OFC Men’s Champions League 2024
The 2024 edition of the OFC Men’s Champions League was hosted in Tahiti, with eight teams once again competing to be crowned kings of Oceania. Defending champions Auckland City FC returned to defend their crown, having narrowly overcome Wellington Olympic AFC in the New Zealand National Playoff.
They were joined by host nation side AS Pirae, AS Magenta (NCL), Rewa FC (FIJ), Hekari United (PNG), Vaivase-tai FC (SAM), Solomon Warriors (SOL) and Ifira Black Bird FC (VAN).
Drawn in Group A, the team from New Zealand had a tricky start, with a 2-2 draw in their opening match against Rewa FC, before scoring a last minute winner in their second group stage encounter against Hekari United. Rewa won their subsequent two matches by the same scoreline – 3-2 – to confirm their place in the semi-final alongside Auckland City, ahead of Hekari United and Solomon Warriors.
Group B was a similarly tight affair, with AS Pirae and AS Magenta scoring match day one wins to give themselves an excellent start. Ifira Black Bird FC – who arrived late due to travel complications – battled admirably despite the circumstances, but were unable to match their heroics from 2023 and were eliminated at the group stage. They were joined by qualification tournament winners, Vaivase-tai FC of Samoa, whose young team will have benefited greatly from the experience.
Two fiercely contested semi-finals saw Auckland City advance at the expense of AS Magenta with a 1-0 win, before a dramatic second match resulted in AS Pirae overcoming Rewa FC in extra-time.
Trailing 1-0 heading into stoppage time, AS Pirae turned the match on its head with two penalties in the space of a few minutes from Désiré Ngiamba, putting them 2-1 up. Not to be undone however, Rewa hit back even later, when Samu Kautoga headed home in the 9th minute of added on time.
The Tahitian side rallied in the extra thirty minutes, scoring twice against their tired opponents and sealing a 4-2 victory and a place in the final.
Their semi-final heroics appeared to take their toll on AS Pirae in the final. Auckland City FC showing their class, running out 4-0 victors. An early Michael Den Heijer strike was added to by Liam Gillion, Stipe Ukich and Christian Gray as the New Zealanders lifted the trophy for a record-extending 12th time.
With the revamped FIFA Club World Cup™ taking place in 2025, victory here qualifies Auckland City for the new FIFA Intercontinental Cup, the inaugural edition of which will be played in December of this year.