Confirmed that Sth Melbourne don't have their strongest squad in Fiji.
But with the finals games all in NZ, finishing top 4 is all that matters for now.
https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2026/04/12/auckland-fc-beat-south-melbourne-in-five-goal-thriller-in-ofc-pro-league/
Domestic commitments meant that the Australian side were missing a number of first-choice players, including captain Marco Jankovic and dangerous forward Yuki Uchida.
The New Zealand side, perhaps unsurprisingly, were the stronger of the two in the closing stages, taking advantage of their opponents’ lack of options off the bench.
But with the finals games all in NZ, finishing top 4 is all that matters for now.
https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2026/04/12/auckland-fc-beat-south-melbourne-in-five-goal-thriller-in-ofc-pro-league/
Domestic commitments meant that the Australian side were missing a number of first-choice players, including captain Marco Jankovic and dangerous forward Yuki Uchida.
The New Zealand side, perhaps unsurprisingly, were the stronger of the two in the closing stages, taking advantage of their opponents’ lack of options off the bench.