You gotta feel for Vanuatu utd, their first three opponents were Bula, Auckland and South, three teams most were picking to finish top 4 and they really brought it. Unfortunately this game just didn't go their way
Nice scenes post match, Haris Zeb a selfie with a bunch of young kids. He had a football academy for Muslim kids in Auckland before moving back to his home town ChCh to join SIU.
Those kids looked like they maybe from that Academy. Zeb a role model for NZ kids of a Muslim background.
He's been a bit quieter tonight, but Kaïlé Auvray looks a handful on that left hand wing for Bula.
Diminutive little fella, but so far in their two games he seems to be a very tidy pickup by the Fijians. Absolutely rapid across the grass too.
19 caps for Trinidad and Tobago. Couple games for USA U17s. So got some pedigree. Probably only this league because his old man coaches Bula (plus Fiji national team), and I think junior Auvray is on the injury comeback trail.
O'Leary sent off and fairly so. He could have gone earlier for a 2nd yellow re that weird blatant hand ball the ref missed.
Watching about 10 minutes behind now due to family duties. But it does my head in no end that the commentators were waffling on about possibly rescinding the red card through VAR, even though it was a second yellow card and then the red issued.
First off, unless somethings changed, i'm 99.99% sure that a yellow card can't be referred to VAR. Secondly, from the only angle they had it looked like it could have been a straight red anyway? So in that instance it could only have been reviewed and upgraded to a straight red.
Either way, O'Leary is lucky it wasn't a straight red from the go in my opinion.
3-0 now - another goal for SM originally called offside but changed?? They played the Hekari backline well again but that one looked much more marginal
Games to be played on Saturday January 31, 2026 Vanuatu United v Tahiti United Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 2.30pm (NZ)
PNG Hekari v Auckland FC Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 6.30pm (NZT)
Games to be played on Sunday February 1, 2026 South Island United v South Melbourne Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 2.30pm (NZ)
Bula v Solomon Kings Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 6.30pm (NZT)
Games to be played on Tuesday February 3, 2026 Tahiti United v Auckland FC Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 2.30pm (NZ)
PNG Hekari v Vanuatu United Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 6.30pm (NZT)
Games to be played on Wednesday February 4, 2026 Solomon Kings v South Island United Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 2.30pm (NZ)
Bula v South Melbourne Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 6.30pm (NZT)
Games to be played on Saturday February 7, 2026 Auckland FC v Solomon Kings Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 2.30pm (NZ)
PNG Hekari v South Island United Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 6.30pm (NZT)
Games to be played on Sunday February 8, 2026 South Melbourne v Vanuatu United Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 2.30pm (NZ)
Tahiti United v Bula Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 6.30pm (NZT)
If they do walk this league its quite possible that some of the PI clubs wont be that happy about another AL club like the Nix joining any expansion. New Caledonia is a cert if they sort out their problems.
Three match days in and 1 and 2 are already settled. Embarrassing times ahead as it seems like Melbourne and AFC could potentially walk this league.
Nonsense, both have had close games.
By the way, you ought to look at the format. Points reset after the 5 circuit series. The only thing that gets determined by all these matches is who makes the top 4 and who doesn't. Plus it has a finals series after the leaders group and the challengers group. Rightly or wrongly, that means that the competition will stay open to form.
Three match days in and 1 and 2 are already settled. Embarrassing times ahead as it seems like Melbourne and AFC could potentially walk this league.
Nonsense, both have had close games.
By the way, you ought to look at the format. Points reset after the 5 circuit series. The only thing that gets determined by all these matches is who makes the top 4 and who doesn't. Plus it has a finals series after the leaders group and the challengers group. Rightly or wrongly, that means that the competition will stay open to form.
Also forot that the format resets after the 5 circuits.
Not as easy to predict depending on where the finals land too.
Also also if AFC and us are getting dumped out of the FFA Cup, OFC should say goodbye to South Melbourne.
