NOUMEA -A top of the table FCF SUper Ligue clash between JS Baco and AS Magenta ended in a 2-2 stalemate in the seventh round of Super league action in New Caledonia.

After leading 2-0 the league leaders could not finish off JS Baco who fought back to score two goals and split the points. This was the first game all season that AS Magenta had dropped points and only the second draw for JS Baco.

In the other results, Asto notched their second win of the season in trouncing ACB Poya 6-1. It was a strong performance from the side who last week lost 6-1 to AS Magenta.

AS Mont Dore continued their fine run by beating FC Gaitcha 3-1 at Stade Numa Daly. Monte Dore have only lost one game this season to league leaders AS Magenta, and look likely to push them all the way this year as they sit in third place.

AS Lossi beat table dwellers AS Thio Sport in the final game of the round, a result which pushes them into fourth spot, two points clear of FC Gaitcha.

FCF Super Ligue action continues this week with several mouthwatering clashes in prospect with AS Magenta clashing with FC Gaitcha at Stade Numa Daly, ACB Poya hosting JS Baco, AS Mont Dore playing cup-holders AS Lossi in the match of the round, and AS Temala hosting AS Thio Sport.

In the race for the FCF Super Ligue golden boot, New Caledonia international striker Michel Hmae leads the way with seven goals with Gael Ouedoy of AS Temala and Robert Wayaidri of JS Baco in hot pursuit.

Hmae scored twice for New Caledonia during its recent OFC Nations Cup/2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa qualifiers against Fiji in Ba and Noumea as Didier Chambaron's men secured a 3-3 away draw and 4-0 home win.
 

FCF SUPER LIGUE RESULTS: JS Baco 2, AS Magenta 2; AS Temala 6, ACB Poya 1; AS Mont Dore 3, FC Gaitcha 1; AS Lossi  2, AS Thio Sport 1.

FCF SUPER LIGUE – STANDINGS

 Win = 4 pts, Draw = 2pts, Loss = 1pt

 FCF SUPER LIGUE TOP GOALSCORERS

AUCKLAND- Eleven months out from the inaugural FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in New Zealand, the host team begins its on-field build-up with an international series against South Korea.

The Young Football Ferns’ three matches against the Korea Republic in December will also be New Zealand’s first ever official U-17 women’s internationals.

A squad of 20 has been announced for the three games with the stand-out name being Annalie Longo’s. Already New Zealand’s youngest ever full international when she made her Football Ferns debut – aged 15 – a year ago, Longo recently became the second youngest player (male or female) from any country to play in a senior World Cup.

The other player with international experience under her belt is Caitlin Campbell who picked up two senior caps last year after being part of the U-20 World Cup squad – along with Longo – that managed a draw with eventual bronze medallists Brazil.

Click the link below for the latest in New Zealand Football news... 

Auckland - American Samoa football has long been a curiosity for football fans around the world with most of that intrigue based around the tiny territory and its lowly FIFA ranking. It's last engagement with the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Qualifiers/XIII South Pacific Games - Samoa 2007 once again left it on the wrong end of some hefty scorelines.

But much has changed since the XIII South Pacific Games. Gone is the American Samoa Football Association (ASFA) and in its place Football Federation American Samoa (FFAS) following a Founding Congress called by the 27 clubs that make up the countries football structure. OFC Media caught up with FFAS Chairperson, the straight-talking no-nonsense Mrs. Pou Supapo, who shed some light on the unique challenges facing one of FIFA and OFC's smallest member associations.
 

FIFA and OFC had worked hard to provide a roadmap toward an elected administrative body in the country after years of a Normalisation Committee charged with restoring a professional administration to how football was run with Normalisation Committee chairperson Mrs. Pou Supapo pleased to announce that FFAS’s inaugural Congress would be held on December 12^th, 2007.

Chairperson Pou Supapo is pleased with developments over the past two years and – as the only woman to hold the top job in a member association, Supapo has overseen a dramatic change in the way football is viewed in the territory.

But the challenges were not just football ones; Supapo was an interloper because she was a woman in a culture where there is a clear delineation of responsibility according to gender. Men make all the decisions, women stay at home.

“People say everything is equal, but that is not the case in practice. At times I felt like walking away, but I wanted to change things for football in American Samoa. We have had political problems here for nearly ten years and it did take a strain on my family and work.”

Supapo is a Lieutenant in the American Samoa police force and will complete 20 years service in 2008. Her involvement with football came about because the two sub-stations entered local football competitions as part of a regime designed in the absence of a physical fitness programme. Police officers, their families, wives, relatives, would all combine and enter as a club in the local competitions.

She says that in American Samoa there are only three choices for young people: a career in the US Military, a job in American Samoa’s tuna industry, or become a talented American Football player.

“There are nearly 200,000 people of American Samoa background in the US military so this is a very real career option for our people. Understand that American Samoa exports only one product – tuna – so the other career option is to take a job in the local cannery for $140.00USD per week. The final option is to become very talented at American Football and get a college scholarship in mainland USA,” Supapo says.

In 2004 a census in American Samoa revealed that of the territories 68,000 inhabitants, only 11,000 were eligible to vote, illustrating the struggle FFAS has in selecting a team of high quality to compete within OFC. With teenagers aspiring to join the military, player retention is an even tougher prospect with most young people joining up with the US military shortly after their 18^th birthday.

“The military option comes with a range of benefits including pension, free transportation, medical and education advantages and so FFAS faces incredible challenges in building up our strength in football. But football has some advantages that other sports do not,” Supapo says.

First and foremost of these is that due to the success of the FIFA Goal Project at Pago Pago Park, football is the only sport on the island that begins at grassroots elementary level, enabling children and parents to attend matches as part of a family process. No other sports code has an organised structure until high school. Supapo says the idea of family participation links in strongly with the American Samoa culture itself, where community and spending time together are intrinsic values.

“Football is very popular amongst children and parents alike and there is a cultural appeal that families in American Samoa can easily identify with. Sports like baseball and American Football don’t have this quality.”

Supapo says the opening of Pago Pago Stadium was by far her most emotional day after two years at the helm of ASFA as it was then, and she will bear no malice if one day she finds herself no longer involved in football. For a country that did not have a venue for eleven-a-side football until recently, the positive effect cannot be understated. American Samoa even participated in FIFA Fairplay Day as hundreds of children gathered to acknowledge that football was not just about winning or results – it was about understanding the spirit in which football is played.

“I was so excited when the Goal Project opened. Christian Karembeu was there and he was a big hit with the children who didn’t know who he was at first, but once they discovered he was an islander like them, from New Caledonia, and won the FIFA World Cup, there was a relationship there. It is much harder for children from American Samoa to identify with a sports hero from mainland US than it is an islander. For me, every time I drive past our FIFA Goal Project, I will always smile and be able to say to myself, ‘I had something to do with that’ and feel proud of what we have achieved.”

Christian Karembeu’s appearance at Pago Pago Park left a happy ambience in American Samoa with most of the territories big heroes in American Football virtual strangers to the island.

“Christian is an Oceania hero, and FIFA’s good work has left other sports feeling a sense of jealousy. FIFA has given a lot back to FFAS whereas other athletes and codes that have recruited talented players have not given anything back. There are a lot of American Samoan NFL players, but they have little to do with the island,” Supapo says.

The Pago Pago Park complex now hosts FFAS’s men’s and women’s football competitions.

The Ba football team received a rousing welcome on it’s way back home from Suva as fans gathered to catch a glimpse of the giants of Fiji football.

The Vodafone Ba side left Suva yesterday morning after winning the 69th Courts Homecentres Inter District Competition.

Ba president Rishi Kumar said it was an emotional moment for the team to see fans from places like Sigatoka, Nadi and Lautoka stop the team to congratulate them.

"We had the players being treated as real heroes and there were fans who had the players signing autographs for the fans," Kumar said.
"We stopped at Korotogo, Nadi and Lautoka before reaching home where the atmosphere was electrifying."

Ba will reveal today as to when the celebrations will take place in the soccer crazy town. The management was to have met last night and decide on how the celebrations would take place.
Vodafone the main sponsors of the side are still awaiting word from Ba on the celebrations.

Manager corporate affairs Shalendra Prasad said he would be in a better position to reveal today what the plans would be.
The company has been impressed with Ba's win.

- The Fiji Times

HONIARA - City teams East and Central Honiara both edged closer to qualification today by recording their biggest scores in Our Telekom Cup action.

East Honiara beat Avaiki 7-0 while Central Honiara hammered a hapless Lauru Kuvojo 9-0 to keep their hopes alive.

Prior to today’s match Central Honiara had recorded only one win, one draw and one loss so it was a real relief for them to get the victory. It means that a win for them in their final match against Western Turtles will lift them to equal points with Our Kakamora and the Turtles, both sitting on 10 points.

Central Honiara’s large score line against Lauru Kuvojo could prove decisive if they can go on to beat the Turtles.

Likewise, a win for Temotu Arrows will also see them sharing 10 points with the others and it will come down to goal difference to decide which teams progresses to the next stage.

Given this scenario, the two early leaders will need to win or draw their final matches to be on the safe zone. At the moment, Central Honiara and Temotu Arrows are also vying for the two vacant semis spot.

In Pool A, both Honiara teams have a decent chance to qualify. The two will be playing tomorrow in the final match while Guadalcanal, who have a remote chance of qualifying will be looking to East Honiara to do them a favor by beating their cross-town brothers West Honiara.

Guadalcanal Hornets will be playing Avaiki Chiefs in their final match tomorrow and need to win it to keep their hope of qualifying alive. If they win, they will be on nine points with West Honiara. A loss for them will definitely eliminate them from the competition.

HONIARA - Security was beefed up at Lawson Tama stadium today with increased police presence following the disturbance on Saturday which left buildings and properties damaged by angry fans following the match between Honiara and Malaita Eagles.

It is understood that police will maintain their presence in and around the Lawson Tama ground over the next few days till the finals on Saturday to ensure security is up to scratch to prevent a repeat of what had happened on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the number of spectators who came out today dropped slightly because of the incident on Saturday. However, SIFF is confident that this will improve in the coming days.

Team Wellington continued their perfect record of five from five by beating Canterbury United at English Park on Sunday.

The win keeps them two points ahead of nearest challenger Auckland FC who needed an 85th minute winner to overcome Waikato FC at Waikato Stadium.

Wellington were missing two of their most influential players with All Whites Andy Barron and Daniel Ellenshon both out injured but this didn’t stop them running away with a scrappy 1-0 win on the road. A low strike from Wiremu Patrick from well outside the box was all that was required to take the three points home to Wellington and set a new league mark for the most wins in succession at the start of a season.

Auckland FC may count themselves lucky after giving away a two goal lead to Waikato before earning a dubious 85th minute penalty to win the game.  After getting off to a flying start with goals to Bryan Little and Ben Sigmund in the first half City took the foot off the gas and they nearly paid the price. A spirited second half revival from Waikato earned them a penalty in the 47th minute, converted by Rob Gill, then an equaliser in the 67th from former City player Sam Wilkinson. 
It was a tense final twenty minutes where the game could have swung either way before the ball unexpectedly hit Shaun Van Rooyens' arm in the box and the referee awarded a penalty. NZFC top scorer Bryan Little stepped up to put away the spot kick and earned his side a hard fought three points.

In matches played on Saturday Waitakere cruised to a 3-1 victory over Manawatu, while Hawkes Bay needed an 88th minute Stu Wilson strike to overcome table dwellers Otago 1-0.

An injury hit Ba came back from the dead to take out the 69th Courts Homecenters Inter District Competition as the side retained its title beating Nadi 2-1 in the final yesterday.

The Vodafone Ba side showed that they can never be counted out by coming back from 1-0 down in extra time to get the win.
After Viliame Toma had given Nadi a 1-0 lead, Avinesh Swamy leveled scores with a classic freekick. Minutes later it was Malakai Tiwa who got the winner as he nodded home a cross from the right flank.

Ba coach Yogendra Datt said that in his entire coaching career he had never seen a team of such dedicated and disciplined players.
 “Some of the players are so injured that they shouldn’t be playing but they still did what was needed and that was to win,” Datt said.
“When we were down 1-0 the boys talked that they had 10 minutes to go and they could do it and they did.”

Ba president Rishi Kumar said despite being written off, his side showed what local talent could do.
“The players we have are local and young and have come on in place of the key players we have lost,” Kumar said.
“It’s just so great and I must thank the lord."
“There’s just so much happiness which we feel because of what we have achieved against all odds.”

Ba mayor Pravin Bala said he had told the teams before the start of the tournament to win against all odds.
“The players have done it and we will celebrate it in style,” Bala said.

Datt started Malakai Tiwa in place of Ronald Lawrence and had to start with Epeli Codro at goalkeeper in place of suspended Jone Sorolo.

Ba started the match on a slow pace but picked up momentum with time and the deft touches between the Men in Black players started to break the Nadi defence.
It was only the finishing which was lacking.

As the first half drew nearer to the break, Nadi started to find some space and rhythm and tested the Ba defence and goalkeeper Epeli Codro.

However both sides rested 0-0 at the break.

The start of the second half saw Nadi come out firing and they were awarded a free kick on the edge of the penalty box. However a powerful shot by Marika Namaqa was saved by Codro.

Ba slowly started to take control again and continued to make inroads in the Nadi defence but the finishing was absent again.

Both teams picked up the pace and the action see sawed from one end to another as the match approached the last 10 minutes. There was little between the two teams as the match approached full time.

Nadi’s new find Ratu Josefata Dugucagi was a nemesis for Ba as he time and again put the Blacks defence under pressure. However both teams couldn’t get the required winner and the match headed into 20 minutes extra time.
It was all action go when Toma nailed in the goal in the ninth minute of extra time.
Nadi couldn’t hold on as Swamy leveled the scores in the first minute of the second spell of extra time.

Ba
Epeli Codro, Malakai Kenihewe, Jone Vesikula, Joeli Ranitu, Avinesh Swamy, Keni Doidoi (Rinal Prasad), Malakai Tiwa, Kini Viliame, Shalen Lal, Tuimasi Manuca (Nuimaia Tagi), Josaia Bukalidi (Ronald Lawrence).

Nadi
Ben Amino, Marika Namaqa, Michael Maharaj, Josefa Tabusau (Ravikesh Narayan), Eliki Ravosai, Mirko Mamic (Viliame Toma), Netani Momaivalu, Marika Madigi (Maika Kasami), Peniasi Vakasaukuru, Inoke Nakicia, Josefata Dugucagi (Uraia Loki).

INDRA SINGH

Guadalcanal beat Isabel 5-0 in Womans Solomon Cup Action at the weekend, with goals from Betty Maenu’u (2), Jacinta Labacha, and Audrey Jack.

In the other match Western drew 1-1 with Honiara after taking an early lead through Mary Dongai in the 21st minute.

The teams struggled throughout the first twenty minutes to create chances due in large to a stellar defensive display from both teams. Dongai took the lead for Western after receiving a through ball from teammate Noelyn Wagapu and skipped past a Honiara defender before dribbling around the goalkeeper and slotting the ball into the net.

Honiara came back in the second half with more determination and that was rewarded in the first minute when Mary Boe connected on a rebound and smacked it into the near post where Western’s goalkeeper could do little about it. There were no more goals in the match where both defenses would be proud of their performances.