HONIARA: By PRIESTLEY HABRU - JP Su'uria extended its lead in the `S' League table tally when they defeated a determined Agfa Hana side 3-0 at Lawson Tama Stadium. Two goals from captain Commins Menapi and a magical goal from veteran international Batram Suri was enough to extend JP Su'uria's winning streak.

Agfa Hana had few chances but were either wasted or lacked the finishing power from their strikers. Cliff Omari who played behind Stanley Waita and Duddley Seda had an early good ball from the left side.

Three corners by Agfa were also never utilised as JP's

Leslie Leo, Nelson Sale and Derick Taebo held the defensive line after some early pressure from the Agfa team. By PRIESTLEY HABRU

(read full story on the Solomon Islands website - just click to the SIFF link on the homepage)

SYDNEY: By Benjamin Coonan - The week ending the 21st of March was a most successful one at all of the Islanders playing abroad in Australia's state leagues.

A clean sheet from Samoan goalkeeper Pasi Schwalger helped Preston Lions maintain their six game unbeaten streak, as they accounted for Essendon Royals 1-0 away from home.

The Lions currently sit in first place after six rounds of the VPL, two points ahead of this weekend's opponent Bullen Zebras, who they will face in front of what is expected to be a large turnout at Preston's Flying Lions Stadium.

Schwalger's clean sheet was his second in succession and fourth of the campaign. A positive sign for Samoan coach David Brand ahead of May's World Cup Qualifiers.

Further north and there was more good news for Vanuatuan pair Etienne Mermer and Richard Iwai at Mitchelton SC.

Mitchie came up trumps 1-0 away to Souths United with a goal from Mermer proving to be the difference.

The win was Mitchie's second on the trot and saw them move to fifth place with seven points.

This Saturday, Mitchelton face fourth placed Brisbane City at home in what is effectively a six pointer, given that the sides are currently separated only by goal difference.

PAPEETE: Pirae took a giant step towards securing the defence of its championship title with a closely fought 1-0 win over rivals Tefana last weekend. Hungry to avenge their defeat to Tefana in the last meeting of the two teams in the Tahiti Cup final, Pirae got the points and now head the top four pack by three points ahead of round 3 this week.

Manu Ura also kept itself in the hunt with a commanding 5-1 win over hapless Tamarii Faa'a with marksman Ramon Djamali to the fore with a hat-trick of goals. The win propels Manu Ura to second place on the ladder on goal difference ahead of Tefana who beat them in the first round of the playoffs.

Tamarii Faa'a languishes at the bottom without a win but will look to redress that anomaly when they take on Tefana this week while Pirae faces a tough challenge against Manu Ura. With the cream of the Tahitian national squad spread amongst the four teams, the players will all be hoping to perform at their maximum over the remaining rounds with national team selection looming ahead of the OFC Nations Cup/World Cup qualifiers in May.

Tahiti Championship playoffs

Results:

Week 2

Pirae-Tefana 1-0

Manu Ura-Tamarii Faa¹a 5-1

Points ladder (top four)

Teams Pts P W D L F A Diff

1. Pirae 8 2 2 0 0 5 1 +4

2. Manu Ura 5 2 1 0 1 5 2 +3

3. Tefana 5 2 1 0 1 1 1 0

4. Tam. Faa¹a 2 2 0 0 2 2 9 -7

Key: win 4 pts, draw 2 pts, defeat 1 pt.

Round 3 draw

Pirae-Manu Ura

Tamarii Faa¹a-Tefana

Round 4 draw

Pirae-Tamarii Faa¹a

Manu Ura-Tefana

Tahiti Championship - promotion/relegation

Results:

Week 2

Vénus-Arue 7-0

Dragon-PTT 3-0

Round 3 draw

Arue-Dragon

Vénus-PTT

Round 4 draw

Arue-PTT

Dragon-Vénus

Points Table (Promotion/relegation)

Teams Pts P W D L F A Diff

1. Vénus 8 2 2 0 0 8 0 +8

2. Dragon 5 2 1 0 1 3 1 +2

3. PTT 5 2 1 0 1 2 4 -2

4. Arue 2 2 0 0 2 1 9 -8

SFSF: Newly promoted Moamoa took on the might of Sogi in the GM Bakery Cup last weekend in round 3 action and for ¾ of the match they gave as much as they got. Sogi faced a determined Moamoa outfit looking to cause the first big upset of the season and in an entertaining opening period, they matched the Cup holders stride for stride.

In an end to end encounter both sides missed good opportunities but Setufanu and Tokuma in the Moamoa and Sogi goals respectively kept a clean sheet until right on half time. In a typical Sogi fast break the ball finally found Lene who unleashed an unstoppable right foot shot from just outside of the penalty area as he bore in on the right side. 1-0 to Sogi at the break and an exciting 2nd half looked in store, but this was not to be.

Moamoa were keeping Sogi danger man Ben Timo in check in the 2nd half, but numerous stoppages for niggling little injuries started to break up the flow and rhythm of the game. Moamoa lost midfield dynamo Manu and the tide started to turn in Sogi's favour. Moamoa pushed players forward in an effort to snatch an equaliser, which naturally left them short at the back on numerous occasions. Ben Timo twice hit the woodwork when scoring seemed easier. Lene conjured up the miss of the match when he completely missed the target, with an open goal at his mercy, for Timo to blaze over the subsequent rebound, when a clinical finish was needed.

The game eventually finished with Moamoa running out of ideas but they will take this performance as a positive and into the regular season no doubt full of confidence that they can compete at this level once again.

Lupe ole Soaga were due to face Strickland Brothers Lepea, but the game ended in a walkover, following the none appearance of the Reds. The choice between rugby and soccer at the Lepea club is now most certainly an issue and information received points towards this. Not a satisfactory outcome for soccer, when other teams wishing to play, cannot.

Moataa met fellow strugglers Vaivasetai with both teams looking to improve on last week's performance. Once again a disappointing game with Moataa running out 2-1 winners against a depleted Vaivasetai who seem to be a shade of the side from last year.

In the other game completed, Kiwi retained the Ladies Cup with a 1-0 victory over new comers Carlton. Despite the majority of possession and numerous chances, Kiwi failed to convert their superiority, but finally overcame the gallant Carlton side, with a late goal to run out victors.

Torrential overnight rain washed out games on the top, field much to the disappointment of National Coach David Brand, whose Manumea side were denied their game against Sinamoga, at a crucial time in the squad's preparation. With the naming of the final squad just over a week away this was a huge dent in the teams selection process and the opportunity for players to impress. At the end of the day he was certainly an unhappy man.

"Look we cannot do anything about the weather and yes teams in the past have failed to appear, but I have to be honest and say that I am most frustrated that Lepea did not turn up. I feel for Lupe as well, after looking forward to and preparing all week for the game. Then there is money they have wasted today, including loss of wages for players. Lets also not forget the other sides, which could not play due to the weather and financial losses for the federation. For me there is no excuse for not notifying the federation that your team is unavailable. Fixtures could have been rearranged to make the most of the weather condition's much to the satisfaction of many supporters and teams, but no opportunity was given and the National team is one of many to suffer," he said.

Brand nevertheless was full of praise for the Tuanaimato staff with the following comments.

" The International field was in superb condition once again, with games scheduled to start on time. The ground staff must be congratulated on the work they do to maintain the fields in such magnificent condition. The volume of rain overnight was tremendous but the drainage on the No 1 field once again held up. I am certainly appreciative of their efforts which makes training and playing at Tuanaimato a pleasure."

SAMOA FOOTBALL SOCCER FEDERATION

G.M.BAKERY LTD CUP

ROUND 3 RESULTS

SATURDAY 20 MARCH 2004

TOLEAFOA JS BLATTER SOCCER COMPLEX TUANAIMATO

FIELD NO1

10.00am Lupe ole Soaga WBD vs Lepea Men

11.45am Moataa 2 vs 1 Vaivasetai Men

1.20pm Kiwi 1 vs 0 Carlton Ladies Cup

3.00pm Gold Star Sogi 1 vs 0 Moamoa Men Cup

FFA: Ba and Rewa have surpassed Lautoka at the top of the National Soccer League points table after big wins in the weekend. Rewa defeating a spirited Nadroga side 2-0 while Ba annihilated Tavua 8-0.

Ba, with a better goal average has solidified the top spot.

The onslaught by the men in black from Ba began in the 18th minute when a pass from Josaia Bukalidi allowed national mid-fielder Salesh Kumar to score the first goal. Ba led the disorganised Tavua 5-0 at the break after Kumar, Bukalidi and Shalend Lal all featured prominently.

At Lawaqa Park, a youthful Stallions outfit held off a resurgent Rewan side until well into the last quarter. The Nadroga management heaped praises on their young players, some of whom were playing their first game for Nadroga.

At Thompson Park, Nasinu managed what most other teams could not when it draw with Navua 1-1 and returned home with a point.

Suva was outclassed at home as Nadi thumped the Whites 4-0 at the National Stadium.

Both sides had match to adjust their game play to the wet pitch and the first half started evenly with strong defence from both sides. Ovini Duguca scored Nadi's first goal from a defensive blunder in Suva's penalty box.

Nadi went into halftime with a 1-0 lead.

Nadi returned strong in the second half with it's second goal from national rep Veresa Toma. Nadi's third goal of the night came from Thomas Robert, minutes from restart after Toma's goal.

Toma ended Suva's night with a classic power goal to end the end the match 4-0.

Weekend scores:

Ba 4-0 Nadi

Lautoka 3-2 Nadroga

Suva 2-0 Navua

Rewa 3-2 Nasinu

ASA: The Australian Soccer Association (ASA) announced today that it has formed a significant new partnership with Nike, which will have a positive impact on the future of soccer in Australia.

As the new official supplier of apparel, footwear and ball to ASA, Nike will provide all the national soccer teams with the most innovative product on the market.

ASA Chief Executive John O'Neill was delighted with the partnership agreement reached with leading sportswear giant Nike, highlighting the close association of Nike with the global soccer world.

"ASA is proud to announce today that we have secured Nike as our official supplier of apparel, footwear and ball to all our national soccer teams, both men's and women's," said John O'Neill.

"As we begin to re-vitalise our organisation to lead the whole of soccer in Australia and help the Socceroos qualify for the FIFA World Cup in Germany 2006, it is appropriate that we establish strategic partnerships with leading global companies, especially when they are so closely associated with our sport around the world, with some of the most famous soccer countries and clubs.

"ASA will continue to look at ways of capitalising on commercial opportunities that will help us grow soccer within Australia, both at the elite level through all our national teams and via the burgeoning grassroots numbers, and with Nike now on board we can work closely together to further develop initiatives and programs to help us achieve our goals," said Mr O'Neill.

Nike Pacific Managing Director Tony Balfour said: "This is an era of change which Nike is excited to be a part of. We have been keen to have an association with soccer in Australia due to our global commitment to the game and the enormous popularity of the sport at a grassroots level.

"The opportunity arose and the timing is perfect for us to help the game fulfil its potential in Australia. This partnership is significantly more than a traditional sponsorship arrangement. Nike and Australian Soccer will be working with a shared sense of purpose and a united vision for the game which includes the development of a grassroots program.

"That said Nike will play a significant role in giving coach Frank Farina and the Socceroos the best opportunity to qualify for the World Cup in 2006 by providing the team with a new line of footwear and apparel to give players an on-field advantage."

Development of the Socceroos playing strip is well underway and is due to be launched mid-year. The first on-field Nike presence will be 30 March 2004 when the Socceroos play South Africa in London.

Australia national soccer teams will join an illustrious group of Nike teams, including World Champions Brazil, English Champions Manchester United, Premiership giants Arsenal, Spanish legends Barcelona, Juventus, Inter Milan of the Italian Serie A, and European glamour team Holland. They also join an emerging powerhouse of soccer nations including the USA and Korea.

ASA: The chairman of the Australian Soccer Association (ASA), Mr Frank Lowy and Chief Executive, Mr John O'Neill, have today announced a number of significant initiatives for soccer in Australia.

The Socceroos will play in Australia for the first time in nearly three years, when they take on 2002 FIFA World Cup semi-finalist Turkey at Aussie Stadium in Sydney on Friday 21 May and at the Telstra Dome in Melbourne on Monday 24 May. Turkey, ranked number 9 in the world just behind England & Argentina but ahead of Germany & Italy, will face the Socceroos prior to the critical stage 2 of the OFC World Cup qualifiers to be held in Australia between 28 May and 6 June 2004.

Following the two-match test series against Turkey, the Socceroos will take on the OFC's best nations, as the top-two teams then qualify for the final phase of OFC World Cup qualifying in September 2005, with the OFC winner then playing-off against the fifth-placed CONMEBOL team in November 2005.

The new national competition will start in 2005 with eight teams - one team each from Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, Newcastle and New Zealand (Auckland), with the final team to be selected from the remaining expressions of interest. The Expressions of Interest document for the new competition will be released by ASA in mid-April, with the submission period open for six weeks until the end of May, followed by an evaluation period of a further six weeks before the eight teams are announced in mid-July.

Whilst the formal commencement of the new national competition will be July/August 2005, there will be a `soft' opening season in early 2005 with a shortened format.

This will be the first stage in the development of the new national competition and will provide the basic structure for further expansion. In the second stage, ASA will actively work towards evolving a truly national competition embracing teams from all major Australian cities and regions. These could include Canberra, Hobart, Wollongong, North Queensland and others and commercial interests have already indicated a willingness to explore these options.

The third stage will involve further strengthening the game by seeking additional international club tournament opportunities - such as a Pacific Rim tournament - in Australia with regional clubs from Asia, USA and Africa from early 2006 onwards. In time, ASA hopes to build its international relationships where member clubs of Australia's premier domestic competition will receive tournament or continental cup invitations from regional neighbours.

ASA has held a series of meetings with potential broadcasters and sponsors who have shown keen interest in the new competition but have been awaiting further detail. Today's announcement of the structure and timing of the new league will enable negotiations to begin in earnest and ASA expects to finalise these arrangements in a timely manner.

The ASA board praised the work of the NSL Task Force which provided the framework for the new competition and will adopt many of the key NSL Task Force report recommendations, including: -

The criteria and benchmarks required to be achieved by clubs

The minimum funding required by a club

The method of selecting clubs

The process of transition to the new competition

Guaranteed five year tenure for clubs

Guaranteed five year exclusive territorial rights in all centres outside Sydney and Melbourne

The measures designed to stem the outflow of players and to attract overseas players back to Australia

For financial, structural and efficiency reasons, the board of ASA will also serve as the board of the new national competition for the first three years or so.

In addition, ASA will establish an Advisory Council in conjunction with the new domestic competition to liaise regularly with ASA. The Council will comprise people chosen from members of the NSL Task Force and of the Implementation Team and will include people experienced in the Australian soccer community.

In other developments: -

STATE PRESIDENT'S MEETING

The Chairman and Chief Executive met yesterday with State Presidents to brief them on plans for the new national competition and other developments. The meeting was a very constructive and open session that signalled a unity of purpose among the stakeholders in Australian soccer. The State Presidents were briefed first hand to the greatest extent possible and were then invited to raise any issues on behalf of their constituents.

FIFA/OFC

Ron Harvey was on Saturday elected Vice President of the Oceania Football Confederation, resulting in him being appointed to the FIFA Executive Committee, and being one of only eight FIFA Vice Presidents. This is the first time an Australian has been appointed to this important position and furthers ASA's goal of elevating the standing of OFC and Australia in the world soccer community.

ASA: In what is certain to be their final season in Australia's national soccer competition, Parramatta Power has assured themselves and their fans of the chance to win their first National Soccer League title after a clinical and well-deserved 2-0 victory over rivals Perth Glory in the major semi final second leg clash at Members Equity Stadium on Saturday night.

Not only did the comprehensive win seal Power's spot in a grand final for the first time (6-2 on aggregate to the Power), it also condemned Perth to their first loss at home this season.

An early goal from brilliant wide man Ahmad Elrich (pictured below left) and the sealer from veteran Saso Petrovski on 66 minutes settled the occasion and sparked subsequent scenes of jubilation on the Power bench.

"I am immensely elated with the performance", Power coach Nick Theodorakopoulos said. "The score speaks for itself and everyone saw for themselves tonight why Parramatta is a special team".

"For my players, being 4-2 up on aggregate was a psychological advantage, because if it was 5-2, we would have sat back and thought the tie was over."

"We did the job in style tonight, which is a big bonus".

Power skipper Alvin Ceccoli said the match tonight was testament to the players' and coaches' hard work.

"The effort and hard work everyone has done throughout the year came into fruition tonight", he said. "We backed ourselves (to win this tie) and we've done it".

Theodorakopoulos also mentioned in the press conference that the club will be making a "surprise announcement" on Monday evening.

Of course, the game had to have some controversy. Perth had two penalty appeals - one in each half - waved away by referee Matthew Breeze and a goal disallowed for offside minutes after the main interval.

A lob into the Power box saw Damian Mori and Power keeper Clint Bolton contest for the ball. Mori was adjudged to have headed the ball on to substitute Adrian Caceres, who duly finished with the easiest of tap-ins. No flag was raised and after the Power players swamped the linesman, Breeze ran over to discuss the matter with the concerned assistant and after a few minutes of deliberation, controversially reversed the goal and awarded the Power a free kick for offside.

Some would argue that the goal would have provided the turning point, but that incident should not overshadow the display the Power exhibited for the away fans tonight.

Bearing the scars of a two-goal deficit going into this match, many were expecting the Glory to mount onslaught after onslaught in the search for a vital early goal, but to the team's and the crowd's disappointment, chances of threatening Bolton's goal were surprisingly scarce.

Much credit for this was due to Parramatta's three-man defence of Michael Beauchamp, Paul O'Grady and Ceccoli. Their resolute defending really kept the Glory at bay and it forced the home side to settle with speculative chances from difficult positions.

The performance of the back three also helped lay the foundations for a great result, which will no doubt boost their confidence ten-fold when it comes to grand final time on April 4.

With Travis Dodd in for Lucas Pantelis on the left flank and Petrovski replacing the injured Fernando Rech up front, the Power's formidable starting line-up was ultimately too strong for a Glory side that seemed to lack imagination, determination and motivation.

The opening stages were littered with scheming attempts by both sides to identify key weaknesses in the opposition, which provided some relatively open, end-to-end football. However, neither side could penetrate the rearguard and test the keeper, until the 15-minute mark, when Power drew first blood.

Dodd moved down the left wing before sending in a cross that was not cleared well. The ball then found its way to Ante Milicic in the middle of the box before he headed on to the unmarked Elrich, who came steaming up the right side of the box.

Elrich coolly volleyed home from close range to hand the Glory a psychological blow.

Theodorakopoulos branded Dodd the man-of-the-match, but said it was too early to decide if he would remain in the starting line-up for the grand final.

Many a times throughout the match, Perth were undermanned at the back and the free space within the defence inevitably plotted their downfall when Petrovski struck 21 minutes after the restart.

Like the first leg, the Power found plenty of space across the park, more so when the game wore on as Perth were often reluctant to put their bodies on the line and make some crucial tackles.

11 minutes after Elrich, Peter Zorbas and Milicic combined in a dangerous counter-attack, before the latter shot wide, Elrich bolted through the middle and reached the tip of the box before he laid the ball off to Petrovski on the right. His first-time strike left Perth keeper Jason Petkovic with no chance.

Glory had chances of their own but their finishing let them down. At times, they often ran into dead ends when they attacked. Nick Mrdja struggled to find his feet and Mori looked lost without the influence and partnership of regular partner Bobby Despotovski.

In a well-worked move on 25 minutes, Gary Faria picked up the ball in the middle of the park before finding Brad Hassell nearby. Hassell then switched to Tom Pondeljak (pictured right) - who was starting on the right flank to try and take advantage of the Power's perceived weakness on their left - on the edge of the box before his nicely struck shot sailed just over Bolton's bar.

Just one minute into the second half though, Perth should have equalised.

Hassell stormed through the middle before finding Mrdja, who was clear on goal. With defenders in hot pursuit, Mrdja sliced his shot wide with his weaker right foot, and had only Bolton to beat.

Frustration at being two goals behind eventually took its toll on some players, when for the second time in a row, the Glory had another player receive his marching orders.

With just over 15 minutes to go, Hassell turned around and lashed out at Petrovski, who was applying some hard pressure in a tussle for possession in the middle of the park.

At the end of the day, Perth's inability to put away good chances over the two legs ultimately thwarted their objective of qualifying for the grand final.

"Over the two games, they've given us a lesson in finishing," Glory coach Mich d'Avray said.

"The first goal (tonight) was always going to be vital, and when they scored that, it really dampened the whole atmosphere," he said.

"We kept on going...(but) their second goal was the final nail in the coffin".

One positive d'Avray pointed out was the way Hassell played in central midfield as part of a restructured centre line.

"Hassell was comfortable in that position as he doesn't give the ball away too often. (In regards to) Pondeljak however, it didn't quite materialise with him".

Perth now turns their attention to Sunday week at Subiaco Oval, where they will face off against Adelaide United in the preliminary final. Parramatta meanwhile, has a well-earnt week's rest.

Major Semi Final 2nd leg

PERTH GLORY 0

PARRAMATTA POWER 2 (A Elrich 15', S Petrovski 65')

(Parramatta Power win 6-2 on aggregate)

Cautions: M Thompson (PP) 87'

Red Card: B Hassell (PG) 84'

Venue: Members Equity Stadium

Referee: Matthew Breeze

Crowd: 14,023

Minor Semi Final

ADELAIDE UNITED 2 (R Aloisi 71', R Alagich 105' pen)

SOUTH MELBOURNE 1 (M Curcija 12')

(After extra time)

Cautions: A Kovacevic (SM) 105', L Osman (SM) 105'

Red Card: S Poutakidis (SM) 47'+

Venue: Hindmarsh Stadium

Referee: Simon Micallef

Crowd: 16,558

ASA: Australian national coach Frank Farina today announced his 22-man Socceroos squad to face South Africa (Bafana Bafana) in London, England on Tuesday 30 March. The match is due to be played at 8pm, London time, at the Loftus Road stadium - the current home ground of Fulham & Queens Park Rangers.

Farina has named a full-strength squad for the international clash, with Italian Serie B player Massimiliano (Max) Vieri - who scored the winning goal in Napoli's 2-1 win over Torino on Sunday -gaining a senior team call-up in an expanded 22-man playing squad. Max Vieri is the younger brother of Inter Milan (Italy) superstar Christian Vieri and has been invited into the Socceroo squad by coach Frank Farina.

Millwall's Tim Cahill gets his first official call up to the Socceroos squad since FIFA deemed him eligible to play for Australia in January. Cahill, who has been in sensational form for Millwall in the past month, couldn't play for Australia after representing Western Samoa as a 14 year old nearly 10 years ago. He joined up with the Socceroos as an unofficial squad member when Australia played the Republic of Ireland last August in Dublin

Paul Okon also returns to the squad after missing the Venezuela game following his recent transfer to Belgium club Oostende.

The complete 22-man squad is: -

AGOSTINO Paul - TSV 1860 Munchen GERMANY

ALOISI John - Athletico Osasuna SPAIN

BRESCIANO Marco - Parma ITALY

CAHILL Tim - Millwall ENGLAND

CHIPPERFIELD Scott - FC Basel SWITZERLAND

EMERTON Brett - Blackburn Rovers ENGLAND

KALAC Zeljko (gk) - Perugia ITALY

KEWELL Harry - Liverpool FC ENGLAND

LAYBUTT Steve - Royal Excelsior Mouscron BELGIUM

LAZARIDIS Stan - Birmingham City ENGLAND

MOORE Craig - Rangers SCOTLAND

MUSCAT Kevin - Millwall ENGLAND

NEILL Lucas - Blackburn Rovers ENGLAND

OKON Paul - KV Oostende BELGIUM

POPOVIC Tony - Crystal Palace ENGLAND

SCHWARZER Mark (gk) - Middlesbrough ENGLAND

SKOKO Josip - Genclerbirligi TURKEY

STERJOVSKI Mile - Lille FRANCE

VIDMAR Tony - Cardiff City WALES

VIERI Max - Napoli ITALY

VIDUKA Mark - Leeds United ENGLAND

ZDRILIC David - Aberdeen SCOTLAND

Profiles of the players are available on the Australian Soccer Association website, click on National Teams, then Socceroos, then from the 'Select Other Information' drop-box choose player profiles.

www.australiansoccer.com.au

Asked about the inclusion of Cahill and Vieri, Farina said "Obviously both are players we've been looking at for a while.

"Max Vieri, I actually approached him two years ago and unfortunately we couldn't get anything going at that time, but it is good to have him in. He is technically a very good player and he'll come in and we'll have a look at him.

"Timmy Cahill, its' been four and half years that we've been trying to rectify his situation and its finally happened. He is very happy, keen as mustard and looking forward to getting into camp."

Australia has played South Africa on 23 previous occasions, including 17 matches at senior level with the Socceroos winning 5 times, 1 draw and 11 wins to the Bafana Bafana. The last match against South Africa was on 18 September 1996 in Johannesburg, with the Bafana Bafana winning 2-0.

The Australia line-up that day was: - Zeljko Kalac, Andrew Marth, Robbie Hooker, Milan Ivanovic, Tony Popovic (red card 28'), Alex Tobin (Capt), Craig Foster (Warren Spink 70'), Milan Blagojevic (Sean Cranney 62'), Damian Mori, Ernie Tapai (Alistair Edwards 68'), Paul Trimboli.

Australia has fared better at youth level (Under-23 & Under-20) having played South Africa 6 times, winning 4 times with 1 draw and 1 loss.

South Africa is currently ranked 39 in the FIFA World Ranking system, while Australia's ranking is 85.

ASA has been working extensively to coordinate a very vibrant international match calendar for 2004 for the Socceroos, with the Green and Gold scheduled to appear in at least 13 matches this year, including a two match home test series against Turkey in Sydney on 21 May and Melbourne 24 May. All Socceroo matches will be played on the approved FIFA international match dates (calendar available on www.fifa.com), or click on the following link: - http://images.fifa.com/calendar/calendar_2004_2008_E.pdf

ASA would like to acknowledge the continued support of The Football Association (The FA, England) for their approval of the scheduled match in London during the FIFA international match week.

NOUMEA: The New Caledonian division d'honneur premier league championship came to a close with the crucial final round last weekend. Needing a win to secure a top three position for the final four playoff series, Poum were unable to cause an upset over league leaders Magenta in their last match and were heavily defeated 7-3.

JS Baco was able to clinch the contested third playoff spot with a hard fought 2-1 win over ASLN Kouaoua. With Magenta and Mont-Dore already playoff bound with a comfortable lead in first and second respectively, the fourth spot was won by non-championship team JS Traput who were crowned the Loyalty Island champion last weekend.

The final four playoff series gets underway this weekend with Magenta taking on Baco in a rematch of last year's heated final, while JS Traput will play 2002 Champion Mont Dore. The second round of the playoffs is scheduled for 3 April with the grand final on 10 April.

Round 18 - Final Round - Results

Baco - ASLN Kouaoua 2-1

Poum - Magenta 3-7

Mont-Dore - Auteuil 3-1

Gaïtcha - ACB Poya 0-4

Olympique - USC deferred

Teams	Pts	J	G	N	P	bp	bc	dif
1. AS Magenta	64	18	15	1	2	67	26	+41
2. Mont-Dore	59	18	13	2	3	33	13	+20
3. JS Baco	55	18	12	1	5	43	28	+15
4. AS Poum	53	18	11	2	5	42	35	  +7
5. Gaitcha FCN	45	18	8	3	7	31	38	   -7
6. AS Auteuil	37	18	5	4	9	37	45	   -8
7. ACB Poya	35	18	5	2	11	35	35	    0
8. Kouaoua	32	18	4	2	12	25	51	 -26
9. USC	30	17	3	4	10	24	32	   -8
10. Olympique	24	17	2	1	14	23	57	 -34