The second game in the two-match series between New Zealand A and Tahiti ended in another scoreless draw after a lacklustre game played at Douglas Field, Waitakere on Friday evening.

It was another disappointing effort from New Zealand following on from Wednesday evening's 0-0 draw.

Full story courtesy NZ Soccer Media here, New Zealand draw another blank against Tahiti

Struggling Tahitian champions AS Temanava face a critical must-win clash in the Championnat De La Division Federale against fellow cellar-dwellers AS Tac on Sunday. The round 17 fixture has been brought forward because of AS Temanava's O-League commitments.

AS Temanava surged to the Championnat De La Division Federale title last season but have struggled to display the same qualities experiencing a mid-season slump. AS Temanava will face another domestic league fixture against third placed AS Tefana on Friday 16th February as demands at both home and in Oceania take their toll on their flagging domestic campaign. AS Temanava must win both matches to keep any title hopes alive.

AS Temanava - coached by Bernard Vahirua - travel to the cauldron of Honiara and Lawson Tama Stadium to face Solomon Islands champions Marist FC for an intriguing O-League clash. AS Temanava were originally scheduled to host Marist FC last month but the O-League fixture was deferred following technical problems with the aircraft scheduled to carry the Solomon Islanders.

Anticipation and excitement in the Solomon Islands ahead of the O-League game is high and represents the biggest international football match in the country since the national team faced Australia two years ago.

Elsewhere in the Championnat De La Division Federale former champions AS Pirae face AS Tac, runaway leaders AS Dragon face AS Venus and AS Vairao meet AS Manu Ura. AS Tamarii-Faa have the bye.

Undisputed Fiji football champions Ba, go into the second and deciding leg of the champion versus champion series this weekend with an unchanged side that played Suva last weekend.

Stalwart coach Yogen Dutt has stuck to his guns and retained the same combination that was held to a 1-1 draw Suva adding that this week's training has been focussed on improving on his side's finishing.

Dutt said this was an aspect of their game that they struggled with against Suva and he hopes his boys will stand up to the challenge and make everything they have gone through at training count on Sunday.

Veteran Josaia Bukalidi will retain his captaincy role in the side and will lead his men to battle against a confident Suva outfit.

The 2006 Fiji FA Player of the year will be assisted by old war horses Peni Finau, Malakai Kanahewe and Kini Viliame.

The second and final round of the CVC kicks off at 3pm on Sunday at Ba's Govind Park.

The return of key defenders Akariva Dau and Rupeni Tabua has boosted Suva's chances ahead of Sunday's crucial champion versus champion fixture against Ba at Govind Park.

Suva coach Zulfiker Khan says unlike last Saturday he has a squad strong enough to beat Ba on its own turf.

"Last week's 1-1 draw was a moral booster for us but with the return of key players I'm confident of a win.''

"It will be an interesting encounter because both teams are at full strength,'' he said.

"For us this game is the chance to prove that Ba is beatable especially after we lost in the finals of the Battle of the Giants and IDC.''

Returning to the side apart from Tabua and Dau are deadly striker Joseph Namariau and ace Maciu Dunadamu.

"Defence was a bit of concern last week but with the return of Tabua and Akariva I'm sure we can keep Ba at bay,'' Khan said.

"In front of their own fans pressure will be on the Ba defence because the Vanuatu strikers have the skills and pace to do damage and we also have a good ball distributor in Saimata Chillia.''

Suva skipper Inosi Cava, Tupou Tagiduadua, Apisai Smith and Fiji U20 midfielder Maleli Nakalavolevu who restricted Ba kingpin Roneel Kumar's role in the first leg will be players to watch in the White jumper.

Sunday's return leg is scheduled for 3pm at Govind Park.

Primary and Secondary School students will pay $5 entry fee to watch the O-League match between Solomon Islands champions Marist FC and Fiji's Ba FC on Monday February 19th.

The LOC has decided to charge this minimal fee because of the difficulty in identifying who is a primary school student and who is not.

Initially, it planned to allow free-entry for primary school students (in uniform) and disable persons but decided otherwise after the LOC reviewed this idea.

Instead, only those that are genuinely disabled will be allowed free entry into the match venue at Lawson Tama.

The LOC says the fact that the match will be played at Lawson Tama gives the local soccer fans the opportunity to witness the standard of club soccer in both countries.

Ba FC has been highly regarded in Fiji as the most successful club in their footballing history.

It holds a record as the only club to have won most of the silverwares on offer in their local league and national competitions.

Ba will want to keep its winning record intact and this sets the scene for the biggest showdown in club history of Solomon Islands when the two meet on February 9.

Fiji has always provided Solomon Islands a tough competition and the club will more or less the same.

The VFF has just appointed a new coach within its technical department. He is Job Alwin 44 years from Atchin Island in Malampa Province. His appointment has been decided during a VFF Executive Meeting last week in Port Vila. Mr. Alwin is the first Ni Vanuatu to take up this position which has occupied until now by expatriates. Mr. Alwin replaced the Uruguayan Carlos Buzzetti who has him self terminated its contract last September to join the Fiji Football Federation.

The President of the VFF Jacques Tronquet is confident with this decision as to promote Ni Vanuatu to be more responsible for the future of their football development. "I know very well that the new coach will have a heavier spot but I am confident that he will be shoulder by local coaches and the whole staff of the VFF", explained President Tronquet.

He went on to praised the close cooperation between the VFF and the OFC according to which a technical adviser was already provided to VFF, by the name of Yvon Avry. One of M. Avry's missions in Vanuatu in to reinforcing and to re-examine the trainings of the local coaches with a four years plan based on the French system. Through this partnership, a qualified instructor of the Tahiti Football Federation, John Crawford will come to the Vanuatu to deliver these trainings. And Mr. Alwin will largely benefit from this assistance as well as in the national selections as in the international competitions.

The successor of Carlos Buzzetti looks very confident with its new responsibility, as he said that he will sacrifice his effort for the best interest of football in all Vanuatu Provinces and to place Vanuatu in the best position at the Oceania level. The new coach is holder of a Coaching Certificate issued to him in 2000 by the "English Football Association".

Un nouvel entraîneur national pour la VFF

La Fédération de Football du Vanuatu (VFF) vient de nommer officiellement un nouvel entraîneur national au sein de son département technique. Mr Job Alwin 44 ans, qui est originaire de l'îlot Atchin dans le Nord Est de Mallicolo, a été nommé a ce poste à l'issue d'une réunion de l'Exécutif de la VFF la semaine dernière. Il succède à l'Uruguayen Carlos Buzzetti qui a lui-même mis fin a son contrat en Septembre dernier pour rejoindre la Fédération de Fidji. Il s'agit ici d'un premier Vanuatais à pouvoir accéder à ce poste.

Le Président de la VFF Jacques Tronquet a qualifié cette décision comme une toute première sur l'histoire du football vanuatais puisque ce poste a été jusqu'ici occupe par les étrangers. «Je sais très bien que le nouvel entraîneur aura une tache plus lourde mais je suis sûr qu'il sera épaulé par les entraîneurs locaux et l'ensemble du personnel de la VFF ». M. Tronquet a aussi fait l'éloge d'une étroite collaboration entre la VFF et l'OFC selon laquelle un conseiller technique a été déjà mis a notre disposition, en la personne d'Yvon Avry. Une des missions de M.Avry au Vanuatu est de renforcer et de revoir la formation des éducateurs locaux avec un plan de quatre ans base sur le système français. À travers ce partenariat, un éducateur diplômé de la Fédération Tahitienne de Football John Crawford viendra au Vanuatu pour assurer ces formations. Donc M. Alwin va beaucoup bénéficie de cette assistance aussi bien dans les sélections nationales que dans les compétitions internationales.

Le successeur de Carlos Buzzetti, se montrant très confiant avec sa nouvelle responsabilité, laisse entendre qu'il va oeuvrer pour réaliser un de ses voeux le plus Cher c'est de developer le football dans tous les Provinces du Vanuatu et de place le Vanuatu dans le meilleur classement de l'Océanie. Il est titulaire d'un certificat d'entraîneur délivré en l'an 2000 par la "English Football Association".

New Zealand A and Tahiti fought out a scoreless draw in the first of two friendly internationals played at Bill McKinlay Park in Mt Wellington in Auckland.

Tahiti can count themselves unlucky not to have recorded their first win over New Zealand with goalkeeper Mark Paston pulling off a superb point blank save in the first half to deny Nicolas Paigne what looked a certain goal.

New Zealand got off to a promising start in the opening half, with Ben Sigmund unlucky to see his volleyed effort from outside the box come back off the left hand post with just five minutes gone.

Tahiti responded well to the early pressure and Naea Bennett forced a good save at the near post by Mark Paston.

Tahiti continued to press and Paston was forced to touch a cross by Temarii Tinorua over the crossbar. From the resultant corner the New Zealand defence went to sleep and Nicolas Paigne's snapshot from close range produced another superb reflex save from Paston.

The third quarter was a real stalemate with neither side creating any clearcut opportunities.

Allan Pearce made an impression when he was introduced fifteen minutes into the second half but he also wasted New Zealand's best chance ten minutes from time.

Brent Fisher beat two men to get to the byline but Pearce somehow scooped his cross over the bar from inside the six yard box.

Pearce was involved again in injury time when he took advantage of a mistake by a Tahitian defender but his cross went behind Fisher and was cleared to safety.

Apart from Paston, Brent Fisher worked hard in what was a lonely role up front. James Pritchett, Andy Barron and Ben Sigmund were the best of the rest for New Zealand.

The second match between the two sides is at Douglas Field, Waitakere - site of the recent OFC Youth (U-20) Championships - on Friday (6pm).

New Zealand A: Mark Paston, James Pritchtt, Cole Tinkler, Ben Sigmund, Trent Watson, Andrew Barron, Ian Robinson (Jason Hayne 84), Ian Sandbrook (Allan Pearce 61), Jeremy Christie, Adrian Webster (Daniel Ellensohn 69), Brent Fisher.

Subs not used: Jacob Spoonley, Michael Boxall, Adam Cowan, Sam Matthews, Costa Barbarouses.

Tahiti: Daniel Tapeta, Raimana Li Fung Kuee, Angelo Tchen, Taufa Neuffer (Axel Williams 73), Nicolas Paigne, Temarii Tinorua (Billy Mataitai), Jean-Yves Ly Waut, Tamatoa Pahio (Pierre Kugone 68), Naea Bennett, Teva Zaveroni, Tamatoa Wagemann (Jerome Tetavahai 77).

Subs not used: Xavier Samin, Hiro Poroiae, Fraddy Tauihara, Farahia Teuira, Teraimaru Mervin

Referee: Michael Hester (Wellington)

Cautions: Neuffer 33 (Tahiti), Christie 64 (New Zealand).

Australia were made to work hard for their 1-0 victory over a vastly improved New Zealand team tonight in their second and final international match in Canberra.

The Australians defeated New Zealand 6-0 on Sunday's first match but with a revamped starting line-up and against a vigorous opponent, the match remained deadlocked until Australia's Joanne Burgess scored the only goal of the game 11 minutes from time.

Story courtesy NZS Media...

NZ Women Show Commendable Fight In Canberra

Former Solomon Islands international Stanley Waita says he wants to put on the national colours for his country once more in the Pacific Games in Samoa.

He revealed his intentions on the eve of his departure saying that he would like to represent his country once more with the aim to assist Solomon Islands qualify for World Cup play off in 2008. Waita left for New Zealand yesterday.

The attacking midfielder who plays for Naha FC in the local competition moved to Waikato in New Zealand last year and signed for Northern League club Ngaruawahia United. After helping Ngaruawahia United surge towards promotion Waita was immediately snapped up by Waikato FC in the New Zealand Football Championship (NZFC).

Waita says Solomon Islands players playing in the NZFC includes Commins Menapi, Benjamin Totori, Alick Maemae, Junior Fa'arodo, Nelson Sale, George Suri, Batram Suri and himself should give Solomon Islands an upper hand in the South Pacific Games.

The South Pacific Games form the first phase of FIFA World Cup qualification with the top three teams progressing to the second phase group where they will play New Zealand. Each team will play six matches, three home, three away, with the winner of the second phase progressing to the third phase in Asia Football Confederation (AFC).

The OFC qualifier will join nine teams from AFC in two groups of five with the top two in each group qualifying for FIFA World Cup - South Africa 2010. The two third placed teams will play off for the final qualification slot in a home and away playoff.

Waita was part of the team that helped Solomon Islands qualified for World Cup playoff with Australia in the Oceania Nations Cup and World Cup playoffs two years ago.

Australian international footballer Tim Cahill continued his comeback from injury helping Everton hold arch-rivals Liverpool to a 0-0 draw in the FA Premiership at the weekend.

Cahill was missing for 8 weeks with a serious ankle injury but completed the entire 90 minutes as Everton put Liverpool's UEFA Champions League charge on the skids. Frustrated Liverpool coach Rafael Benetiz controversially labelled Everton a "small club" following the result.

The former Samoa age-group international was stretchered off following a freak collision with team-mate Lee Carsley in a 1-0 home defeat against Aston Villa last November. Cahill injured his medial ligament and cartilage in his knee as a result.

If New Zealand women's football coach Allan Jones had any romantic illusions about his side's World Cup chances before Sunday's friendly against Australia, he certainly doesn't now.

Australia scored three unanswered goals in each half to leave Jones contemplating a sobering 6-0 loss on debut at the helm of the national team at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.

"We were technically and physically outplayed right across the park....end of story," Jones said after the opening game of the two-match series was delayed 30 minutes by excessive heat as the temperature nudged upwards of 35 degrees.

"Tactically they worked extremely hard, got on the right blade of grass. But Australia are a very good side, they just brushed us aside and played."

Story courtesy NZS Media...

Matildas Maul New Zealand Women