Lae City FC began their OFC Men’s Champions League tournament in fine style by roaring to an opening day 4-1 win over Cook Islands representatives Tupapa Maraerenga FC in their Group B clash at Churchill Park in Lautoka.

A convincing display was led by a superb performance from the industrious Nalau Moses who created havoc whenever in possession and was involved in three of the four goals scored by his team.

It took the Papua New Guinean Champions seventeen minutes to break the deadlock and, when they did so, it was a goal of sheer simplicity, but technical efficiency.

A long ball from the defence was helped on its way by Moses into the path of Solomon Kamake and the teenager unerringly drilled his shot across Tupapa Maraerenga FC goalkeeper Tahiri Elikana and into the bottom corner.

Lae City continued to push for a second, a brace of free-kicks testing Elikana, as Tupapa Maraerenga FC were forced to defend resolutely, offering little in the way of positive attacking threat at the other end.

Unfortunately for Lae City, who have reached the Quarter Finals of this competition on two previous occasions, the final pass was often either over hit or under hit denying them the cushion of a two-goal lead until three minutes from the break.

The second breakthrough came from a set-piece from Moses, who swung a ball into the near post where the final touch came off the head of Tupapa Maraerenga FC defender Shane Tuteru, flashing past his own goalkeeper and into the far corner of the net.

Trailing by two, Tupapa Maraerenga FC were forced to chase the game, but it was Lae City who struck again seven minutes into the second half. Excellent interplay between Gorden Mark and Sileon Hatagao saw the former slide an inch-perfect pass in behind the defence for the excellent Moses to reach and prod past the goalkeeper for 3-0.

The Cook Islanders refused to buckle and continued to search for a way back into the contest and they were rewarded with a splendidly taken goal with eighteen minutes remaining.

A swift break culminated in substitute Moses Taokia finding Tremaine Rimene-Albrett whose low shot found the bottom corner, his club’s first OFC Men’s Champions League goal since 2019.

However, Lae City were to have the final word as the match ticked into additional time. A left-wing corner from David Tita was only half-cleared into the path of Ruel Api who juggled the ball before blasting a fine finish high across the goalkeeper and into the roof of the net.

STATISTICS 

Sunday 9 August 2026

Group B

Lae City FC 4 (Soloman KAMAKE 17’, Shane TUTERU 43’ (og), Nalau MOSES 52’, Ruel API 90+2’) Tupapa Maraerenga FC 1 (Tremaine RIMENE-ALBRETT 72’)

HT: 2-0