2006 OFC Club Championship

The 2006 OFC Club Championship was the 5th edition of the top-level Oceanic club football tournament organized by the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), and the last tournament before it was rebranded as the OFC Champions League. The qualifying round was held at Govind Park in Ba, Fiji, from 6 February until 10 February 2006, with the main competition taking place at the North Harbour Stadium in Albany, New Zealand from 10 May until 21 May 2006.

2006 OFC Club Championship
Tournament details
Dates6 February – 21 May 2006
Teams11 (from 10 associations)
Final positions
ChampionsNew Zealand Auckland City (1st title)
Runners-upFrench Polynesia Pirae
Tournament statistics
Matches played22
Goals scored96 (4.36 per match)
Top scorer(s)Solomon Islands Benjamin Totori 7 goals
2005
2007

The tournament was the first of its kind to not have a representative from Australia competing, due to the nation's migration to the Asian Football Confederation, meaning the winners of the competition would for the first time be from a nation outside of Australia.

Australia's departure from the OFC meant that qualification for the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup was under question – in March 2006 it was reported that the Oceania champions would have to play a preliminary match against the J. League champions for a place in the main competition. However, later that month, it was announced that FIFA president Sepp Blatter had been unable to get the necessary support for the new format and as a result Oceania retained direct entry to 2006 FIFA Club World Cup. FIFA reviewed the format the following year.[1]

The winner of the tournament was Auckland City of New Zealand, who beat AS Pirae of Tahiti in the final.

Participants edit

Location of teams of the 2006 OFC Champions League.
  Automatic entrants
  Preliminary round entrants

The following teams entered the competition.

Association Team Qualifying method
Teams entering the group stage
  New Caledonia AS Magenta 2004–05 New Caledonia Super Ligue champion
  New Zealand Auckland City 2005–06 New Zealand Football Championship grand final champion
2005–06 New Zealand Football Championship regular season premier
YoungHeart Manawatu 2005–06 New Zealand Football Championship regular season runner-up
  Papua New Guinea Sobou FC 2005 Papua New Guinea National Club Championship champion
  Solomon Islands Makuru FC 2006 Solomon Islands National Club Championship champion
  Tahiti AS Pirae 2004–05 Tahiti Division Fédérale champion
  Vanuatu Tafea FC 2005 Vanuatu National Super League champion
Teams entering the preliminary round
  American Samoa PanSa[a] 2005 ASFA Soccer League champion
  Cook Islands Nikao Sokattak 2005 Cook Islands Round Cup champion
  Fiji Nokia Eagles 2006 Fiji Club Franchise League champion
  Samoa Tuanaimato Breeze 2005 Samoa National League champion
  Tonga Lotoha'apai United 2005 Tonga Major League champion
Notes
  1. ^ PanSa withdrew from the competition.

Preliminary round edit

A preliminary round was held to determine the 8th and final participant in the final. The format was a group stage, with each team playing each other once. The winner of the group would qualify for the main draw.

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Nokia Eagles 3 2 1 0 7 2 +5 7
  Tuanaimato Breeze 3 1 1 1 4 4 0 4
  Lotoha'apai 3 1 1 1 5 7 −2 4
  Nikao Sokattack 3 0 1 2 2 5 −3 1
Source: [citation needed]
Lotoha'apai  1–5  Nokia Eagles
Vaihu   31' (Report) Tamanisau   17'
Nawatu   41'
Duguca   59'
Sabutu   81', 88'
Attendance: ?
Referee: ?
Nikao Sokattack  1–2  Tuanaimato Breeze
Tisam   15' (Report) Fa'aiuaso   72', 77'
Attendance: ?
Referee: ?

Nikao Sokattack  1–3  Lotoha'apai
Willis   10' (Report) Moala   54'
Makasini   61'
Uhatahi   67'
Attendance: ?
Referee: ?
Nokia Eagles  2–1  Tuanaimato Breeze
Tamanisau   55'
Bolaitoga   77'
(Report) Fa'aiuaso   27'
Attendance: ?
Referee: ?

Lotoha'apai  1–1  Tuanaimato Breeze
Uhatahi   85' (Report) Esau   32'
Attendance: ?
Referee: ?
Nokia Eagles  0–0  Nikao Sokattack
(Report)
Attendance: ?
Referee: ?

First round edit

The eight remaining teams were separated into two groups, each team playing the other teams once. The top two teams from each group progress to the semi-finals. This First Round was held in Albany, New Zealand.

Group A edit

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Auckland City 3 3 0 0 11 1 +10 9
  Pirae 3 2 0 1 17 2 +15 6
  Marist 3 1 0 2 9 14 −5 3
  Sobou 3 0 0 3 1 21 −20 0
Source: [citation needed]
Marist1–10Pirae
Auckland City7–0Sobou
Auckland City3–1Marist
Pirae7–0Sobou
Sobou1–7Marist
Pirae0–1Auckland City

Group B edit

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  YoungHeart Manawatu 3 1 2 0 8 5 +3 5
  Nokia Eagles 3 1 1 1 6 3 +3 4
  Tafea 3 1 1 1 4 7 −3 4
  Magenta 3 1 0 2 1 4 −3 3
Source: [citation needed]


Magenta0–1Tafea
Tafea0–4Nokia Eagles
Nokia Eagles0–1Magenta

Knockout stage edit

Semi finals edit

The top two teams from both groups progressed to the semifinals.

Auckland City  9–1  Nokia Eagles
Sykes   37'
Seaman   52'
Jordan   55'
Young   61',   62'
Hayne   68'
Bunce   84'
Little   89',   90'+
(Report) Tiwa   17'
Attendance: ?
Referee: ?
YoungHeart Manawatu  1–2  Pirae
Totori   61' (Report) Hmae   1'
Bennett   8'
Attendance: ?
Referee: ?

Third Place Playoff edit

Nokia Eagles  0–4  YoungHeart Manawatu
(Report) Totori    (3)
Maemae  
Attendance: ?
Referee: ?

Final edit

Auckland City  3–1  Pirae
Jordan   23', 41', 63' (pen.) (Report) Fa'aiuaso   84'

Auckland City are the 2006 Oceania Club Champions and qualify for the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Maddaford, Terry (31 March 2006). "Soccer: Oceania winner retains direct entry to club champs". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 14 September 2011.

External links edit