LAUTOKA, 10 July 2003: Over eight thousand spectators, packed into Lautoka's Churchill Park, were treated to two action packed men's semi-finals at the South Pacific Games football tournament last night.

Hosts Fiji needed a golden goal from defender Ratu Veresa Toma in the 106th minute to seal an epic 2-1 victory over defending champions Tahiti while New Caledonia survived a nerve-wracking penalty shootout over Vanuatu in the other semi-final after the scores were tied 1-1 after regulation and extra-time.

Fiji and New Caledonia will now travel back to Fiji's capital Suva for the gold medal final at the National Stadium tomorrow evening. Vanuatu and Tahiti will playoff for the bronze medal.

Today's schedule sees the final round of the women's competition with the medal ceremony to take place at 3:30pm (local Fiji time). With leaders Guam drawing a bye today, and only one point clear of three teams tied for second and hosts Fiji also in the hunt, everything will be on the line.

DAY 8 REVIEW - Wednesday, 9 Jul 2003

MEN (results semi-finals) - at Churchill Park, Lautoka

Semi-final 1: Fiji vs Tahiti 2-1 (ht 1-1) Fiji wins on golden goal

Scorers: (6. Frank Papaura (TAH) 4'; 13. Taniela Waqa (FIJ) 9'; 10. Ratu Veresa Toma (FIJ) 106')

Semi-final 2: New Caledonia vs Vanuatu 1-1 (4-3) New Caledonia wins on penalties

Scorers: (9. Lamel Kabeu (NCL) 44'; 14. Pita David Maki (VAN) 54' )

Penalty shootout: 7. Gil Elmour, 10. Benjamin Longue, 4. Jacques Dahote, 2. Jean-Marc Case (NCL); 10. Etienne Mermer, 3. Manley Junior Tabe, 9. Seimata Chilia (VAN)

WOMEN (results round five - at Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori)

PNG vs Guam 1-0 (ht 0-0)

Scorers: (9. Deslyn Siniu (PNG) 69')

Kiribati vs Tahiti 1-5 (ht 1-2)

Scorers: (10. Moaneti Teuea (KIR) 10'; 7. Mimosa Marmouyet (TAH) 5', 82'; 8. Juliette Samin (TAH) 26', 50', 62')

Fiji vs Vanuatu 3-2 (ht 1-2)

Scorers: (16. Lavinia Taga (VAN) 5'; 4. Josina Maleb (VAN) 21'; 8. Mere Adireki (FIJ) 36', 79'; 9. Naomi Regu (FIJ) 49')

Tonga bye

Women's Points Table after Round 6
POS   	TEAM 		P  W D L For Ag Pts GD 
1  	Guam 		6  3 2 1  8   2  11  +6 
2  	PNG 		5  3 1 1 19   6  10 +13 
3  	Tahiti 		5  3 1 1 11   5  10  +6 
4  	Tonga 		5  3 1 1  8   5  10  +3 
5  	Fiji 		5  3 0 2  9   6   9  +3 
6  	Vanuatu 	5  0 1 4  6  12   1  -6
7  	Kiribati 	5  0 0 5  2  27   0 -25

DAY 9 schedule - Thursday, 10 July

WOMEN'S ROUND 7 at Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori

9:00am - Fiji vs Tonga

11:00am - Kiribati vs Vanuatu

1:00pm - PNG vs Tahiti

3:30pm - Medal Ceremony

Guam bye

*all times are local in Fiji

DAY 10 schedule, Friday, 11 July:

MEN'S FINALS at National Stadium, Suva

5:00pm - Bronze Medal Playoff

7:00pm - Gold/Silver Playoff

9:30pm - Medal Ceremony

*all times are local in Fiji

TOP GOAL-SCORERS:

MEN

Commins Menapi (SOL) - 10 goals

Esala Masi (FIJ) - 9 goals

Naea Bennett (TAH) - 8 goals

Felix Tagawa (TAH) - 7 goals

Paul Poatinda (NCL) - 7 goals

Michel Hmae (NCL) - 5 goals

Etienne Mermer (VAN) - 5 goals

Richard Iwai (VAN) - 5 goals

Seimata Chilia (VAN) - 4 goals

Unulolo Feao (TON) - 4 goals

Lamel Kabeu (NCL) - 4 goals

Ramon Djamali (NCL) - 3 goals

Pierre Wajoka (NCL) - 3 goals

Heimano Guyon (TAH) - 3 goals

WOMEN

Deslyn Siniu (PNG) - 8

Mimosa Marmouyet (TAH) - 5

Juliette Samin (TAH) - 4

Lavinia Taga (VAN) - 4

Naomi Regu (FIJ) - 4

Rachelle Camacho (GUM) - 3

Matelita Misinale (TON) - 3

Emelita Moala (TON) - 3

Mere Adireki (FIJ) - 3

South Pacific Games football tournament: Women's round seven preview

NAUSORI, 9 July 2003: The women's football tournament at the South Pacific Games will go down right to the wire tomorrow in the final round of competition at Ratu Cakobau Park in Nausori.

Today's results from round six have conjured up a number of possible outcomes and depending on the final results the gold medal is still pretty much up for grabs.

After round six, Guam leads with 11 points but they have completed their games and the other leading teams should overtake them by the end of tomorrow. While the gold may not be in their reach, they still have an outside chance at a bronze medal depending on other results. Guam had their chances of gold destroyed by Papua New Guinea who beat them 1-0 earlier today.

PNG, Tahiti and Tonga are tied on equal second with 10 points each and separated in that order by goal difference. Fifth place Fiji can also be counted in the equation if they beat Tonga tomorrow. But they would still need PNG and Tahiti to draw their match tomorrow. Fiji kept their chances alive after a thrilling come from behind 3-2 win over Vanuatu today. Down 2-1, the Fijian women again rose to the occasion in front of a parochial crowd to peg back the deficit.

Tahiti also put themselves in a prime position with their 5-1 thrashing of Kiribati. Tahiti will play Papua New Guinea in the crucial match with the winner likely to take out the gold medal based on the current goal difference between the teams. Fiji and Tonga play in the other crucial encounter in the round's first match at 9:00am (local). In the event that both games end in draws then PNG looks the best positioned on their superior goal difference. The other game of the round sees bottom place Kiribati tale on Vanuatu with both sides looking for their first win of the tournament.

Day 8 Women's Review - Wednesday, 9 July

WOMEN'S RESULTS (ROUND SIX) at Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori

9:00am - PNG vs Guam 1-0

11:00am - Kiribati vs Tahiti 1-5

1:00pm - Fiji vs Vanuatu 3-2

Tonga bye

Women's Points Table after Round 6
POS   	TEAM 		P  W  D  L For  Ag Pts   GD 
1  	Guam 		6  3  2  1   8   2  11   +6 
2  	PNG 		5  3  1  1  19   6  10  +13 
3  	Tahiti 		5  3  1  1  11   5  10   +6 
4  	Tonga 		5  3  1  1   8   5  10   +3 
5  	Fiji 		5  3  0  2   9   6   9   +3 
6  	Vanuatu 	5  0  1  4   6  12   1   -6
7  	Kiribati 	5  0  0  5   2  27   0  -25

Day 9 schedule - Thursday, 10 July

WOMEN'S ROUND 7 at Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori

9:00am - Fiji vs Tonga

11:00am - Kiribati vs Vanuatu

1:00pm - PNG vs Tahiti

3:30pm - Medal Ceremony

Guam bye

*all times are local in Fiji

LAUTOKA: A huge crowd is expected tonight at Lautoka's Churchill Park for the crunch semi-finals of the South Pacific Games men's football tournament. Fiji and Vanuatu prevailed in Pool A and will meet Tahiti and New Caledonia respectively from Pool B.

Over six thousand were present last Monday for Fiji's epic 2-1 win over Melanesian rivals, Solomon Islands, to clinch their place in the top four. It was a mammoth effort from the under fire Fijian team playing at home and with high expectations of coach, Tony Buesnel and the team.

And the best news for them ahead of their clash with defending champions Tahiti is that their number one strike weapon, Esala Masi, is in devastating goal scoring form. He has scored nine goals in just four games and is the tournament's second leading goal scorer behind Commins Menapi of the Solomon Islands who tallied ten goals but will not be able to add to this total as his team have been knocked out of contention. Like Menapi, Masi is used to the pressure-cooker situations having played in Australia's NSL and his experience in leading side will be a crucial factor against the powerful Tahitians.

Tahiti faces a daunting task playing the home team but have the firepower to trouble the Fijians. It was expected these two sides would meet in the final, however, the Tahitians were given a reality check after being thrashed 0-4 by New Caledonia in the Pool B round robin. That result will unlikely happen again and may be the motivator that they need to overcome what many anticipate will be a red hot atmosphere at Churchill Park.

The Fijian defence were on song against the Solomon Islands keeping both Batram Suri and Henry Fa'arodo at bay and only conceding a late consolation goal to Menapi. But the likes of Lorima Dau and Ratu Veresa Toma will need to step up even more against twin Tahitian threats, Felix Tagawa and Naea Bennett. Bennett has scored eight goals in the tournament (3rd) while Tagawa has scored seven. Tagawa is Tahiti's recognised star based in Australia's NSL with the Brisbane Strikers.

The other semi-final will be just as enthralling as Vanuatu takes on tournament upstarts New Caledonia. New Caledonia have been the most impressive side so far winning four from four and including big wins over Tahiti and Papua New Guinea. Most importantly, they did not concede any goals in the round robin. They can thank the tireless work of captain and central defender Jean Marc-Case who is a terrific communicator at the back defusing long balls and crosses with ease using his athleticism and leaping ability to good effect. The scoring load has been evenly spread with Michel Hmae and Paul Poatinda leading the way. They have prepared well under coach Serge Martinengo de Novack who has turned the side right around from its disappointing performance at last year's OFC Nations Cup. But this time he has been fortunate to have available his talent Tahitian based strike duo of Hmae and Ramon Djamali.

Vanuatu has blazed a slightly more arduous trail than the three other semi-finalists. Lining up against a refreshed New Caledonia team, who had a bye in the last round, they had to overcome a horror schedule that saw them play both Fiji and the Solomon Islands in their first two games and on consecutive days. They drew both matches, struggled to a 1-0 win over defensive minded Tuvalu then in the last round were able to at last spread their wings piling on 18 unanswered goals against hapless Kiribati. Vanuatu's front men have not always fired in the tournament thus far but against the best team with the best defensive record, they will need to have their scoring boots on. Vanuatu coach Carlos Buzzetti will expect his first choice forwards Etienne Mermer and Richard Iwai to again produce as they did against Kiribati.

The winners of the two semi-finals advance to the gold medal final on Friday at the National Stadium in Suva. The two losing semi-finalists will playoff in a curtain-raiser for the bronze medal.

DAY 8 schedule, Wednesday, 9 July:

MEN'S SEMI-FINALS at Churchill Park, Lautoka

5:00pm - Pool A winner, Fiji vs Pool B runners up, Tahiti

7:00pm - Pool B winner, New Caledonia vs Pool A runners up, Vanuatu

DAY 10 schedule, Friday, 11 July:

FINALS at National Stadium, Suva

5:00pm - Bronze Medal Playoff

7:00pm - Gold/Silver Playoff

9:30pm - Medal Ceremony

*******************************

2003 South Pacific Games football tournament, Suva Fiji

Men: 30 June-11 July / Women: 30 June-10 July

DAY 7 REVIEW - Mon, 7 Jul 2003

MEN (results round five) - at Churchill Park, Lautoka

Pool A - Kiribati vs Vanuatu 0-18 (ht 0-10)

Pool B - Tahiti vs Tonga 4-0 (ht 2-0)

Pool B - Papua New Guinea vs FSM 10-0 (ht 5-0)

Pool A - Fiji vs Solomon Islands 2-1 (ht 2-0)

New Caledonia, Tuvalu bye

Pool A - Final Standings
POS   	TEAM 		P W D L For Ag Pts  GD 
1  	Fiji 		4 3 1 0 18   1 10  +17 
2  	Vanuatu 	4 2 2 0 21   2  8  +19 
3  	Solomon Is 	4 2 1 1 14   4  7  +10 
4  	Tuvalu 		4 1 0 3  3  11  3   -8 
5  	Kiribati 	4 0 0 4  2  40  0  -38
Pool B - Final Standings
POS   	TEAM 		P  W  D  L For Ag Pts GD 
1  	New Caledonia 	4  4  0  0  28  0 12 +28 
2  	Tahiti 		4  3  0  1  24  4  9 +20 
3  	PNG 		4  1  1  2  12  7  4  +5 
4  	Tonga 		4  1  1  2   9 10  4  -1 
5  	FSM 		4  0  0  4   0 52  0 -52

* Pool A winner Fiji will play Pool B runner up Tahiti in first semi-final

* Pool B winner New Caledonia will play Pool A runner up Vanuatu in second semi-final

* Semi-finals to be played on Wednesday, 9 July at 5:00pm and 7:00pm at Churchill Park, Lautoka

TOP GOAL-SCORERS (MEN)

Commins Menapi (SOL) - 10 goals

Esala Masi (FIJ) - 9 goals

Naea Bennett (TAH) - 8 goals

Felix Tagawa (TAH) - 7 goals

Paul Poatinda (NCL) - 7 goals

Michel Hmae (NCL) - 5 goals

Etienne Mermer (VAN) - 5 goals

Richard Iwai (VAN) - 5 goals

Seimata Chilia (VAN) - 4 goals

Unulolo Feao (TON) - 4 goals

Ramon Djamali (NCL) - 3 goals

Lamel Kabeu (NCL) - 3 goals

Pierre Wajoka (NCL) - 3 goals

Heimano Guyon (TAH) - 3 goals

SUVA: Defending champions Tahiti were beaten 0-4 by New Caledonia in a shock upset last Saturday. In a comprehensive display by the New Caledonians, they had the number one rated island nation in Oceania in disarray with a 3-0 lead at half-time.

To make the semi-finals this Wednesday, 9 July, Tahiti must not lose today to Tonga who are in third place and can steal the second semi spot if it beats Tahiti. New Caledonia has already sealed its place in the semis with a flawless record in the round robin stage with four wins and get some much needed rest today drawing the bye.

Over in the Pool A, the positioning for semi-final spots is even tighter with all eyes on tonight's pending showdown between hosts Fiji and the Solomon Islands. With third placed Vanuatu likely to win its match against bottom placed Kiribati this afternoon, the winner of the Fiji-Solomon Islands clash will advance with Vanuatu to the semis.

But should Fiji and Solomon Islands draw, then both teams will be tied level with Vanuatu on eight points (assuming Vanuatu beats Kiribati) which will then mean it will come down to goal difference with Fiji and the Solomons comfortably ahead of Vanuatu.

Therefore, the message from Vanuatu coach Carlos Buzzetti would be simple - win, and with as many goals as possible - to avoid the dreaded scenario of a draw in the other match.

The women's competition is equally interesting after some surprise results from last Friday and Saturday. Leaders Papua New Guinea were beaten in an upset loss to Tonga then drew with Vanuatu. Guam's has now taken a one point lead with a draw with Tahiti and big win against Kiribati.

PNG, Tonga and Tahiti are tied for second but the latter two teams have a game in hand. Fiji, Vanuatu and Kiribati bring up the rear in that order heading into round five today.

2003 South Pacific Games football tournament, Suva Fiji

Men: 30 June-11 July / Women: 30 June-10 July

Results from the weekend

Day 5

Women's Division (round three) - Friday, 4 July, at Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori

Fiji vs Kiribati 2-1 (ht 1-0)

Tonga vs PNG 3-1 (ht 2-0)

Guam vs Tahiti 1-1 (ht 1-1)

Vanuatu bye

Day 6

Men's Division (round four) - Saturday, 5 July, at Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori

Pool B: Tonga vs FSM 7-0 (ht 5-0)

Pool A: Tuvalu vs Solomon Islands 0-4 (ht 2-0)

Pool B: Tahiti vs New Caledonia 0-4 (ht 0-3)

Pool A: Fiji vs Kiribati 12-0 (ht 5-0) played at Subrail Park, Labasa

Vanuatu, PNG byes

Women's Division (round four) - Saturday, 5 July, at Cathedral Park, Suva

Kiribati vs Guam 0-5 (0-3)

PNG vs Vanuatu 2-2 (2-2)

Tahiti vs Tonga 1-0 (0-0)

Fiji bye

PROGRESSIVE LADDERS:

Men's tournament

Points Table after round four

Men (Pool A)

Teams       P   W   D   L  PF    PA     Diff   Pts
Fiji              3   2   1   0  16     0      +16    7
Solomon Islands   3   2   1   0  13     2      +11    7
Vanuatu           3   1   2   0   3     2       +1    5
Tuvalu            4   1   0   3   3    11       -8    3
Kiribati          3   0   0   3   2    22      -20    0

Men (Pool B)

Teams        P  W    D   L   PF    PA      Diff  Pts
New Caledonia     4   4   0   0   28     0       +28  12
Tahiti            3   2   0   1   20     4       +16   6
Tonga             3   1   1   1    9     6        +3   4
Papua New Guinea  3   0   1   2    2     7        -5   1
FSM               3   0   0   3    0    42       -35   0

Women's tournament

Points Table after round three & four

Teams       P  W    D   L   PF    PA    Diff   Pts
Guam             4   2   2   0    7     1      +6    8
Papua New Guinea 4   2   1   1   18     6     +12    7
Tonga            3   2   1   1    7     3      +4    7
Tahiti           3   2   1   0    5     1      +4    7
Fiji             3   1   0   2    3     4      -1    3
Vanuatu          3   0   1   2    4     8      -4    1
Kiribati         3   0   0   3    1    20     -19    0

Leading goalscorers:

Men:

Paul Poatinda (NCL) 7

Michel Hmae (NCL) 5

Felix Tagawa (TAH) 4

Naea Bennett (TAH) 4

Pierre Wajoka (NCL) 3

Esala Masi (FIJ) 9

Salesh Kumar (FIJ) 2

Unalolo Feao (TON) 4

Commins Menapi (SOL) 4

Lamel Kabeu (NCL) 3

Ramon Djamali (NCL) 2

Lawrence Nemeia (KIR) 2

Mark Uhutai (TON) 2

Women:

Deslyn Siniu (PNG) 7

Rachelle Comacho (PNG) 3

Miriam Lanta (PNG) 2

Julie Alau (PNG) 2

Matelita Misinale (TON) 3

Lavinia Taga (VAN) 2

FULL MATCH REPORTS TO FOLLOW

Today's Schedule:

Day 7

Men's Division (round five) - Monday, 7 July, at Churchill Park, Lautoka

1:00pm - Pool A: Kiribati vs Vanuatu

3:00pm - Pool B: Tahiti vs Tonga

5:00pm - Pool A: PNG vs FSM

7:00pm - Pool B: Fiji vs Solomon Islands

Tuvalu, New Caledonia bye

Women's Division (round five) - Monday, 7 July, at Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori

9:00am - Guam vs Vanuatu

11:00am - Tonga vs Kiribati

1:00pm - Fiji vs Tahiti

PNG bye

* all times are local in Fiji

More information and updates can be found on the official tournament website by clicking on the icon on the OFC website home page at www.oceaniafootball.com

LATEST RESULTS

2003 South Pacific Games football tournament, Suva Fiji

Men: 30 June - 11 July / Women: 30 June - 10 July

Results, Day four: Men's round three, Thursday, 3 July

* played last night at the National Stadium in Suva

Match 9 - Solomons vs Kiribati 7-0

Match 10 - Tuvalu vs Vanuatu 0-1

Match 11 - Tonga vs New Caledonia 0-4

Match 12 - Tahiti vs PNG 3-0

Today's fixtures:

Day five: Women's round three schedule, Friday, 4 July

* at Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori

11:00am - Fiji vs Kiribati

1:00pm - Tonga vs PNG

3:00pm - Guam vs Tahiti

Vanuatu bye

* all kick-off times are local in Fiji

More information and updates can be found on the official tournament website by clicking on the icon to the right of this article.

SUVA: The South Pacific Games football tournament has already sprung up some surprises in both men's and women's divisions. At the end of day three, both divisions have completed two rounds of action with several teams jockeying for the top spot as the business end to the pool fixtures starts this afternoon with the men's third round kicking off.

In the men's tournament, New Caledonia has made their intentions crystal clear with two dominant performances back-to-back. The Serge Martinengo De Novack led team looks well prepared and fit and were comprehensive winners over Papua New Guinea 2-0 in the first round and even more so against the Federated States of Micronesia with an emphatic 18-0 victory after resting the majority of its first choice players. Not surprisingly, they lead Pool B but face a tough challenge from the feisty Tongans who drew 2-2 with PNG in its last match, coming close to causing the tournament's first real upset.

Defending champions Tahiti is close behind in second place in Pool B after drawing the bye in the first round then thrashing FSM 17-0 in round two. A showdown with New Caledonia looks imminent and will be one of the most hotly anticipated matches of the Games.

While Pool B has yielded surprises aplenty, there were no surprises in Pool A. As expected a tough tussle exists between the three leading contenders, Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Fiji currently leads with a win and a draw, but have largely been unimpressive and a big improvement is on the cards before they face the Solomon Islands in the final round next Monday, in what many believe will decide who will advance to the semis.

Fiji slugged out a nil all draw with Melanesian rivals Vanuatu in the first round. Chances went begging on both sides, but Fiji had the better chances in the second half but was unable to capitalise. Tuvalu proved to be worthy opponents for the hosts in the second round keeping the Fijians scoreless in the second half to lose 0-4. The good news was Esala Masi's two goals. Vanuatu missed a chance to score a crucial win over the Solomon Islands but ended up its second drawn result in round two which means their semi-final hopes now hang in the balance on future results. Vanuatu led 2-0 in the second half but Commins Menapi's two goals after the break saved the day for the Solomon Islands.

Tuvalu has also thrown more uncertainty into the formula after beating Kiribati 3-2 in the first round. They showed character coming back from being down to win that contest then put up a valiant display against the Fijians when it looked early on like the floodgates would be opened.

In the women's tournament, Papua New Guinea is out in front with two consecutive wins. PNG were far too good for Kiribati winning by a convincing margin, 13-0, but were taken to the wire yesterday by hosts Fiji before winning narrowly 2-1. Guam and Tonga share second place with a win and a draw each. Guam beat Fiji in the first round 1-0 while Tonga enjoyed a 3-2 win over Vanuatu. Guam and Tonga faced off last night with a scoreless draw the result. Tahiti played its first game last night after sitting out the first round and won easily by 3-0 over Vanuatu.

In the goal scoring stakes, Deslyn Siniu of PNG women's team is the overall leader in the tournament with seven strikes to her name. The best of the men thus far is New Caledonia's Paul Poatinda with his six goals scored against FSM.

Latest Results - Day Three, Wednesday 2 July 2003

Women's Division (at Ratu Cakobau Park )

Tonga vs Guam 0-0

Vanuatu vs Tahiti 0-3 (0-1)

Fiji vs PNG 1-2 (HT 1-2)

Today's matches (Day four)

Men (round three fixtures)

1:00pm - Solomon Islands vs Kiribati (Pool A)

3:00pm - Tuvalu vs Vanuatu (Pool A)

5:00pm - Tonga vs New Caledonia (Pool B)

7:00pm - Tahiti vs Papua New Guinea (Pool B)

* all kick-off times are local in Fiji

PROGRESSIVE LADDERS
Men's tournament
Points Table after round two
Men (Pool A)
Teams		P  W  D  L  PF PA Diff Pts
Fiji		2  1  1  0   4  0   +4  4
Tuvalu		2  1  0  1   3  6   -3  3
Vanuatu		2  0  2  0   2  2    0  2
Solomon Islands	1  0  1  0   2  2    0  1
Kiribati	1  0  0  1   2  3   -1  0
Men (Pool B)
Teams		P  W  D  L  PF PA Diff Pts
New Caledonia	2  2  0  0  20  0  +20  6
Tahiti		1  1  0  0  17  0  +17  3
Tonga		1  0  1  0   2  2    0  1
PNG	        2  0  1  1   2  4   -2  1
FSM		2  0  0  2   0 35  -35  0
Women's tournament
Points Table after round two
Women
Teams	   P  W  D  L  PF  PA   Diff  Pts
PNG	   2  2  0  0  15   1   +14    6
Guam	   2  1  1  0   1   0    +1    4
Tonga	   2  1  1  0   3   2    +1    4
Tahiti	   1  1  0  0   3   0    +3    3
Fiji	   2  0  0  2   1   3    -2    0
Vanuatu	   2  0  0  2   2   6    -4    0
Kiribati   1  0  0  1   0  13   -13    0

Leading goalscorers:

Men:

Paul Poatinda (NCL) 6

Michel Hmae (NCL) 5

Felix Tagawa (TAH) 4

Naea Bennett (TAH) 4

Pierre Wajoka (NCL) 3

Esala Masi (FIJ) 2

Salesh Kumar (FIJ) 2

Unalolo Feao (TON) 2

Commins Menapi (SOL) 2

Lawrence Nemeia (KIR) 2

Women:

Deslyn Siniu (PNG) 7

Miriam Lanta (PNG) 2

Julie Alau (PNG) 2

Matelita Misinale (TON) 2

Results to date:

Results - Day One, Monday 30 June 2003

Men's Division (at National Stadium)

Tuvalu vs Kiribati 3-2 (Pool A)

Fiji vs Vanuatu 0-0 (Pool A)

Tahiti vs Federated States of Micronesia 17-0 (PoolB)

Papua New Guinea vs New Caledonia 0-2 (PoolB)

Women's Division (at Ratu Cakobau Park)

Tonga vs Vanuatu 3-2

Papua New Guinea vs Kiribati 13-0

Guam vs Fiji 1-0

Results - Day Two, Tuesday 1 July 2003

Men's Division (at National Stadium)

Fiji vs Tuvalu 4-0 (HT 4-0) (Pool A)

Solomons vs Vanuatu 2-2 (HT 0-1) (Pool A)

Papua New Guinea vs Tonga 2-2 (HT 1-0) (Pool B)

Federated States of Micronesia vs New Caledonia 0-18 (HT 0-8) (Pool B)

(ends)

More information and updates can be found on the official tournament website by clicking on the icon on the OFC website home page at www.oceaniafootball.com

Photo: New Caledonia look good during the early stages. photo courtesy Vincent Hoareau/Les Nouvelles Caledoniennes

SUVA: The much anticipated South Pacific Games football tournament has kicked off this morning in Fiji with the first round of matches in the men's and women's draw. In the men's draw, pool one fixtures see Tuvalu and Kiribati face off in the first match at 1:00pm (local time) while later in the evening, the last match of the day will be a thrilling prospect with hosts Fiji taking on Melanesian rivals Vanuatu.

In pool two of the men's draw, Tahiti plays the Federated States of Micronesia in the second match of the day (at 11:00pm local time) followed straight after by another tough match between Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia. All men's games today will be played at the National Stadium in Suva.

Over in the women's draw, the round robin started this morning with Papua New Guinea playing Guam (at 9:00am local time). The following matches see Kiribati take on Tahiti with Fiji playing Vanuatu in the final match of the women's first round at 1:00pm. Tonga has a bye. All women's matches today are played at Ratu Cakobau Park in Nausori.

The men play tomorrow at the National Stadium again with the women to appear next in their second round fixtures on Wednesday, 2 July.

* All results, updated reports will be posted on the official tournament website on the home page of the OFC website. For other information, please click on the following link to view the media guide (please note the team lists were not available at this time).

Click here to download the Media Guide.

OFC: The Solomon Islands were the only movers of the Oceania nations in the latest FIFA ranking released on 25 June. The Solomon Islands moved up on place to occupy the 150th spot, just one behind Melanesian rivals Fiji who dropped three spots to 149.

Australia and New Zealand retain their first and second rank in Oceania respectively but both countries lost ground from the May ranking. Australia are in danger of falling out of the top fifty dropping one spot to 50 while New Zealand dropped two spots to be three behind Australia on 53.

Tonga recorded the biggest drop, falling five places to 183. Samoa and Papua New Guinea stay as they were in May at 168 and 169 respectively, while Vanuatu lost ground, dropping down a single slot to 162. Tahiti dropped two places but is still ranked the highest of the island nations at 122. The Cook Islands fell two places to 188 while American Samoa remains on 202.

In the full FIFA rankings, world champion Brazil is still out on top in first place, but France is closing in fast from second place and their recent good showing at the FIFA Confederations Cup is continued all the way - and considering Brazil's demise in the group stages, could see some surprises in one month's time.

Spain, Argentina, Netherlands, Germany, Turkey, England, United States and the Czech Republic rounds out the top ten, in that order. It is interesting to note that the world's fifth placed team Netherlands and tenth best Czech Republic, did not even qualify for last year's FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan.

The only full internationals played by Oceania nations over the past month was on 14 June when Solomon Islands played Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby (Solomon Islands won 5-3) and New Zealand's three matches (all losses) to Japan, Colombia and France at the Confederations Cup in France.

For the full FIFA rankings for OFC, visit the FIFA website by clicking on this link:

http://www.fifa.com/en/rank/results,ofc.html

OFC: It was last year in Suva during a meeting between the OFC and South Pacific Games Council that football's return to the South Pacific Games became a reality. It was agreed the tournament would be run under FIFA regulations paving the way for the world's most popular game to once again take centre stage in the most important sporting event in the Pacific Islands.

The last South Pacific Games football tournament was held in 1995 and was won by hosts Tahiti, who are the most successful country since the South Pacific Games started in 1963 winning the gold medal five times (once as French Polynesia in 1966). New Caledonia has won the title on four occasions with Fiji the only country to have won in 1991 when the Games were hosted by Papua New Guinea.

Since 1995, the standard of football in the Pacific Islands has increased dramatically and at youth level, the gaps have closed considerably with the two Oceania giants of Australia and New Zealand.

The island nations still lag behind those two countries in terms of player base, resources and experience of its players consistently exposed to a higher level of football overseas. But local development and passion for the game is progressing rapidly and some of the island nations such as Fiji, Vanuatu, Tahiti, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands have already begun exporting their best talent to Australia and New Zealand to gain more experience.

In light of the progress being made in the island nations, the 2003 South Pacific Games football tournament is expected to be the most fiercely contested in years. Most of the island nations entered for the men's group are very serious about winning the gold medal going by their respective preparations leading up to the SP Games which commences on 28 June.

Tahiti has twice had camps since the beginning of the year. New Caledonia has completed a tour of Australia. Fiji has had several camps over the past four months and just finished a tough three match series with the visiting Victoria State Federation team from Australia. Many of the players also toured with the Fiji select team to Australia late last year. The Solomon Islands played a two-match series with visiting Australian club team Palm Beach and last week travelled to Port Moresby to play Papua New Guinea in a friendly international. Vanuatu has also had six warm-up games against top premier clubs in Port Vila.

Here's how the leading contenders stack up:

TAHITI: The reigning champions are reluctantly tagged as favourites, but team coach and Tahiti Football Federation technical director, Patrick Jacquemet confided that it will be extremely difficult to defend their title given the rapid improvements being made in the region. He believes any of six island nations can win the gold medal and predicts an intense competitive struggle between all the teams.

Officially, Tahiti is the top ranked island nation in the FIFA rankings released monthly. After its third placing at the 2002 OFC Nations Cup, Tahiti leapfrogged the Fijians. Jacquemet believes the disappointing showing in Auckland last July will motivate Fiji in rising to the occasion especially in front of their home supporters.

A fortunate draw means Tahiti has avoided facing Fiji, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands in the pool stages but will expect a torrid time none-the-less from New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea. Tonga's physical style may also unsettle the Tahitians.

On paper though, Tahiti has one of the strongest squads built on experience and strength in all positions with perhaps a question mark on their defence. The key players are definitely strikers Felix Tagawa and Naea Bennett. Tagawa is the stronger scorer of the pair and this year signed a contract to play for the Brisbane Strikers in Australia's National Soccer League scoring a goal on debut. Tahiti also has a versatile midfield with attacking playmaker Tony Senechal and Teva Zaveroni teaming up with defensive specialist and incumbent captain Tetahio Auraa. Steve Fatipua provides speed on the flanks from wing back. Tahiti's play is very structured and more organised in contrast to the open styles adopted by the Melanesian countries. The French influence and experience makes for a team capable of maintaining its composure in pressure-cooker situations which will be vital in Fiji.

FIJI: Playing at home and with plenty of motivation to fuel the players, the Fijians are strongly predicted to be the team to challenge the Tahitians in a dream final. But it won't be as easy as many think, in fact just to make the semi-finals will be an achievement in itself with the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to contend with in the pool stages.

They are the two teams most likely to cause the Fijians problems and under the format, only two of the three will advance to the semi-finals from their group. Fiji has a score to settle in the all important first match against Vanuatu. Vanuatu toppled Fiji 1-0 at last year's OFC Nations Cup.

The fallout has seen a change in coaches from Billy Singh, to Les Scheinflug, and now Tony Buesnel. The Solomon Islands will also be a difficult assignment with their attacking flair, perhaps the most potent of all the teams. Fiji's all round strength and skill coupled with its physical superiority cannot be underestimated however.

The most obvious weakness is in its defence which has received more bad news with the omission of experienced central defender Viliame Toma for disciplinary reasons. Australian based striker Esala Masi will be the team's match-winner. But the midfield will have to step up its service if he is to make an impact. The other factor that has the potential to undo the team are the high expectations of the locals and pressure to win with morale not as high as in past years. How the team handles the pressure will determine their fate.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: National coach George Cowie was understandably disappointed after the poor showing of the Solomon Islands during last year's OFC Nations Cup.

With such a talented line-up at his disposal, the national team drew against Papua New Guinea, was outclassed by New Zealand then blew a 2-0 lead against Tahiti to lose 3-2. No excuses were offered, but Cowie did they the team was better on a better playing surface referring to the dismal condition of the North Harbour ground which was affected much by the adverse weather in New Zealand at that time of the year.

With the need to redress last year's disappointments and also losing in the SP Games final in 1995, there is motivation aplenty.

On paper, the Solomon Islands have awesome strike power in the form of veteran Batram Suri and Australian based duo, Commins Menapi and Henry Fa'arodo. Cowie has had mixed success trying to blend this talent into a winning combination but they have been impressive in their recent warm-up matches winning all three against quality opposition.

The lead up form is a marked contrast to last year and the sight of Fa'arodo, Menapi and Suri running freely and most importantly scoring goals is something that will be on the back of the minds of the other teams, particularly Fiji and Vanuatu. While the Solomons have the marquee names to suggest they will be one of the most exciting attacking sides in Fiji, their defence will need to be equal to the task.

VANUATU: Vanuatu is a sleeping giant and will be a will be a force to reckon with in Fiji. Vanuatu is definitely the most improved of the island nations over the past two years.

They have an excellent young team led superbly by former Australian assistant and Uruguayan born coach/technical director Carlos Buzzetti. Their strengths lay in sound organisation all-round, competent defensive backs and a brilliant midfield led by Australian based Seimata Chilia, who was one of the stars of the 2002 OFC Nations Cup.

The squad is essentially young and lack the experience of the other big teams such as Tahiti, Fiji and the Solomon Islands. But under Buzzetti the core of the players have been together since the 1999-2000 season and have developed a good understanding on the field.

Buzzetti has resisted promoting several of his young up and coming stars from the highly successful national U-17 and U-20 squads opting only for defender Roger Joe to make graduate to the senior side. The Vanuatu Football Federation released rising youngsters Jean Emmanuel (Victor) Maleb and Charlie Ligo to join the Otago Youth team for next month's Milk Cup in Northern Ireland.

While Vanuatu has shown in recent internationals the ability to win big games, where it is weak is up front. Striker Richard Iwai is the only recognised scoring threat and was a star for Vanuatu at the 2000 OFC Nations Cup in Tahiti, but he was below his best in Auckland last year and will be looking for a better outing in Fiji where his speed and dribbling will be a factor on the hard grounds there.

Vanuatu's low scoring output of late contributed to its loss to Tahiti in the 2002 OFC Nations Cup playoff for third and fourth where it dominated most of the play but was unable to score, while Tahiti won the match through taking its opportunity and finishing third behind winners New Zealand and second placed Australia.

NEW CALEDONIA: New Caledonia have two talented strikers in Ramon Djamali and Michel Hmae who were the top two goal scorers in the Tahiti Division d'honneur national league this year. They also have experience aplenty in the midfield and defence.

And unlike previous years, the current national side will arrive in Fiji well prepared having finished a gruelling 15 day, six match tour of Australia. The Serge De Novack coached side won six from seven dropping the solitary game in controversial circumstances when at half-time and trailing by 1-0, the goal post broke and as unable to be repaired in time forcing the referee to end the match prematurely with the win handed to the home side.

The New Caledonia team will no doubt be a much improved outfit than the one which was disappointing at last year's OFC Nations Cup. They have their star players available and are much better prepared, physically and mentally.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Former New Zealand assistant, Steve Cain, has steadily nurtured a new crop of players over in Papua New Guinea and many of them will make their national team debuts in Fiji.

The squad has been chosen with next January's Olympic Qualifiers in mind. Experienced veterans such as Joe Aisa and Francis Moiyap are missing, but there is enough experience in the form of Richard Daniel, Reginald Davani, Desmond Sow and Paul Komboi to make PNG a genuine contender.

The team is young but exciting in the midfield and forward positions. An under strength PNG held their own in a recent friendly international against a full strength Solomon Islands team going down to two late penalties late in the second half to go down 3-5. PNG held the Solomons to a nil all draw at last year's OFC Nations Cup and were not at their best on a bad pitch but still played with credit in a 1-3 loss to Tahiti.

There is enough talent and experience in this team for their opponents not to underestimate them.

* Please note that the final confirmed match schedules and match official appointments will be released soon. A media guide for the tournament will also be placed as a pdf link on the OFC website when final details come through. Full information, updates and results will also be available as from 28 June when the South Pacific Games commence. An exclusive website is already linked on the homepage of the OFC website where coverage of the football tournament can be accessed. This website can also be accessed by visiting www.oceaniasport.com and clicking on football.

OFC RELEASE: The men's and women's match schedules for the 2003 South Pacific Games football tournament have been released by the host organisers in Fiji.

The men's tournament runs from 30 June - 11 July with all matches rotated amongst four venues. The gold/silver and bronze medal playoff matches will be staged at the National Stadium in Suva. The teams have been divided into two pools; Pool 1 containing five teams including the hosts Fiji while Pool 2 has a five team line-up headed by 1995 South Pacific Games gold medallist Tahiti. The winner and runner up from each pool will advance to the semi-finals which will be hosted at Churchill Park in Lautoka.

The women's tournament runs from 30 June - 9 July and will be contested by six teams in a round robin format over five match days spread amongst two venues.

The South Pacific Games is a multi-sport event held every four years (since 1963) and is contested between the Pacific Island nations affiliated to the SP Games Council. This year's event will be hosted in Suva, Fiji and runs from 28 June to 12 July. Football was last included in the Games format in 1995 when it was hosted by Tahiti.

For general information on the South Pacific Games, visit the official website on www.spg2003.com

The website for the football tournament is currently under construction and will be operational soon. Results of all matches and other updates will be posted on this website for the duration of the tournament.

* Please find enclosed the full draw and match schedule for the 2003 South Pacific Games football tournament.

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