NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP – PLAYOFFS IN THE BALANCE

AUCKLAND – The semi finals of the New Zealand Football Championship are delicately poised heading into the return legs this weekend. League runners-up Auckland City started their tie against YoungHeart Manawatu as favourites, but will begin Sunday’s televised match with a two-goal handicap after the first leg in Palmerston North. Auckland have home advantage and…

After a disappointing loss to Hekari Souths FC in the O-League just over a week ago, Koloale FC have bounced back with a convincing win in their domestic competition.  Koloale beat Zome Mars 2-0 at Lawson Tama yesterday to get their Top Eight campaign in Honiara’s DJ League off to a bright start. The Top Eight competition kicked off at the…

AUCKLAND – The Thai Airways All Whites will follow their March 28 friendly against Thailand with a March 31 match against Thailand ‘A’ to replace a cancelled fixture against Indonesia. The Indonesian leg of New Zealand’s two match South East Asian trip was cancelled on March 2 due to safety concerns around that country’s upcoming…

AUCKLAND – A group of young Tahitians who have only ever known life inside a hospice are this week enjoying a trip to New Zealand thanks to charitable organisation Tokani Nui and support from the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC). The group of 20, who travelled from Tahiti on Friday 13 March, are using the OFC…

Ba are top of the table in the Fiji National Soccer League after a massive win against Nadi at the weekend. The defending champions thumped Nadi 10-1 to record their biggest winning margin against the Jetsetters. Lautoka led the field on points last weekend but have slipped to second spot after being held by minnows Tavua to a 1-1 draw at Garvey Park. Both Ba…

AUCKLAND –YoungHeart Manawatu will take a two-goal cushion to Auckland next Sunday after a thrilling 3-1 win over Auckland City in the first leg of their New Zealand Football Championship semi-final in Palmerston North on Sunday. They’ll be without influential midfielder Raf de Gregorio and striker Gustavo Saralegui for the return leg however; as both…

AUCKLAND – The expanded top-four New Zealand Football Championship playoffs roar into action this weekend with red-hot Team Wellington tackling the Champions in a re-match of last year’s Grand Final while YoungHeart Manawatu and Auckland City re-ignite a dormant playoff rivalry. The ties will be played on a home-and-away basis for the first time, and…

The Solomon Islands Football Federation has named a squad of 21 players who will train for a place in the national futsal side to compete in OFC Futsal Championship in June. Small-sided Games Development officer, Victor Wai’ia, says the squad will undergo intensive preparation before a final team of 12 players are selected. A wider squad was called together in…

AUCKLAND – The Football Ferns upset the Netherlands 2-0 in Paralimni, Cyprus on Wednesday morning to claim their biggest scalp in twenty years and ensure a top-four finish at the Cyprus Women’s Cup. The win over the world number 17 lifted New Zealand to second place in Group B behind Canada and booked a playoff…

After a disappointing loss on Match Day Five of the 2009 O-League, Koloale have three weeks to prepare for their crucial Group B decider against Fiji’s Ba at Lawson Tama on Saturday 28 March. The 1-0 defeat at the weekend to Hekari Souths FC means they must win their final group match to progress to the home and away final of competition. Koloale head…