OFC News

OFC CLUB CHAMPS DRAW MADE

The draw for the 2006 Oceania Football Confederation Club Championships was recently made in Tahiti. The finals are scheduled from 10 - 21 May 2006 in New Zealand. North Harbour Stadium will play host to the eight-team tournament.

The eight sides are made up of two teams from the host nation, the champion clubs of the five top finishing national associations from the 2005 event, namely New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Tahiti, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea. With the final spot going to the winner of a preliminary tournament held in Fiji in early 2006 between the champion clubs of Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga.

With many of the national leagues still to be completed, the final make-up of the clubs is unknown at this stage, but the tournament will be highly competitive with the departure of Australia, leaving only semi-professional or amateur clubs from around the Pacific.

The Tahiti draw was to confirm the composition of the pools, Group A will be competitive with the representatives of New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Tahiti. Group B features, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Vanuatu and the winner of the preliminary group.

The top two clubs from each pool will go forward to the semi finals. The winner of the OFC Club Championship will qualify for the FIFA Club World Championship in Japan in December 2006.

From 2007, the competition will move to a home and away format, with matches played around the region.

OFC Club Championships - 2006

North Harbour Stadium - Albany, New Zealand

May 10 - 21 2006

Tournament format (group round robin with top two clubs qualifying for semi finals)

Group A (club teams to be confirmed)

New Zealand

Tahiti

Solomon Islands

Papua New Guinea

Group B (club teams to be confirmed)

New Zealand

Preliminary Winner

New Caledonia

Vanuatu

OFC Club Championships - Qualifying Tournament 2006

Govind Park - Ba, Fiji

February 2006(dates to be confirmed)

Tournament Format (to be confirmed)

Fiji

Cook Islands

Samoa

Tonga

OFC Club Championships - 2005

Stade Pater - Papeete, Tahiti

May 30 - June 10 2005

Final - Sydney FC (Australia) 2-0 AS Magenta (New Caledonia)

3rd/ 4th - Tafea FC (Vanuatu) 3-1 AS Pirae (Tahiti)

Semi Finals - Sydney FC 6-0 Tafea FC; AS Magenta 4-1 AS Pirae

Group A - Sydney FC (Australia); AS Pirae (Tahiti); Auckland City FC (New Zealand); Sobou FC (Papua New Guinea)

Group B - AS Magenta (New Caledonia), Tafea FC (Vanuatu), Makuru FC (Solomon Islands); AS Manu Ura (Tahiti)