Remember the name Tiahiti Colombani. The Tahiti U-16 Men’s captain has lit up the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship in Papeete with some brilliant individual performances.
Oceania Football
Remember the name Tiahiti Colombani. The Tahiti U-16 Men’s captain has lit up the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship in Papeete with some brilliant individual performances.
https://www.oceaniafootball.com/the-power-of-football-chris-kemps-touching-gesture-in-tahiti/
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.oceaniafootball.com/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/WhatsApp-Image-2024-08-09-at-15.36.30.jpeg?resize=1170%2C858&ssl=1)
(John Kemp 4th from left in New Zealand team singing national anthems before his debut against Tahiti at Stade Fautaua in Papeete September 5th, 1960)
https://www.socceroos.com.au/news/subway-joeys-arrive-honiara-ahead-pacificaus-sports-football-tour
Despite breaking the deadlock, our U17s are defeated by the Solomon Islands U19s on our #PacificAusSports Tour.
— Football Australia (@FootballAUS) August 15, 2024
The Subway #Joeys' focus now turns to Match Two of the tour on Sunday against the same opponent with kick off at 6pm AEST (7pm local).
🖥️ Live and free on Football… pic.twitter.com/AM4iKv9sIR
Age difference aside (U-19's 🇸🇧 v U-17's 🇦🇺) that is still an excellent result for the Solomons.
Just like the did a couple of weeks ago against MetroStars, Adelaide City mix up their game by going direct to great effect.
— Antonis Pagonis (@Pagonis98) August 18, 2024
Once again, Lea'i and Lawrie-Lattanzio take advantage of any missteps in the box as their goals eliminate the Adelaide Comets. pic.twitter.com/RmbwotLhLG
The federation also announced today that youth team player Nolhann Alebate (18) will sign for @SCBastia in the coming days. The club has a good history of signing 🇳🇨 players.
— The International Window (@windowintlpod) August 20, 2024
He played for New Caledonia last year during the U17 FIFA World Cup. pic.twitter.com/8YRxi0x9OY
Missed the recent Nations Cup due to the violence there, so we didn't get a look at them.
But still overall the AWs, should coast through qualifying. Especially with the semis & final to be in NZ. If a weakened AWs can win the Nations Cup easily in Vanuatu, really it's a battle for that 2nd spot (and the WC qualifying repecharge tourney) for the Island teams.
Played their final match of the tour today against Vanuatu U-19's where it finished 3-3. Aussie blowing a 2-0 H/T advantage.
Another pretty credible result for an OFC nation though.
FT | It finishes all square in Port Vila as the Subway #Joeys play out a 3-3 draw against Vanuatu U-19 in their final #PacificAusSports Tour match. pic.twitter.com/a15dDlR5Fq
— Football Australia (@FootballAUS) August 21, 2024
Could very well be politically motivated as China continues to push into our back door yard. Kiribati's leader currently in Bejing this week being charmed.
New Zealand Football High Performance Goalkeeping Development Lead & All Whites Goalkeeper Coach Paul Gothard, shared valuable insight to his pears around high-performance, and the All Whites processes around goalkeeping preparation for OFC tournaments and some of their successes.
https://www.oceaniafootball.com/court-of-arbitration-of-sport-cas-dismisses-appeal-brought-by-lee-harmon-former-president-of-the-cook-islands-football-association-cifa-against-ofc-appeal-committee-decision/
On 21 August 2024 the Court of Arbitration of Sport dismissed an appeal brought by Lee Harmon against a decision issued by the OFC Appeal Committee on 21 May 2024.
In one of our latest pieces, FPF writer @Pagonis98 spoke to Josh Smith, the individual known as the architect for helping players from the Pacific Island region to move to Australia and play their football 🇸🇧🇻🇺🇦🇺
— Front Page Football (@FrontPgFootball) August 30, 2024
Smith spoke exclusively to FPF about football in the region as… pic.twitter.com/OdID2GuVQT
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/09/02/world/friendlies/fiji/solomon-islands/4413075/
Bit strange in a way as Fiji & the Solomons are in the same OFC WC qualifying pool, with qualifiers to start in October.
FT | The #AustralianU23s take Game 1 of the #PacificAusSports Football Series against Vanuatu 👏
— Football Australia (@FootballAUS) September 5, 2024
⚽ Blair 42'
⚽ Taylor 62'
⚽ Grimaldi 74' pic.twitter.com/sucWqZV3RQ
Watched in the last couple of hours at work. Vanuatu did well to hold them out to almost H/T.
Aussie very dominant overall, but we're lacking a cutting edge, they also looked relatively uncomfortable on a typically bumpy/bouncy uneven Pacific island football field. Welcome back to the OFC lads!
For what it's worth, Vanuatu carved out some very decent chances for themselves. They were lucky to not at least have picked up a goal for their efforts - Worked some very nice 1 v 1 efforts which they should have capitalized on to be fair.
Everyone's favourite from the OFC Nations Cup Johnathan Spokeyjack was lively and threatening - think it was him that created a gilt-edged chance for his side completely against the run of play after 20 minutes which was blazed wide. He had a couple of other half chances as well. Godine Tenene I thought was excellent for Vanuatu. Lightning quick that lad - liked his tenacity and his quick feet, happy to take on players too which was good to see from an OFC player against higher quality opposition. Was heartening to see him get stuck in and press the Aussie defenders too. Just a shame they couldn't quite press as a unit more effectively, as they hemmed them in a few times only to have one player not quite pressing with as much intensity given them an easy out.
Good prep for for WC Qualifying for them though.
Also see Fiji beat the Solomon Islands 1-0 a couple of days ago - No Krishna, late penalty to seal the victory.
![](/rails/active_storage/blobs/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBcVlTIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--c92e0fe4fa4fc5847f1e2c90d393a47696b3cd7f/20240905_225508.jpg)
And earlier today Hong Kong beat the Solomons 3-0 in Fiji.
![](/rails/active_storage/blobs/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBcWNTIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--3eee61b9518066d34ea9c71dc1a387c69e75ccfd/20240905_225328.jpg)
Fiji take on Hong Kong in a few days time in that Tri-Nations matchup to round out their September international window.
Orr also the captain. He's actually playing in the Chinese Super League (CSL) this season. Previously he'd just played China 2nd tier or his local HK league.
No starts for his CSL club Shenzhen Peng City but 16 appearances off the bench and 1 goal. Sort of guy that would definitely have been AWs capped by Anthony Hudson if eligible. And the CSL ain't the worst level, so even now he'd be in AWs contention - given no Kiwi striker apart from Wood is scoring goals. He had a breakout 15 goal season in the Chinese 2nd tier last year.
https://us.soccerway.com/players/matthew-elliot-wing-kai-orr/561434/
Surprised Hong Kong are ranked as low as 159. They qualified for the Asian Cup earlier this year and didn't disgrace themselves.
Solomons had Le'ai and also a recalled Micah Lea'alafa playing.
FT: Hong Kong (159th in FIFA ranking) 🇭🇰 beat Solomon Islands (141st) 🇸🇧3-0, keeping a clean sheet, which was an explicit goal set by the coaching team. Goals by Juninho (22’), Orr, (45’+1), Wong Wai (47’, pen). Debuts made by Tim Chow, Ng Yu-hei and GK Ng Wai-him #hkfootball pic.twitter.com/9G1i1J76rV
— Football in Hong Kong (@offsideHK) September 5, 2024
Hong Kong’s starting XI: Tse Ka-wing in goal, Matt Orr as Captain, Vas Nuñez and Gerbig as centre backs #hkfootball pic.twitter.com/STp9b86K12
— Football in Hong Kong (@offsideHK) September 5, 2024
Tonga knocking out the Cook Islands to make the final.
![](/rails/active_storage/blobs/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBcXdTIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--62ba7b32f87ee05e5d534c06475ad52e6224a29c/Screenshot_2024-09-06-21-57-36-56_955f68c4df44ad6a86e46b05cf65099a.jpg)
Samoa overcome American Samoa in the other knockout game.
![](/rails/active_storage/blobs/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBcTBTIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--ef54976b9849ed5ac39257e478a95c520eea469e/Screenshot_2024-09-06-21-58-14-32_955f68c4df44ad6a86e46b05cf65099a.jpg)
Winner of the final on Tuesday will join New Zealand, Vanuatu & Tahiti in Group B for the 2nd round of qualifiers kicking off in the October window.
Hard luck for both the Cook Islands & American Samoa - It's one and done for them for their 2026 World Cup Qualifying campaign.