Difficult conditions on Match Day 4 of the OFC Champions League meant the football wasn’t spectacular in either match, though the Ba-Tafea match-up certainly got the better deal, with the rain only really starting to make a difference in the second period.
Tafea got things underway in quick fashion using their pace to their advantage from the get-go. They had a good chance off a corner which captain Jonah Turu got a head to, but it spiralled wide of the upright.
Dalong Damalip was again a standout with his on-ball skills but even the fleet-footed youngster had trouble breaking down the tall, strong Ba defence, as did team mate Bong Kalo whose speed and technique also saw him shine.
The young side held their own against the experienced hosts who themselves were impressive both on attack and defence as they closed down Tafea’s strike force and quickly countered to create chances of their own.
The number of cards doled out in the first period was as much evidence of the conditions as it was the temperament on the field. The slippery surface lent itself to slide tackles which were often badly timed, and saw New Zealand referee Matt Conger issuing five cautions before the break.
Ba came out of the sheds with one aim – to break the deadlock – and break it they did when just three minutes after the restart a bumbling effort to clear a Maciu Dunadamu shot deflected off a defender and into his own goal.
Four minutes later and Dunadamu was in line for a goal of his own and made sure to claim the finish when he got on the end of a long ball. It seemed to signal the end for Tafea as they struggled to counter the height and physicality of the Fijians.
Both sides started to make changes ten minutes into the half, which was just as the rain started to fall. The task for the Vanuatu side soon seemed insurmountable when defender Kevin Shem, who until the 82 minute had been essential to the defensive set-up, received his second caution, and with it his marching orders. Down to ten, Tafea immediately conceded off the free kick as substitute Shameel Rao sat lurking at the far post to knock in and extend the lead. The fates were well and truly sealed when another Ba substitute, Mavileko Nakama, fired home to take his side to four unanswered goals.
Ba coach Yogendra Dutt was incredibly proud to earn such a comprehensive victory in front of the team’s home fans.
“We are proud of the boys, they listened to instructions well and followed the tactics we set out. We scored those four goals and we’re very proud of how they performed out there today,” Dutt says.
For Tafea coach Moise Poida it was a disappointing afternoon out on the field for his side.
“I think we just lost our strategy in the second half. We played well in the first half but for the second half I think the boys forgot about what we talked about in training yesterday.
“I know it’s also very difficult to win in Ba’s home ground – but it’s football.”
The day’s second match was played completely under lights as dark clouds, thunder and lightning sounded a warning from Mother Nature.
It started out relatively cautiously with the two sides keen to take an early advantage, but unwilling to give anything away in the back. Once again it was a free-flowing game in every respect, with the first caution coming out for Hekari’s Peter Balatoga just 18 minutes in, and he was joined in the book by Magenta’s Jean Jewine a short time later.
In the 27th minute things looked dire for Hekari when their defensive stalwart Brian Kaltak fell heavily in a clash with Pierre Wajoka. Play continued as he limped to the side and he was soon replaced by Nicholas Muri.
Hekari remained dominant and forced their Francophone counterparts to rally in the back as they popped in shots from around the top of the box. That looked to change on the 38th minute when Hekari keeper Leslie Kalai handled the ball outside the box, preventing Bertrand Kai from scoring and sealing his own fate as referee Gerald Oaika whipped out a red card.
That signalled the end for Kema Jack who made room for reserve goalkeeper Godfrey Baniau to enter the fray. A free kick was taken on the edge of the box but captain Noel Kaudre blasted it straight at the nine-man wall in front of him. Despite the man advantage, Magenta couldn’t capitalise to take the lead going into the break.
Magenta started the second period in a manner which indicated their intentions, but their finishing was off-target. Then, just five minutes in, Hekari turned the match in their favour as Nigel Dabingyaba got on the end of a free kick, edging it between goalkeeper Jelen Ixoee and his post.
Almost immediately Magenta tried to pull themselves back in line, and after several attempts went astray they finally got what they were searching for with a flick of the head from Kai sending a cross from Jewine into the back of the net. The celebrations were short-lived as Hekari hit back through substitute Muri to give them a 2-1 advantage.
The Papua New Guinea champions looked more in control of the match, but couldn’t beat the Magenta back-line as several shots were blocked or brought down by Ixoee. In the 71st minute the veteran Wajoka finally found his finishing form and fired in the equaliser.
With 20 minutes remaining both sides threw everything they had at the game, with substitutions coming almost as frequently as the yellow cards. Unfortunately neither could find the back of the net for the goal which would earn them the three points. The 2-2 draw means they remain locked in the bottom two spots on the Group C table.
Hekari United coach Jerry Allen says the red card his keeper was shown didn’t help proceedings and was ultimately a deciding factor in their inability to secure the three points.
“I think today we wanted to win this game. We still managed to keep ourselves in the game after the sending off which was good, because 10v11 is sometimes impossible,” Allen says.
“But the boys stuck to the plan and played their best because we were one down. Even though we had ten men we managed to come back and score a goal, but unfortunately so did they.”
For Alain Moizan of AS Magenta it was another hugely disappointing display from his side and while they’re a long shot for topping the pool, he’s still keen to see improvement from his players for their final match.
“Obviously that wasn’t the result that we wanted and I’m incredibly disappointed by it,” Moizan says.
“The result was disappointing, as well as the manner in which we got it. We showed a lot of naivety for the two goals and at this level we don’t have that right.”
The OFC Champions League continues tomorrow with Match Day 5 seeing the action return to Churchill Park in Lautoka. The day’s opener sees Dragon take on defending champions Auckland City FC at 1pm (local) before hosts Nadi play Amicale at 4pm (local).

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