash with AS Pirae to decide who will join the Navy Blues in the semi-finals.

Auckland City FC 2 (Dylan MANICKUM 24’, Haris ZEB 90+4′)  

AS Tiga Sport 0

HT 1-0

Photo credit: OFC Media via Phototek