Vaivase win Champions League qualifiers

Samoa’s Vaivase-Tai will join the other teams in the Oceania Champions League Group Stage after qualifiers win.

Vaivase-Tai FC are heading to their first ever OFC Men’s Champions League after victory over Vaiala Tonga SC, edging out hosts Veitongo FC on the final match day in Nuku’alofa.

After a 4-0 win over Tupapa Maerenga from the Cook Islands and a 0-0 draw with Tongan side Veitongo, it would be Vaivase and Veitongo who would fight for the single Group Stage spot on the final day.

Veitongo, who beat Vaiala Tongan from American Samoa 13-0 in the first match, before drawing with Vaivase, had to sit on the side and watch Vaivase take on Vaiala in the first match.

And it became quickly apparent who would win as Vaivase scored within the first 90 seconds of the match. At half time the score was 8-0, and in the end Vaivase won 14-0.

Now it was the Samoan side’s turn to sit and wait anxiously as Veitongo took on Tupapa. The Tongans needed to win by four to go ahead on goal difference.

But Tupapa, who had no chance of qualifying due to their first match loss, fought hard and ruined the Tongan party by coming back from 1-0 down in the first half to win 3-2.

Vaivase-Tai will now join the national playoff winners of New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Champions League hosts Tahiti for the group stage in Group B, while Solomon Warriors from the Solomon Islands, Hekari United from Papua New Guinea, Rewa from Fiji and the New Zealand playoff winner will play in Group A.

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Ola Bjerkevoll

A passion for everything football and especially in Oceania. Owner of Football in Oceania.

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