February 8, 2023
OFC Champions League
The Oceania Champions League is slightly unusual in that the champions of the country do not automatically become that countries representative in the group stages of the competition.
The current format is that the 7 “developed” countries in the region ( New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Tahiti ) enter two teams, typically the previous season’s champions and runners-up, who play each other twice in National qualifiers to determine that association’s representative in the group stages. The 4 “developing” nations ( Samoa, American Samoa, Cook Islands and Tonga ) enter their champions, who all play each other on a round robin basis in the Preliminary Group to produce one side to complete the eight group qualifiers.
The Oceania Champions League has been running since 2007 and has been won 13 times by sides from New Zealand and once each from clubs from Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia, and the winners get the right to play in the FIFA Club World Cup.
The 2023 winners were New Zealand side Auckland City, who beat Fijian side FC Suva 4-2 after extra time in the final played in Vanuatu. Auckland went on to lose 0-3 to an Al Ittihad side containing Karim Benzema and Ngolo Kante in the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Last year, these diaries covered a match in the Preliminary Group qualifiers as Lupe ola Soaga from Samoa beat Cook Islands champions Tupapa Maraerenga.
https://fatbearssportingdiaries.blogspot.com/2023/02/lupe-ole-soaga-sc-7-1-tupapa-maraerenga.html
Today was the first game in the 2024 competition, with the two representatives from Fiji playing the first leg of the Fijian National Qualifier.
Football in Fiji
Whilst Fiji’s Rugby Union side performs on a global stage, being ranked in the top 10 in the world, reaching the quarter finals of the Rugby World Cup on three occasions and twice winning Olympic Gold in 7s, its football side has never hit such heights and are currently 168th in the FIFA rankings. Only one player has emerged from the Oceania backwater to make a name elsewhere, with record cap holder and goal scorer Roy Krishna ( 50 caps, 35 goal ) having played in the A-League for Wellington Phoenix, and is now with Indian Premier League side Odisha.
The Fiji Premier League, also known as the Digicel Premier League for sponsorship reasons, consists of 10 teams who play each other twice. In 2023, nine of the sides were located on Viti Levu, the largest of Fiji’s 330+ islands, with one, Labasa, on Vanua Levu, the second largest island.
The 2023 title was won by Lautoka, who finished 7 points clear of runners-up Rewa. Having reached the OFC Champions League final, Suva could only finish in third place, four points behind Rewa.
Lautoka have won the league 7 times, whilst Rewa’s only success was in 2022. Record title holders Ba, with 21 titles, ended in 5th place in the 2023 league table.
Lautoka FC
Lautoka is the second largest city in Fiji, after the capital Suva, with a population of just over 70,000 people. It is in the heart of the country’s sugar cane growing region, with golfer Vijay Singh being the most famous person to come from the city.
The football side were founded in 1934 and play home matches at the multi-purpose, 11,000 capacity, Churchill Park in Lautoka, which is also one of the home venues for Drua, the Fijian team that competes in the Rugby Super League.
The player to watch in the Lautoka line-up was 27 year-old striker Sairusi Nalaubu ( 11 caps, 7 goals ), who had been the leading goalscorer in the Premier League for the past four seasons, with a personal best of 19 last season.
Their other current internationals were 18 year-old defender Sterling Vasconcellos ( 4 caps ) and midfielder Sitiveni Cavuilagi ( 2 caps ).
Only defender Edwin Sahayam and left-back Sakaraia Naisua were not internationals, with the ex-international members of their starting line-up being midfielders Shivam Naidu ( 10 caps ), Zabreez Sahib ( 14 caps ) and Epeli Leiroti ( 7 caps ), centre-back Antonio Tuivana ( 9 caps ), defender Kishan Sami ( 18 caps ), centre-forward Saula Waga ( 12 caps ), and veteran keeper Beniamino Mateinaqara ( 23 caps )
The one foreigner in their squad was Nigerian striker Usman Omede.
Rewa FC
Rewa were founded in 1928 but had to wait until 2022 to win their first league title.
Rewa are based in Nausori, the 4th largest town in Fiji with a population of around 60,000, approximately 20 kilometres north of Suva.
Their home ground is the 8,000 capacity Ratu Cakobau Park, which also hosts Rugby Union and American Football sides as well as fellow Premier League side Tailevu Naitasiri. It was the venue for today’s game and has a grass pitch and covered stand along both sides of the pitch.
Rewa are also known as the Delta Tigers.
Rewa’s key player was probably captain and midfielder Setareki Hughes, who with 37 caps was third in the all-time list for Fiji. Other current internationals were attacking midfielder Tevita Waranaivalu ( 18 caps ) and defender-back Gabriele Matanisiga ( 10 caps )
Keeper Isikeli Sevanaia was called up to the Fiji squad to play Vanuatu in December but is still to make his debut. Ex-internationals in their line-up were centre-back Peniame Drova ( 4 caps ) and midfielders Iosefo Verevou ( 10 caps ), Kevin Kumar ( 1 cap ) and Madhwan Gounder ( 2 caps )
Previous Meetings
The last meeting between these two sides was back in August, when they played out a 1-1 draw in Lautoka. Rewa had won their home game back in April 4-1.
They have met in the Fijian National Qualifier before, when in 2022, Rewa progressed with a 4-0 home win after a 1-1 away draw
Matchday Information
Although the distance between Nausori and Lautoka is around 120 km as the crow flies, by road it is over 230km and typically take 4 and a half hours.
As the match was between two Fijian sides, the referee and assistants were also from Fiji
The weather at the 15.00 local time kick-off ( 03.00 am UK ) was sunny and 31 degrees.
Rewa were in red shirts with white shorts and socks, whilst Lautoka were in all blue.
The game was live streamed on the FIFA+ website with an English commentary.
Match Report
Unfortunately, the live stream only started with just over 10 minutes played, but the game was still goal-less at that point, and we were just in time to see Rewa’s Waranaivalu blaze over from 25 yards. We had apparently missed Rewa’s Hoyt stinging the keeper’s hands with a 20 yard effort.
The first good chance of the match was created by Rewa in the 18th minute, as Hoyt and Kautoga combined to find Rabo in space inside the Lautoka area, but the striker’s effort struck the outstretched foot of the advancing keeper and floated over the bar for a corner. Interestingly the commentator pronounced the Rewa striker as Rambo !
At the other end Cavuilagi’s left-wing cross needed to be punched away by the keeper before it could reach Waqa.
A drinks break was taken mid-way through the half and on the resumption Nalaubu went on a run at the Rewa back line, but Hughes, who appeared to be man-marking the Lautoka dangerman, got back to make a timely tackle.
Rewa’s Verevou was shown the first yellow card of the match in the 29th minute for a late tackle on Leiroti, shortly after which the impressive Hoyt, who had apparently been playing in New Zealand, beat Naisua on the right wing, but his cross was headed off for a corner.
The yellow card score was evened up when Tuivana chopped down Rabo, but Verevou’s optimistic free-kick from at least 35 yards, went at least 20 yards high and wide.
With just over 5 minutes of the first half remaining, Lautoka had their first shot on target, as Naidu’s bouncing 25 yard left-footed attempt hit keeper Sevanaia on the chest, and the rebound was cleared. Immediately after, Rabo went down on the edge of the Lautoka area after a challenge from Sahib, but the referee saw no foul and play continued.
The game was becoming more open as half-time approached and Cavuilagi tried his luck from 25 yards but it was straight at the Rewa keeper who made an easy save, and then the same player played in Waga on the left inside the penalty area, but again the finishing was poor and the ball sailed high and wide at the keeper’s near post.
Rewa did exactly the same a minute later as Kautoga, built like a blind-side flanker, ran clear onto a long ball but from a tight angle smashed the ball high, wide and handsome.
The last action of the half saw the home side nearly take the lead. Again, Hoyt was the instigator, with a defence splitting pass bisecting Sami and Naisua for Kautoga to run onto. However, with keeper Mateinaqara coming off his line to narrow the angle, the Rewa forward shot across goal, but also well wide of the post.
Rewa began the second half on the attack but after receiving a headed lay-back by Kautoga, Rabo drilled a shot a few yards wide from 25 yards.
Lautoka had made one change at half-time with Vasconcellos replacing Sahib, and the youngster was quickly into the action with a decent cross from the right forcing Sevanaia to punch away.
Three minutes into the second period Leiroti was shown a yellow card after stopping Kumar from getting away from him close to the left by-line. A frustrated Kumar lashed out with his foot, but fortunately for him failed to make contact with the Lautoka player, otherwise he would have been in serious trouble himself. The free-kick was well defended by the Lautoka defence.
Hughes had appeared to have abandoned his man-marking role on Nalaubu and was playing much further forward, and his ball from the left touchline found Hoyt on the right-hand angle of the penalty area, but the shot went narrowly wide of the near post.
The yellow cards continued when Kautoga clattered into Mateinaqara at least three seconds after the keeper had gathered a cross. It was uncalled for and nasty. As an ex-goal-keeper myself, I would not have had any issue with a red card being shown for a deliberate foul like this !
Verevou then fell theatrically in the Lautoka area but the referee was unimpressed, and when the ball was played down to the other end of the park, a fine cross from Vasconcellos saw the Rewa keeper flapping at the ball, but fortunately for him it rolled away to safety.
With 62 minutes played a lax ball by the Lautoka defence gave Kautoga a half-chance, but again Mateinaqara did well to block at close-range for a corner.
A lengthy delay then ensued after Matanisiga collided with the giant Waqa as both ran into the Rewa area, and almost immediately after play finally resumed, the second drinks break was taken.
The best chance of the second half to-date came in the 70th minute when Rewa substitute Sela met Kumar’s corner 6 yards out just in front of the near post, but his flicked headed bounced wide of the back post.
An astute reverse pass from Waranaivalu found Hoyt on the edge of Lautoka area, but the midfielder’s shot deflected off Vasconcellos for a corner.
The referee’s note book continued to fill up as Matanisiga was the next player to incur the official’s displeasure but this time it looked a little harsh. The Rewa fullback went for a 50/50 tackle with Nalaubu and appeared to win the ball, but the challenge was adjudged to be too robust, with the Lautoka goal machine crashing to the floor after the tackle.
As the game entered the final 10 minutes, Vasconcellos intercepted an attempted through ball and ran deep into the Rewa half. His lay off was played to Cavuilagi but the 20 yard attempt didn’t unduly trouble Sevanaia.
Rewa attempted a grandstand finish in an effort to snatch a late winner. With 5 minutes left on the clock, Hughes made a surging run from half-way only to be halted by a fine sliding tackle by Sami. The ball rolled to Waranaivalu whose smart pass put Hoyt clear, but the left-footed shot was sliced wide.
A minute later Sela was put clear by another great ball from Waranaivalu, but with the keeper coming off his line, Sela’s lob over Mateinaqara hit the base of the post and Tuivana hacked the rebound off for a throw-in. 60 seconds later, Hughes played a defence splitting ball to put Sela clear, but this time his low shot across the goalmouth from 8 yards went inches wide of the post. Sela had spurned two great chances in less than a minute.
Nalaubu then had chances to win the game for Lautoka. First, he was found on the angle of the penalty area but his first time shot nearly went off for a throw-in, but in the last minute he did better from a similar position, and Sevenaia had to make a good one handed save to keep the game scoreless.
At the final whistle Rewa might have felt a little aggrieved not to have won the first leg as they had created, and missed, the best chances of the game. However, overall, two evenly matched sides had mostly cancelled each other out.
It’s all to play for in the second leg, which is in Lautoka on Sunday 11th February at 15.00 local time.
Rewa FC : Sevanaia – Matanisiga, Drova, Khan, Kumar – Hoyt, Hughes, Waranaivalu, Verevou ( Valevou ) - Kautoga ( Gounder ), Rabo ( Sela )
Lautoka FC : Mateinaqara – Leiroti, Tuivana, Sami, Naisua– Sahayam ( Kumar ), Sahib ( Vasconcellos ), Cavuilagi, Naidu - Nalaubu, Waqa ( Omede )
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