Solomon King FC in contention for inaugural OFC Professional League
Photo:
OFC
The Solomon Islands' lone football club in the running to be part of the new Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) League Professiobal League has been revealed.
Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele has confirmed that Solomon King FC is one of the 13 clubs now awaiting final selection by the OFC, who will be annoucing the teams that will be part of the new league in September.
The OFC Professional League is set to kick-off in January 2026.
In a statement, Manele said that a new partnership forged between the Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) and the Brisbane-based Wynnum Wolves Football Club would help the new club.
"In what is described as a major boost for Solomon Islands football, the partnership between SIFF and Wynnum Wolves FC will see the establishment of the country's first professional football club ahead of the newly introduced Oceania Football Confederation Pro League," the statement said.
"Under this landmark partnership, SIFF will form a team to compete in the OFC Pro League, to be named Solomon King FC.
"Solomon King FC will be the nation's first professional football club, comprising 18 local players and six international recruits. The team will be based in both Honiara and Brisbane, Australia, and will play matches across six different venues within the Pacific region.
"Players will also have potential pathways to the German Bundesliga through Wynnum Wolves FC's relationship with Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund."
Manele expressed his appreciation to the Wynnum Wolves FC's President Rabieh Krayem.
He also met with SIFF President Donald Marahare and SIFF chief executive Leonard Paia.
OFC Professional League project manager Stuart Larman told RNZ Pacific on Tuesday that the Solomon Islands club is one of the teams now in the final phase.
"Considering the club have announced their partnership, we can acknowledge that they Solomon Kings are one of the clubs that have applied to be in the OFCPL and that their application will be reviewed, as with all applicant clubs, after the 18 July deadline," Larman said, responding to queries raised with him.
"As the only applicant club from the Solomon Islands, they will need to meet all the minimum requirements to attain a Club License to be recommended to the OFC Exco for entry into the OFCPL 2026."
The OFC says there are currently 13 clubs from around the region vying to be selected, with the final eight teams expected to be known in August, with licenses to be given in September.
In May, the confederation confirmed that there are six OFC Member Associations who have clubs in the list, with two from Fiji, two from Papua New Guinea, one each from Solomon Islands, Tahiti, and Vanuatu, with the other two clubs from Australia.
"We expect the quality of submissions to continue at the same level as we have seen in the first phase of the Club Application Process," Larman told the media in May.
The OFC Club Licensing Committee will pass its recommendations to the OFC Executive Committee in August and the eight selected clubs will be confirmed in September.
The competition will run from early January until the end of May, with each club playing a minimum of 17 matches.
There will be five circuit series rounds at various Pacific locations in a double round-robin format before the teams are split into two playoff groups, Leaders and Challengers.
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