NEW ZEALAND – KIWI HEADS FOR PREMIER LEAGUE

New Zealand’s presence in the English premiership has doubled with confirmation Simon Elliott has signed for Fulham. After weeks of speculation the 31-year-old All Whites midfielder has joined the west London club on a free transfer from United States franchise Columbus Crew. Full story here, Premiership Craven over for Elliott

GM Lautoka has recruited a formidable squad for the soccer club franchise league. Defending champions 4R Electric Men in Black will host GM Lautoka and Nokia Eagles Nadi at Govind Park next weekend. With Fiji captain Esala Masi and Thomas Vulivuli already signed up, GM Lautoka also has Navua sweeper Lorima Dau, Oakleigh Cannons midfielder…

Vakatalesau joins NZ soccer club Lautoka soccer star Osea Vakatalesau will join Papakura CIty FC in New Zealand next year. The 19-year-old has been a revelation for the Sugar City side over the years and scored the goals when it mattered. Described by a former Fiji coach as “coach able,” Vakatalesau has had a good…

Edward Drollett Jr. and Mii Piri have won the men’s and women’s soccer Player of the Year awards for 2005. They were honoured among the senior players for the year’s soccer season at the senior prize presentation. Drollett and Piri have won the award in the past on three other occasions and are honoured to…

WORLD CUP DEVELOPMENT SQUADS ANNOUNCED New Zealand Soccer has unveiled the first group of teenagers charged with turning the sport’s World Cup dream into reality. A total of 97 players have been selected in three squads – under-13 and under-15 boys and under-14 girls – as part of NZ Soccer’s new World Cup development programme….

AUSTRALIA LEAVE ON TOP Australia will leave the Oceania Football Confederation as the top ranked men’s and women’s sides after the release of the FIFA Women’s World Rankings. Up one place from September 2005, the Matildas now sit in fifteenth sport, with their nearest rivals New Zealand seven five places back (22). Tonga still heads…

Five teams will participate in the National Club Championship (NCC) early next year. Ba’s 4R Electric is the defending champion and will face Southern Forest Navua, Vinod Hire Delta Tigers, Jetset Nadi and General Machinery Lautoka. Dee Cee Suva recently pulled out of the championships citing financial constraints. Dee Cee’s Suva secretary Alvin Sharma said…

AUSTRALIA END YEAR ON TOP OF RANKINGS Australia (48) ended the year as top ranked Oceania Football Confederation nation in the FIFA/ Coca-Cola World Rankings 72 places ahead of its nearest confedration challenger New Zealand (120=). Fiji (135) lie a further fifteen places back, with the Solomon Islands (140), Tahiti (141=), and Vanuatu (146) nipping…

Historic hat trick for Prinz; Ronaldinho retains title The coaches and captains of national teams all around the world have chosen to place the crowns back on the heads of last year’s triumphant twosome, with Birgit Prinz (Germany) and Ronaldinho (Brazil) once again claiming the honours at the Zurich Opera House. For the German striker,…

Nikao Sokattak make Oceania champs Nikao has qualified for the Oceania Club Championships preliminary competition by winning the CIFA Round Cup championship this year. The preliminary tournament is scheduled to be held in Fiji from 3 – 10 February 2006. Countries taking part are Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and the Cook Islands. The winner of the…