Latest news with #OceaniaFootballConfederation
Scoop
25-05-2025
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Fiji, New Caledonia And New Zealand Find Out Their Opponents For FIFA U-17 Men's World Cup
Press Release – Oceania Football Confederation The FIFA U-17 World Cup has been expanded to 48 teams with 12 groups of four. The top two teams in each group, along with the eight best third-placed sides, will qualify for the Round of 32. OFC champions New Zealand have been drawn in Group L alongside Mali, Austria and Saudi Arabia for the FIFA U-17 World Cup to be played in Qatar in November. Martin Bullock's side defeated Fiji in the final of the OFC U-16 Men's Championship in Tahiti last year. Fiji coached by Sunil Kumar, have been handed a difficult draw, pitted against South American powerhouse Argentina, European giants Belgium and North African side Tunisia. New Caledonia who finished third at the OFC U-16 Men's Championship to clinch Oceania's final spot, have also drawn some heavyweight opponents, facing Japan, Morocco and Portugal in Group B. The FIFA U-17 World Cup has been expanded to 48 teams with 12 groups of four. The top two teams in each group, along with the eight best third-placed sides, will qualify for the Round of 32. From the Round of 32 onwards, the tournament will be played in a knockout format. The tournament runs from the third to 27th November in Qatar.
Scoop
15-05-2025
- Sport
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Auckland United FC Set Up Title Decider With Hekari Womens FC At The OPC Women's Champions League In Tahiti
Press Release – Oceania Football Confederation Defending champions Auckland United FC have blitzed Henderson Eels FC 6-1 at Stade Pater in Papeete to reach the final of the OFC Womens Champions League 2025 for the second straight year. The New Zealand champions face a rematch against Hekari Women's FC in Saturday's (Tahiti time) decider. Ben Bate's side won the final 1-0 in the Solomon Islands last year and also defeated Hekari 2-1 in Group play last week. They made a statement against Henderson Eels, scoring three times in the first seven minutes to effectively seal progression to the final. Zoe Benson scored a hat-trick inside 28 minutes to overtake Hekari United's Marie Kaipu in the race for the Golden Boot. She now has eight for the tournament, one clear of the Papua New Guinea side's captain and star striker. Henderson Eels playmaker Ileen Pegi showed her class in a brief moment of respite for the Eels with a strong run down the flank, before cutting back inside of Saskia Vosper and unleashing a stunning right footed strike to beat a despairing Hannah Mitchell in the Auckland United FC goal. That goal in the 26th minute was as good as it got for the Solomon Islanders on attack. They did manage a freekick against the crossbar late in the second half. At the other end while Betty Sade had a tough time in the Henderson Eels goal, she produced a moment of magic to deny Ava Pritchard from the penalty spot in the 36th minute. Leading by 5-1 at the break, Auckland United FC ensured there would be no dramatic comeback from their opponents two minutes after the restart when substitute Danielle Canham scored Auckland's sixth goal of the game. From there Ben Bate's side controlled the tempo but were unable to find the back of the net again as Henderson Eels produced a resolute defensive display that was missing in the opening 30 minutes of the match. Auckland United FC 6 (Tupelo DUGAN 4', Zoe BENSON 5' 18' 28', Ava PRITCHARD 7', Danielle CANHAM 47'
Scoop
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
Auckland United FC Set Up Title Decider With Hekari Womens FC At The OPC Women's Champions League In Tahiti
Press Release – Oceania Football Confederation The New Zealand champions face a rematch against Hekari Women's FC in Saturday's (Tahiti time) decider. Ben Bate's side won the final 1-0 in the Solomon Islands last year and also defeated Hekari 2-1 in Group play last week. They made a statement against Henderson Eels, scoring three times in the first seven minutes to effectively seal progression to the final. Zoe Benson scored a hat-trick inside 28 minutes to overtake Hekari United's Marie Kaipu in the race for the Golden Boot. She now has eight for the tournament, one clear of the Papua New Guinea side's captain and star striker. Henderson Eels playmaker Ileen Pegi showed her class in a brief moment of respite for the Eels with a strong run down the flank, before cutting back inside of Saskia Vosper and unleashing a stunning right footed strike to beat a despairing Hannah Mitchell in the Auckland United FC goal. That goal in the 26th minute was as good as it got for the Solomon Islanders on attack. They did manage a freekick against the crossbar late in the second half. At the other end while Betty Sade had a tough time in the Henderson Eels goal, she produced a moment of magic to deny Ava Pritchard from the penalty spot in the 36th minute. Leading by 5-1 at the break, Auckland United FC ensured there would be no dramatic comeback from their opponents two minutes after the restart when substitute Danielle Canham scored Auckland's sixth goal of the game. From there Ben Bate's side controlled the tempo but were unable to find the back of the net again as Henderson Eels produced a resolute defensive display that was missing in the opening 30 minutes of the match. Auckland United FC 6 (Tupelo DUGAN 4', Zoe BENSON 5' 18' 28', Ava PRITCHARD 7', Danielle CANHAM 47'
Scoop
14-05-2025
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OFC 31st Ordinary Congress Reflects On Successful 2024 And Looks Ahead To History-Making OFC Professional League
Press Release – Oceania Football Confederation FIFA President Gianni Infantino addressed the congress via video, to congratulate and celebrate the incredible development football the Oceania region has seen over the last twelve months, including a record number of OFC national teams qualifying … The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) 31st Ordinary Congress has taken place in Asunción, Paraguay, on the eve of the 75th FIFA Congress. FIFA President Gianni Infantino addressed the congress via video, to congratulate and celebrate the incredible development football the Oceania region has seen over the last twelve months, including a record number of OFC national teams qualifying to FIFA international tournaments. 'I speak to you, not only with warm memories, but with great pride. Pride in what you have achieved. Pride in how far Oceania has come. 'Football in Oceania is thriving and the opportunities before you are greater than ever,' President Infantino remarked. 'Under the leadership of your FIFA Vice President and OFC President Lambert Maltock, we have seen historic qualifications, unforgettable victories and a series of firsts that are helping to further develop and possibly shape the football landscape in your region,' President Infantino continued. These achievements have included FIFA World Cup™ qualification for Fiji (FIFA U-17 World Cup™), Samoa (FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup™), as well as New Zealand's qualification to the FIFA World Cup 26™ and New Caledonia's place in the FIFA World Cup 26™ Play-off Tournament. 2026 will be an historic year for OFC and football in the Pacific, with the launch of the OFC Professional League – the region's first-ever professional football league. OFC President Lambert Maltock, in his speech to Congress, highlighted the lasting impacts that this development will have, far beyond the action on the pitch. 'Our focus on launching the OFC Professional League in 2026 has brought our region closer to a future where our clubs, our players, and our people can aspire to the highest standards. 'Together with our Member Associations and partners, we are building a league that will transform the landscape of football in Oceania, step by step,' President Maltock said. The President also highlighted the impressive grassroots development that OFC has worked hard to drive, with a particular focus on the women's game. 'We have invested in our future — engaging over 70,000 young players through our academies and grassroots programmes, with a strong focus on inclusion and gender equality. 'In women's football, we saw extraordinary growth, especially in New Zealand, where participation rose by 27%. New leadership and coaching pathways for women are creating opportunities like never before.' Emphasis was also made by President Maltock on OFC's digital presence, with an impressive growth over the past year, highlighting the rising interest in football across the region. The number of fans and followers across OFC's digital platforms grew by 19%, from 239,947 in 2023 to 286,456 in 2024. Engagement also increased, with interactions rising by 21% to reach 2.68 million. Livestreaming views more than doubled — from 1.09 million in 2023 to 2.28 million in 2024, an 81% increase. CONMEBOL President Alejandro Domínguez, who was present at the Congress on behalf of the FIFA President, addressed the delegates and reaffirmed CONMEBOL's commitment to the region, stating: 'The Memorandum of Understanding signed with OFC represents our total commitment to working hand in hand. You are transforming football in Oceania with the OFC Professional League — it's a big step forward not only for today's players but for the next generation. Big congratulations for that.' As OFC enters the implementation phase of the OFC Professional League, amendments to the current OFC Statutes were approved to accommodate the creation of the league to ensure cohesiveness across the Articles and operational efficiency for decision makers. OFC also successfully appointed a further nine members to their respective judicial bodies and standing committees, aligning their term of service with the Members elected in 2024. These decisions further enforced OFC's continual commitment to maintaining good governance principles across all decisions made at OFC.
Scoop
13-05-2025
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13 Clubs Now In Contention To Be Part Of The Inaugural OFC Professional League
Press Release – Oceania Football Confederation There are 11 clubs from six OFC Member Associations including four from New Zealand, two from Fiji, two from Papua New Guinea, one each from Solomon Islands, Tahiti, and Vanuatu, with the other two clubs from Australia. From the 24 clubs who expressed interest in being part of the OFC Professional League due to start in January 2026, OFC can confirm that 13 will continue to the Club Licensing phase. There are 11 clubs from six OFC Member Associations including four from New Zealand, two from Fiji, two from Papua New Guinea, one each from Solomon Islands, Tahiti, and Vanuatu, with the other two clubs from Australia. The 13 clubs will be reduced to eight for the 2026 competition. There will be a maximum of two entries from a single OFC Member Association and one from Australia. The competition will feature eight teams and run from early January until the end of May with each club playing a minimum of 17 matches. 'Any club that wants to participate in the OFC Professional League 2026 must meet the requirements to receive an OFC Professional League Club License', stated Stuart Larman, OFC Professional League Project Manager. '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. If that happens, we will have 13 clubs licensed and eight slots available in the OFC Professional League 2026. In countries where more than one club has attained a license, we have a defined methodology to distinguish between the clubs based on their Club Licensing submissions.' Larman added. In August, the OFC Club Licensing Committee will pass on its recommendations to the OFC Executive Committee, with confirmation on the eight selected clubs happening in September. The competition will run from early January until the end of May, with a minimum of 17 matches for each club. 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. The Leaders Playoff Group will see the top four teams compete for three semi-final spots. The Challengers Playoff Group will see the top team after three round-robin matches compete against the bottom team from the Leaders Playoff Group for the final semi-final spot. This is designed to keep fans and players engaged throughout the season. The semi-finals and the grand final will be single leg matches at yet to be determined venues.
