OFC Auckland: Just who will qualify to represent the Oceania region in football (soccer) at the Athens Olympic Games in August will be decided at the 2004 OFC Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament, which kicks off with first round fixtures tonight.

Group A kicks off at Marconi Stadium in Sydney, Australia with a Melanesian derby between Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands at 5:00pm (AEST). The following match will see the hosts Australia play Samoa.

Group B kicks off at North Harbour Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand with another island showdown between American Samoa and Tonga at 5:00pm (NZT). Group B hosts New Zealand take on the Cook Islands in the following match.

Fiji has a bye in the first round in Group A while Vanuatu has the bye for the first round over in Group B.

Both group tournaments will conclude on 22 January 2004 with the winner of Group A playing the winner of Group B in a home and away playoff decider on 26 and 30 January 2004. The winner of the playoff will be declared the Oceania champion and receive direct entry to the Athens Olympics.

The latest results and a full match schedule can be found on the official 2004 OFC Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament website which is linked on the homepage of the Oceania Football Confederation website at www.oceaniafootball.com . Click on the icon to view the latest results and news.