Oceania Football Confederation > OFC Club Championship 2006

OFC Club Championship 2006

(Photo Credit OFC Media via Phototek Auckland City celebrate with the trophy)

The fifth edition of the OFC Club Championship was held in 2006 and was contested between eight clubs. Following Australia’s transfer to the Asian Football Confederation in 2006, it was the first tournament not to feature any Australian side.

Two clubs from New Zealand, alongside the champions from each of the next five highest-ranked OFC members received automatic qualification to the group stage, whilst the other five had to battle for the final spot through a preliminary stage. The eight clubs were then split into two groups of four, with the top two in each group progressing to the semi-finals after a round-robin phase.

(Photo Credit OFC Media via Phototek Play off for 3rd & 4th. Youngheart Manawatu v Nokia Eagles United. Sunday 21st May 2006. Manawatu’s Campbell Banks (left) goes one on one with Eagles keeper Simione Tamanisau)

New Zealand champions Auckland City progressed from Group A with maximum points, alongside Tahitian champions AS Pirae, whilst New Zealand runners-up YoungHeart Manawatu and Fijian champions Nokia Eagles came through Group B. Auckland City booked their place in the final with a 9-1 thrashing of Nokia Eagles in the first semi-final, but YoungHeart Manawatu couldn’t make it an all New Zealand affair as they fell to a 2-1 defeat to AS Pirae.

(Auckland’s Keryn Jordan (right) shoots and beat Pirae keeper Teva Durot (centre) to score the first goal of the day. The other Auckland player is Che Bunce.)

Keryn Jordan stole the show in the final, scoring a hat-trick as Auckland City claimed their first OFC Club Championship title with a 3-1 victory over AS Pirae at North Harbour Stadium.

Auckland City qualified for the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup™ in Japan as continental champions, but failed to record a win, losing to CAF champions Al-Ahly and AFC champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors as they finished sixth.