The defeat has dealt a near-fatal blow to the Reds’ hopes of progressing to the final of the Pacific’s premier club competition as they are now five points behind Group B leaders Auckland and have just three more matches to get their noses in front.
Only the top-placed team in each group will go on to compete in the O-League final – and thus attempt to qualify for the prestigious FIFA Club World Cup – so Auckland and fellow New Zealand side Waitakere United, who top Group A, are firmly in the box seat with the first half of the competition now completed.
William Malas, who led the side on the day with co-coach Phillemon John, admits Amicale now have a challenge of the tallest order on their hands but is refusing to throw in the towel just yet.
“It is going to be hard for us but we will play the right way and with pride in our next three matches,” he says.
“The fight goes on and we will have to be smart to play well – that is what we want to do.”
Malas is the club’s technical director but took charge of the team with assistant coach John for the Auckland trip as regular coach Luke Eroi had some personal matters to attend to in his native Solomon Islands.
The caretaker bosses oversaw an impressive display from Amicale in a match that was a replay of last season’s O-League final, won 6-1 by Auckland on aggregate.
Amicale lost the away leg of that final 4-0 and were desperate to do much better at Kiwitea St this time. They most certainly did during a performance that saw them take the lead and stretch the Auckland defence regularly but the failure to tuck away several good chances proved costly in the end.
Star striker Fenedy Masauvakalo and midfielder Gibson Daudau both missed good opportunities, the latter on two occassions, and fortune deserted the visitors late on in a sequence of events that did much to determine the outcome.
First, goalkeeper Ernest Bong somehow let an innocuous cross from Adam Dickinson slip through his grasp and into the net to give Auckland a 3-2 lead with just a few minutes remaining. Then, with Amicale pouring forward desperately in the final seconds, Angel Berlanga appeared to block a Selwyn Sese Ala shot on the line with his arm but Tahitian referee Kader Zitouni waved play on.
“We had an awful lot of chances but towards the end things did not go our way and that happens sometimes,” Malas says.
“But the most important thing is that we have shown Pacific Islands players are developing in their abilities. People can see we are not just participating but competing well against the top clubs in New Zealand.”
Malas and co must now hope Solomon Islands side Koloale can spring an upset away against Auckland on February 18 while Amicale need to take three points from their trip to Papua New Guinea to meet Hekari United.
For more on Vanuatu football go to www.vanuafoot.vu

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