Telekom S-League champions Koloale and Championship Series winners Solomon Warriors will meet in a two-legged play-off for the O-League place, the first game of which takes place at Lawson Tama Stadium on Monday. The second match will follow at the same venue just a few days later on Thursday and both games will kick off at 3pm.
The aggregate winner over the two legs will earn bragging rights as the year’s best club side in the Solomon Islands and will have the chance to go on and qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup through the next edition of the O-League.
A play-off was needed after Solomon Warriors spoiled Koloale’s potential party by notching a penalty shootout win in a hard-fought Championship Series final earlier this month. The scores were locked at 1-1 on 90 minutes after Koloale striker Ian Paia replied in the second half to Dennis Ifunaoa’s early strike and the teams could still not be separated after extra-time.
Warriors goalkeeoper Paul Huia, fresh from helping his country win the OFC Futsal Championship in Fiji last month, became a hero during the shootout by saving the spot kicks of Jeffery Bule and Joses Nawo to earn his side a memorable win and keep their O-League hopes alive.
A play-off would not have been neccessary if Koloale had completed the double by following up their S-League success with a Championship Series win. The S-League regulations state that qualification for the O-League requires winning both the league and championship and, if there is a different winner for each, a play-off must take place.
The two matches will continue a rivalry that has developed over the years between the clubs and has traditionally seen Koloale come out on top. Solomon Warriors have wrestled back some of the control in recent months though and will be confident of a good showing next week.
They have already beaten the Benjamin Totori-skippered Koloale twice this season, once in the league and the other in the championship final, but will be wary of facing a side that often performs at its best when the stakes are high. Koloale have been beaten only two times in their last 18 matches but the Warriors will be bouyed by the fact that they were the team to inflict both defeats.
Koloale and their fanatical fans will be desperate to return to the O-League and banish the memories of their last campaign in Oceania’s premier club competition. The Men in Green took part in the 2011 edition but failed to make it past the group stages after losing their first three matches.
Totori and his charges did mount a comeback to finish strongly but it was a case of too little, too late as they missed out on top spot in Group A to Amicale by just one point.
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