February 12, 2025
The 2025 OFC Champions League qualifying stage is currently under way. These diaries had previously covered a match in the 2023 qualifying competition, when Tupapa from the Cook Islands lost to Lupe Ole Soaga from Samoa.
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The structure of the OFC Champions League is that teams from the so called 4 “developing” nations ( Samoa, American Samoa, Cook Islands and Tonga ) enter their champions, who all play each other on a round robin basis in a Preliminary Group to produce one side to join 7 teams from “developed” nations ( New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Tahiti ), to complete in the eight team group qualifiers.
This year’s qualifying stage was being held in the Cook Islands but with only three sides, as no team from Tonga was entered. The three sides competing were Tupapa Maraerenga FC from the hosts, Vaipuna from Samoa, and Royal Puma from American Samoa. Royal Puma actually finished third in the American Samoa league but were the side to be entered into the tournament.
All matches were being played at the Cook Islands Football Academy located in Matavera on the island of Rarotonga. The ground had just one small stand but was in a very picturesque location and the grass pitch looked to be in excellent condition, This was the second match in the qualifiers, with Vaipuna have already beaten Royal Puma 4-0 in front of a crowd of 200.
Football In The Cook Islands
The Cook Islands were currently 190th in FIFA’s rankings. They had been as high as 166 in 2015 but then played just one match in seven years, losing 0-2 to the Solomon Islands in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers before having to pull out of the rest of the competition following an outbreak of Covid in their camp. Since then, the Cook Islands had twice beaten Tonga in competitive matches but were eliminated from the 2026 World Cup after a 1-3 defeat to Tonga.
Tupapa’s squad for the game included 6 of the players that featured in the defeat to Lupe Ole Soaga in 2023, namely brothers Grover Harmon ( 18 caps ), Lee Harmon ( 7 caps ), midfielder Oscar Wichman ( 3 caps ), forward Jake McCoy, who comes from New Zealand, keeper Manaariki Pierre and midfielder Shane Tuturu. As well as being captain of the side, Grover Harmon is also the President of the Cook Islands FA
Other Cook Islands internationals in the Tupapa squad were defender/defensive midfielder Paavo Mustonen ( 18 caps ) and John Noovao ( 1 cap ), winger Tremaine Rimene-Albrett ( 2 caps ), who had been playing in New Zealand, and forward Marcus Gibbens ( 1 cap ).
Disappointingly, New Zealand centre-back Micaiah Papa had squad number 36 rather than 2 ! He did though possess a 1980’s hairstyle, suggesting he was a big fan of Kajagoogoo and Limahl
Football In American Samoa
America Samoa famously lost 0-31 to Australia in the 2001 World Cup Qualifiers and they were then considered to be the worst side in the world, although passport issues led to many first choice players being unavailable and so had partially contributed to the record loss.
The national side were subject to a 2014 documentary entitled “Next Goal Wins” where Dutch coach Thomas Rongen was hired to turned around their fortunes and try to qualify for the 2014 World Cup Finals. Although the film recorded a 2-1 victory over Tonga, a 1-1 draw with the Cook Islands and a 0-1 loss to Samoa saw America Samoa fail to qualify for the next stage. The documentary was subsequently turned into a film starring Jurgen Fassbender and Keira Knightly.
Wins against Tonga and Cook Islands saw American Samoa on the brink of reaching the latter stages of the qualification for the 2018 World Cup but their hopes were again dashed by a defeat by Samoa ( 2-3 ).
The most prominent name in the Royal Puma team was ex-Newport Pagnell and St Ives Town forward and Ricky Ponting lookalike Jared Cunniff, who played for had played for Lupe Ole Soaga in the 2023 qualifiers.
17 year-old striker Daniel Lee had 2 caps for American Samoa whilst midfielder Billy Vaitoelau had won 4 caps. 44 year old keeper Nicky Salapu ( 24 caps ) was in the side that lost 0-31 to Australia and is the record cap holder. Midfielder Vaa Taualai comes from Samoa and had previously played for Lupe Ole Soaga .
Coach Paul Ualesi was the coach of Lupe Ole Soaga in 2023.
Matchday Information
The weather at the 15.00 local time kick-off time ( 01.00 UK ) was 30 degrees but with a chance of rain later during the game.
Tupapa were playing in all black with a white pattern across the front of their shirts, whereas Royal Puma were wearing white shirts with one red and blue thin vertical stripe down the front, with blue shorts and white socks.
The referee was from the Solomon Islands, with assistants from Samoa and the Solomon Islands and they formed an all female trio of officials.
The match was streamed live on FIFA+
Royal Puma made three changes to the side that started against Vaipuna, with keeper Falise Fata, Elson Talatotu-Utoaluga and Taualai coming into the side. Tupapa fielded an attacking looking side only one recognised defender.
Match Report
Both keepers were called into action in the first two minutes with Puma keeper Fata diving bravely at the feet of the short and chubby Owenne Matapo, and then Lee played a through ball to put Johnica Collins clear, but the Puma forward’s control was poor and Pierre was able to dive on the ball as Papa also slid in to challenge.
Petu Pauli then showed good trickery on the right-hand side to tee up Taualai, but the shot from 25 yards was weak and rolled gently to the Tupapa keeper. Already after three minutes there was a feeling that this could be a high scoring game if the finishing could be better.
Shaven headed Tupapa midfielder Ryan Clarke looked like a Rugby Union back row forward with his socks down around his ankles, but he was making his physical presence felt early on, winning a couple of crunching tackles, and in the 5th minute won a freekick 30 yards out. Harmon took the kick, sending a thumping effort towards the goal, and Fata, reacting a fraction late and badly out of position, managed to get a hand to it and push it onto the post and the lanky Papa put the rebound high and wide.
Clarke continue to have an impact and in the 12th minute he was fouled again as he moved forward. Papa took the free kick from around 35 yards, and his attempt fizzed narrowly over the bar. Royal Puma then conceded another free kick, this time wide on the left, which Matapo sent in the direction of the goal. Keeper Fata could only push away at his near post, and Harmon was on hand to steer the loose ball on the stretch into the roof of the net from 4 yards. 1-0 with 13 minutes played.
A quick free-kick from Harmon found Rimene-Albrett in space on the edge of the area, but the Tupapa winger, who appears to have the same barber as Papa, first touch was poor and the chance was gone.
In the 18th minute, sloppy defending from the home side enabled Pouli to play a ball in from the right wing but Cunniff 6 yards out, with just the keeper to beat, mis-kicked and the ball went wide of the post.
Rimene-Albrett tried his luck from 20 yards, but his left-footed attempt was straight at the keeper, who gathered at the second attempt. Pouli then went on a good run down the right-hand channel for the Pumas but Papa read the danger and made a good tackle.
17-year-old Lee went on a mazy run only to be brought down just outside the Tupapa area. Cunniff took the free kick from a central position and his drive was headed by Papa. Unfortunately for the home side the rebound hit Collins in the face and bounced past the wrong-footed keeper and into the net. Collins had no idea about it, but they all count so it 1-1 after 26 minutes.
The home side hit back almost immediately. Enforcer Clarke, channelling his inner Jonjo Shelvey, got past Ofisa to reach the byline on the left. His pullback found Matapo, who took a touch, went pass Talatotu-Utoaluga who needlessly over committed himself, and calmly finished from 8 yards. 2-1 with 28 minutes played.
Tupapa won the first corner of the game in the 33rd minute, which Ueli Tualaulalei put out for another corner, and the second attempt saw a header from Papa loop up gently for Fata to catch.
There didn’t appear to be much danger when Taualai took a free kick close to the centre circle, but Papa got out of the way to allow his keeper to claim the ball, but Pouli got his head to it first and the ball looped up for Collins to leap and head into the vacant goal from 4 yards. 2-2 with 37 minutes gone.
Cunniff was the recipient of the game’s first yellow card for a foul on Clarke, with the referee suggesting it was an accumulation of offences. A hopeful punt forward gave the Pumas a 3 on 1, but Vaitoelau decided to go it alone, but Pierre was able to come off his line and smoother the ball at the feet of the Puma full back with Cunniff and Collins waiting at the far post.
A sweeping cross-field ball from Clarke then nearly released Rimene-Albrett but Ofisa was able to make the tackle.
As the game approached half-time, a free kick from the left by Matapo, who clearly fancied himself as a dead ball specialist, was met by Clarke, but the header struck the legs of an unsuspecting defender and rebounded to safety.
As the match entered 5 added minutes in the first half, the heavens opened. Whilst Noah would have been contemplating building an ark, Ngametua Tuakana played a defence splitting ball for Rimene-Albrett to get on the end of, but Fata charged off his line to bring down the Tupapa winger as he headed in the direction of the corner flag. An obvious penalty, which Matapo stepped up to send the keeper the wrong way. 3-2 with 45+2 minutes played.
A quickly as the rain arrived, it disappeared, and the rest of the half was played out in sunshine.
The Pumas made one change at the interval, with veteran keeper Salapu replacing Fata
The start of the second half was cagey and Papa was the second player to see yellow after a foul on Cunniff. Royal Puma had two free-kick in close succession 30 yards but Taualai and then Cunniff both fired them high and wide.
With 52 minutes played Cunniff showed great skill to play a pass to put Pouli in space inside the Tupapa area, but Lee and Collins were unable to get on the end of the low ball across the 6 yard line. Tupapa quickly broke and Matapo played a raking pass to enable Tuakana to have a run down the left, but he was halted by a cynical foul by Vaitoelau, who became the next player to enter the referee’s notebook.
Puma’s were starting to get on top, with Cunniff playing further forward, but they hadn’t been able to create any clear cut chances. However, a defensive error gave the ball away to Gibbens, who ran clear but with only the keeper to beat, put the ball wide. A great opportunity for Tupapa to put the game out of the reach of the Pumas was wasted.
Cunniff again showed a neat touch to play in Pouli, but the shot deflected off Papa for a corner. Collins then sent a low 25-yard effort heading into the far corner until Pierre got his fingertips to it to push around the post, but the referee awarded a goal kick.
Tupapa substitute Campbell Best got the ball into the net in the 68th minute but the linesman’s flag had already been raised for offside. Best then went on a barnstorming run from deep inside his own half but his pass intended for Karika in space inside the area was intercepted in the nick of time by Ofisa.
Clarke then won possession in midfield and played in McCoy to finish but again an offside flag denied the home side.
As the game entered the final 10 minutes, Royal Puma continued to search for the equaliser, and Lee played an incisive pass to release Fuimaono on the right, but the cross was awful and sailed harmlessly off for a goal kick.
After several dodgy throw-ins during the game, the referee finally called a foul throw against Puma’s Pereira. Best ran into the Puma area but Ofisa produced a good tackle to thwart the danger, then a long-range effort from Clarke was blocked.
Royal Puma moved play down the other end of the pitch and Cunniff pushed the ball past Papa as the defender recklessly went for an interception rather than hold the line. With just the keeper to beat, Cunniff unselfishly squared the ball to give Fau Fea the opportunity to put the ball into the empty net. 3-3 with 84 minutes played
With Tupapa desperate to find a winner, McCoy won the ball outside the Royal Puma area and played wide to Karika in space on the left. The shot was on target but Salapu made a bit of a meal in pushing the ball over the bar. Clarke’s corner was headed away but when the ball was pumped back into the area, Papa was unmarked, but his shot of the swivel lacked power, and went straight at Salapu, who made the save.
Tuteru then played a long ball to Best on the right wing and his first time ball into the area reached McCoy unmarked 8 yards out, but somehow the New Zealand striker put the ball over the bar.
With 90 minutes on the clock Puma then attacked and the impressive Cunniff broke clear and again unselfishly squared to Fea, but from the low shot Pierre made an fabulous one handed save to keep the scores level.
Clarke played a splendid 50 yard pass to release Karika down the left, who ghosted past Fuimaono, and his excellent ball into the 6 yard box was met by McCoy, who this time was denied by a close range block from Salapu.
At the final whistle The Royal Puma players and bench celebrated wildly the draw whilst the Tupapa players looked crestfallen, knowing they now had to beat Vaipuna to qualify for the final stages.
Tupapa Maraerenga FC : Pierre – Gibbens, Papa, Tuteru, Wichman – Mustonen ( Harmon L ), Harmon G, Clarke - Rimene-Albrett ( Best ), Matapo ( McCoy ), Tuakana ( Karika )
Royal Puma FC : Fata ( Salapu ) – Vaitoelau ( Pereira ), Ofisa, Tualaulalei, Talatotu-Utoaluga – Pouli, Cunniff, Taualai, Tiatia ( Fuimaono ), Lee – Collins ( Fea )
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