OFC Futsal Men’s Champions League 2019

Kooline crowned winners of the inaugural OFC Futsal Men’s Champions League 2019 in Auckland, New Zealand (Photo Credit: Phototek)

Auckland, New Zealand was the venue for the inaugural OFC Futsal Men’s Champions League in December 2019 as six teams battled it out for the right to be Oceania champions.

The four-day tournament featured teams from New Zealand, Fiji, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, Tahiti and Vanuatu. The tournament came hard on the heels of a thrilling OFC Men’s Futsal Nations Cup in New Caledonia where the Solomon Islands staged a dramatic recovery to beat New Zealand on penalties in the final.

AFF Futsal’s Vincent Pineau scores against D’York Street at the OFC Futsal Champions League 2019, Barfoot & Thompson Stadium Photo: Shane Wenzlick / www.phototek.nz

The round robin format saw each team play each other once with the top two teams advancing the final. Solomon Islands Futsal League Champions Kooline FC topped the table to set up a title decider against runners-up AS PTT from New Caledonia. The two sides produced a 12-goal thriller in the final with Kooline FC overturning a 3-2 half-time deficit to win 7-5.

Local favourites and 2018 New Zealand champions AFF Futsal finished third beating Tahitian side AS Pirae Futsal 7-0. Vanuatu’s VFF National Futsal champions D’York Street and 2019 Futsal Inter District Cup winners Suva FC from Fiji played off for fifth and sixth with the Vanuatu side winning on penalties.

Kooline’s Coleman Makau lines up a shot at goal in the final of the OFC Futsal Champions League 2019 v AS PTT Noumea, Photo: Shane Wenzlick / www.phototek.nz