Football development in Papua New Guinea has achieved an historical milestone with the arrival of a semi-professional football competition. The PNGNSL is a five team franchise competition that includes clubs such as Tuguba Laitepo Blue Kumuls FC, Welgris Fuel Distributors Momads FC, Alois Kingsley Fox FC, Petroleum Resources Kutubu Souths United FC and Gele Hills United FC.

With "Kick Higher" as the motto of the newly introduced semi-professional soccer league, its aim is to develop the style of soccer played to a higher level and to create opportunities for players and clubs to have a bit of taste in the professional football played around the world.

PNGFA, under the presidency of Mr. David Chung, is looking further into the future of PNG football to bring it up to the standard of football played in the Oceania region. PNG has not been a champion in any of the OFC sanctioned tournaments in the past. PNG's ranking in the Oceania is also very low.

The PNGFA hopes that a better PNGNSL will, in turn, produce a better standard of performance at OFC tournaments.

It is hoped the PNGNSL will motivate and drive players to develop technically and tactically making them identify key areas of their game that require improvement.

The PNGFA is very optimistic that more franchise clubs will join the fledgling PNGNSL next year and the competition will be improve in its strength and composition and attract more local/international coaches and players.

At present Tagube Laitepo Blue Kumuls head the top of the competition after 6 rounds. The Kumuls are on 11 points having won 3, drawing twice and suffering just 1 defeat. They are trailed by Gele Hill United. WFD Momads are bottom of the table with just 3 points.

Oceania Football Confederation club champions, Auckland City, will open the FIFA Club World Championship Finals when they take on the yet-to-be-determined African champions in the first quarter-final in Toyota, Japan on December 10.

Excitement is building for the Sandringham-based club with their NZFC domestic programme set to get underway tommorrow against Otago United at Kiwitea Street.

Should City win, they'll take on Brazil's Internacional in the semi, to be played in Tokyo on December 13.

Should they lose their quarter-final, City will play the other quarter-final loser for fifth place in Tokyo on December 15, while the third-place play-off and final will both take place in Yokohama on December 17.

The African Champions League is at the semi-final second leg stage. Al Ahly (Egypt) lead ASEC Abidjan (Ivory Coast) 2-0, with the second leg at ASEC, while it's 0-0 after the first leg of the tie between Orlando Pirates (South Africa) and Club Sport Sfaxien (Tunisia), with the latter to host the second leg.

Both semi deciders take place this weekend, with the two-legged final taking place on Oct 27-29 and Nov 10-12.

Auckland City FC Chairman, Ivan Vuksich, was delighted with the draw and in a moment of light humour said, "Well, Barcelona have managed to avoid us in the first two games and I bet they're breathing a sigh of relief about that. As you know, we're the only amateur team in the event, but our season at home is well underway and we know all about winning in Oceania. We'll just go all-out in this competition."

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Former Honiara Football Association champion club, Marist FC, is struggling to maintain it's footing in the current Solomon Island Premier League table.

Sitting fifth, they shared equal competition points with a vastly improved KOSSA FC. Their position, however, is not secured if they lose their next match and team coach Patrick Miniti will have to go back to the drawing board to come up with the winning strategy.

The loss of his most senior and experienced players namely Jack Samani and Abraham Iniga to PRK Souths in the Papua New Guinea's National Soccer League (NSL) may be one reason for this misfortune.

Coach Miniti knows he has little option on the choice of players at his disposal but will hope to make up for it in the second round of the current league.

Miniti succeeded once before when Marist was still a young emerging club by winning the HFA competition and will use the same strategy to regain this status, using the younger players.

His immediate focus will be to get them back into the winning mode. Marist has one outstanding match before Round One ends and need to win it to maintain their position.

Five football clubs including current competition leaders, Koloale FC have completed their round one matches and are waiting for the second round to start. The others are KOSSA, Mars, Las United and Telekom.

Those clubs with outstanding matches include Marist, Makuru, Sunbeam, Laugu, Naha and Walas FC's.

Current competition leaders Koloale FC may surrender their pole position to runner up Makuru if the latter wins its outstanding matches.

Having played all their matches in round one, Koloale enjoys one match buffer in terms of competition points.

However, their current position is not secured and unless the impossible happens, they surely will be pushed aside by Makuru which has three outstanding matches under its belt.

The two are separated from the rest of the clubs in their pool by at least three matches however, round two would be interesting as clubs yearn for the top position.

Panatina and Vura boys' teams will fight for the right to play in the grand final of Honiara Primary Schools competition Tuesday week.

In confirming this, one of the organizers and SIFF Women's Development officer, Ms Dianne Justus says the boys' category has three pools and makes it awkward so they had to draw lots to pick one school out.

White River was picked therefore will now wait for the winner of the two schools to see which of them to play in the final. The losing school will automatically be placed in the third position while in the losers' final a similar format is also used.

Burns Creek and Bishop Epalle will fight for the right to play off for fourth position against Mbua Valley.

Ms Justus says the matches will take place on Monday with finals on Tuesday for the boys' category.

Meanwhile, the girls' final is also featured in Monday's fixtures at the SIFF Academy. Current champion Panatina will vie for their second title against St. Nicholas while Coronation will take on Bishop Epalle for the third and fourth place playoff.

Rangers and Las United football clubs will fight for one of the places up for grabs in the Solbrew Women's soccer league this Saturday.

The semifinal match will be at Lawson Tama at 2pm before the Honiara Football Association matches are played.

The second semifinal match, between Flamingo and Marist women football clubs have been scheduled for Tuesday 17th October at the SIFF Academy.

SIFF women's football development officer, Dianne Justus confirms the semi final matches saying the grand final will take place on Thursday at Lawson Tama.

She says play off for places have been scheduled for 4pm while grand final at 6pm.

The imminent kick-off of the NZFC has attracted the attention of FIFA.com. With Auckland City Tokyo-bound, the rest of the football world is curious about Kiwi and Oceania football...

"The league may be a mere toddler at just two years old, but already the New Zealand Football Championship has seen the emergence of an undisputed dominant force."

Click here to read more of the story at FIFA.com:

All eyes on Auckland ahead of Kiwi kick-off

Solomon Islands Bilikiki coach and former international defender Viv Wickham will help lead his team into their first foray into a FIFA world event alongside Eddie Omokirio.

The eyes of the world will be watching the Melanesian side with interest as they take on Portugal, Cameroon and Uruguay. Oceania Football Confederation Media Officer Gordon Glen Watson caught up with Viv Wickham and asked him about Bilikiki's chances in Brazil next month...

OFC: The reality of playing in the Beach Soccer World Cup must be starting to hit home. What is the mood amongst the squad as the tournament looms?

Viv Wickham: "The boys are now starting to get very excited, they were practically deflated after we were informed that the trip to the Reunion Islands was called off. However, after a couple of days they got over it and are now training hard and looking forward to it."

OFC: What has the impact of qualifying for the Beach Soccer World Cup had at home in the Solomon Islands?

Viv Wickham: "Qualifying for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup has inspired a lot of Solomon Islanders, especially when they read in the paper that we will be up against the likes of Cameroon, Uruguay and Portugal, country's that we can only dream of playing against in any form of football. To go from beginners to World Cup finalists really fascinates the public and since qualifying for Brazil, the general feeling amongst all Solomon Islanders is that "we can do it", especially after they have seen what we have done."

OFC: What has the response been of your outdoor football internationals to qualification?

Viv Wickham: "Everyone wants to get involved somehow and the fact that we have qualified for a World Cup has made the unselected outdoor internationals envious of what there fellow countrymen have achieved."

OFC: The pedigree of your opponents is exceptional. How do you intend coping with this?

Viv Wickham: "We have a lot of young and athletic players who's attitude to learning is first class. They have taken on what we have taught them and will be out to play how we want them to play. Apart from country names, we haven't even heard of the players in our pool before and that's pretty much how we will approach all games in Rio."

OFC: How much do you know about the players of Portugal, Uruguay, and Cameroon?

Viv Wickham: "We haven't heard of any of them before. I'm not saying that in an arrogant way. We have only been exposed to some of the outdoor stars of the world like the Socceroos. A few of our team played against Australia in the OFC Nations Cup and World Cup playoffs prior to the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany."

OFC: What will constitute a "good performance" at the Beach Soccer World Cup Finals for the team?

Viv Wickham: "We are there to compete and if we compete to the best of our ability with minimal mistakes, that will be a good performance."

OFC: Will you be playing?

Viv Wickham: "Only if we are hit by injuries."

OFC: How has the squad handled the transition from outdoor football and training methods to training for Beach Soccer?

Viv Wickham: "They have responded well given the limited know how we have and as mentioned earlier, their attitude to absorbing new information is top class."

OFC: Which individual player do you expect your team will rely on?

Viv Wickham: "Everyone relies on each other. Any success we have will be because everyone is pulling together."

OFC: The eyes of the world will be on the performance of the Bilikiki...do you fear the team will suffer stage fright?

Viv Wickham: "Well, in terms of experience and international exposure we are probably the most disadvantaged team in our pool. However, we have proved so many people wrong and had to overcome so many barriers in getting to Rio so stage fright, amongst other things, is just another barrier we have to overcome."

The eagerly anticipated third NZFC season kicks off on Saturday when Danny Halligan's Canterbury United meet last season's cellar-dwellers Hawkes Bay United. Hawkes Bay United - coached by former Celtic and Scotland international, Jonathan Gould and his father, former Wales coach, Bobby Gould - will be looking to avoid a repeat of last season's struggles with former Aberdeen and St.Mirren midfielder Ricky Gillies adding experience to the line-up.

The defending champions kick off one hour later when Auckland City face Terry Phelan's Otago United at Kiwitea Street. Auckland City will be hoping to put on an impressive performance as members of the world football press take an increased interest in Roger Wilkinson's team ahead of the FIFA Club World Championship in Japan in December.

Sunday's fixtures see Team Wellington face off against near-neighbours Youngheart Manawatu. Shane Rufer's squad have lost the services of Campbell Banks and Commins Menapi from last season's successful team. The Palmerston North side will once again rely on Solomon Islands pair, Benjamin Totori and Alick Maemae if they are to repeat last year's successes.

In the late kick off fixture, Waikato FC host NZFC title-aspirants Waitakere United at Tauranga's Links Avenue. Waikato FC coach Dave Edmondson will be hoping for a solid start with new signing Stanley Waita looking to carry his pre-season goalscoring feats into the competition proper. Waitakere United have a revitalised look to their squad with Steve Cain securing the services of New Zealand defender Danny Hay. The abilities of Brazilian pair Christiano Soares and Pedro Santos could prove decisive for the West Aucklanders.

Anticipation and excitement is high in the Solomon Islands with just over 4 weeks to go before their 2006 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup campaign gets underway in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Affectionately known as the Bilikiki, the team carries not only the hopes of their country to the tournament, but that of the Oceania Football Confederation and its member associations.

But standing in front of the Bilikiki will be an array of Beach Soccer talent formidable in its composition and experience. While stage fright might be an understandable possibility for the Melanesian debutants, it's a possibility less likely for the battle hardened Portuguese.

The Euro Beach Soccer League, which will enter its eighth season in 2005, is the largest beach soccer competition in the world, with 20 nations involved, and is the competition that has honed a sustained period of success for Portugal as Europe's premier Beach Soccer power alongside rivals Spain.

Portugal's defeat in the 2005 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Final against Eric Cantona's French side was a rare anomaly for a team used to regularly finishing in the top four of previous unofficial world championship tournaments. It says much that the Portuguese staged a late revival, clawing back the match to 3-3, before eventually losing in a sudden-death penalty shoot-out.

Nuno Belchior was Portugal's hero in their desperate fight-back and lends potency in attack next to Madjer - the former Algerian international and FC Porto European Cup winner - who blasted his way to a 12 goal haul and the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup MVP Award.

For the Bilikiki, modesty characterises the ability of its squad by comparison. There are no superstars, no former European Cup winners, but a collection of individuals with a handful of experience in the local National League competitions that make up the Oceania Football Confederation.

One such pairing that captures this spirit of youthfulness is that of coach, Eddie Omokirio, and his younger brother and captain, Gideon Omokirio. The pair - both devout Christians - fashioned useful domestic and international football careers. Gideon played in the New Zealand National League for Nelson United and Nelson Suburbs and helped himself to 34 caps for the Solomon Islands national team. He was also part of the Solomon Islands team that clinched a sensational 2-2 draw against the might of Australia during the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, a campaign that saw his country pip New Zealand for the FIFA World Cup playoff spot.

Eddie Omokirio will coach the side alongside another former Solomon Islands international Vivian Wickham and he believes that his country has a bright future in both Futsal and Beach Soccer. Eddie's religious convictions add further steel to growing impressions that the Bilikiki might be able to cause an upset when they reach Brazil.

If the remarkable does occur and the Bilikiki do cause a first round upset, it could well be in front of a television audience unprecedented in Solomon Islands international football history with Beach Soccer watched on television in almost 150 countries across Africa, North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific thanks to a partnership between organising body Beach Soccer World Wide and ESPN.

The set-back of a cancelled journey to the Reunion Islands could yet come back to haunt the erstwhile Solomon Islanders. If the prospect of matching their skills against the best was enough to whet the appetite, the flight itinerary and projected budget blow-out caused a collective bout of indigestion. It is sincerely hoped that this does not affect performances in Brazil too adversely.

But as the Solomon Islands are used to showing on the football pitch, there is hope. Star player James Naka hails from the Gwaunaoa village in the Kwaraae region of Malaita Province and now a member of Kossa FC in the nation's capital Honiara. Naka is by far the most exciting player in the Bilikiki squad and will be out to show his skills in Brazil. His pace, movement and ability to beat players are his biggest assets. Naka is nicknamed "the laughing machine".

The people of the Solomon Islands hope to see his broad smile on a successful Bilikiki Beach Soccer World Cup campaign on the sands of the Copacabana.

The Solomon Islands Bilikiki will kick off their 2006 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Finals campaign against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in Rio de Janeiro on November 2nd. The Bilikiki will then face South American giants, Uruguay, on November 4th before they conclude the group stage against Portugal on November 6th.

It will be the first time a team from the Oceania Football Confederation other than Australia or New Zealand has qualified for a FIFA world event.

The Solomon Islands first opponents, Cameroon, will be skippered by former international goalkeeper, Joseph-Antoine Bell, whose side lifted the CAF (Confederation Africain de Football) title with a 5-3 victory over rivals, Nigeria, during their qualification campaign in Durban, South Africa.

Portugal will provide a stern test after finishing runners-up in last year's FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, a campaign that included a dramatic 6-6 draw with Brazil in the semi-final before Portugal prevailed 2-1 in a penalty shoot-out. The Portuguese faced France in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Final and following a 3-3 draw, lost 1-0 in yet another penalty shoot-out.

Portugal has regularly finished in the top four of regional and world tournaments and stars former Algerian international and African Footballer of the Century, Rabah Madjer, who finished top goal scorer at last year's tournament for the Portuguese netting 12 goals. The former Porto striker has a European Cup winners medal and appeared at the 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cup with Algeria.

Uruguay - beaten quarter-finalists last time - possess a formidable goal scoring record in FIFA Beach World Cup competition scoring an impressive 17 goals in their 4 matches in Rio de Janeiro last year. Uruguay's defensive record is the least impressive of the Bilikiki's opponents but with a wealth of experience to draw on the South American's will be no less a threat.

FIFA Beach Soccer full draw

Group A

Brazil

Poland

USA

Japan

Group B

Spain

France

Canada

Iran

Group C

Solomon Islands

Cameroon

Portugal

Uruguay

Group D

Italy

Bahrain

Argentina

Nigeria

Group Stage Match Schedule (Local Time Rio de Janeiro)

November 2

9.40am: ARG vs. NGA

11.00am: POR vs. URU

12.20pm: ITA vs. BHR

1.40pm: SOL vs. CMR

November 3

9.40am: USA vs. JPN

11.00am: BRA vs. POL

12.20pm: CAN vs. IRN

1.40pm: ESP vs. FRA

November 4

9.40am: URU vs. SOL

11.00am: NGA vs. ITA

12.20pm: CMR vs. POR

1.40pm: BHR vs. ARG

November 5

9.40am: FRA vs. CAN

11.00am: BRA vs. JPN

12.20pm: POL vs. USA

1.40pm: IRN vs. ESP

November 6

9.40am: BHR vs. NGA

11.00am: CMR vs. URU

12.20pm: ITA vs. ARG

1.40pm: SOL vs. POR

November 7

9.40am: FRA vs. IRN

11.00am: BRA vs. USA

12.20pm: ESP vs. CAN

1.40pm: POL vs. JPN

Australia Schoolboys will undertake a tour of New Zealand and Samoa between the 9th to the 25th January, 2007. The caliber of the side is expected to be high with three players drafted into the Australian Institute of Sport in preparation for the World Youth Olympics.

The remainder of the squad is of similar standard and will provide a stern test when they play two internationals against American Samoa and Samoa.

The itinerary has yet to be finalized but Chris Conti - National Secretary, Football

School Sport Australia - is seeking matches against national teams in New Zealand for the OFC U20 Championship scheduled for Auckland at the same time.

"Ideally for us we would like a game every two days of our tour. However, we would be open to variations if appropriate.

On previous visits to NZ we have played NZ U23 and U17 and while we treat them as friendly internationals, although we appreciate that the opposition are looking at them as practice games."

The OFC U20 Championship is scheduled for January 20th-31st, 2007.

Solomon Islands U20 coach, Patrick Miniti, will brief his squad at the SIFF academy this Friday in preparation for for the OFC U20 Championship in New Zealand in January.

The squad's last action was in a friendly international against Papua New Guinea U20 and Miniti says further matches will be needed to bring his side up to par. Elsewhere in the Solomon Islands, the U12 Honiara Primary school competition is drawing to a close...

Team coach Patrick Miniti says there is real need for the team to get together and focus their preparation on the competition ahead.

Miniti - who coached Marist FC during the OFC Club Championship in Auckland earlier this year - believes with proper preparation the Solomon Islands could make a significant impact at next year's tournament.

In other Solomon Islands news the Honiara Primary Schools' U12 football competition continues in the national capital with pool matches expected to completed by next week.

The boys category has three pools but only one has completed its matches to date. The girls have also pool play has finished and are waiting for the boys to complete theirs before moving into the play off stage.

According to spokesperson, Dianne Justus, organisers planned for the match schedule to be completed this week but with a tight schedule the competition will have to be extended into next week.

The purpose of the competition is to capitalise on the high interest in football currently sweeping the country. The competition has attracted about 20 schools and SIFF has pledged to make it an annual event.

The opportunity to progress to the OFC U12 Festival of Football and perhaps to the Danone Nations Cup in France should ensure high interest.