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Stage set for Champions League opener

Words: ACFC Media

Saturday 13 May 2023

LUGANVILLE, Vanuatu - Auckland City FC will kick off their Oceania title defence by taking on the Solomon Warriors in the opening match of the 2023 OFC Champions League at Luganville’s Soccer City Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Searching for their eleventh continental crown, the Navy Blues have showed their fighting qualifies and international credentials as they earned the rights to represent their country in Vanuatu with a thrilling victory over Wellington Olympic in the New Zealand National playoff over two legs back in March.

Following a hard-fought 1-all draw in Wellington, in the return leg at Auckland City’s Kiwitea Street ground, the home side scored four late, unanswered goals to turn a 3-1 deficit into a remarkable 5-3 win and advance to the 2023 edition of the region’s premier club football competition with a 6-4 victory on aggregate.

The Navy Blues have arrived in Vanuatu still unbeaten back home, sitting on top of the New Zealand Northern League table with six wins and two draws after eight rounds.

Meanwhile the Solomon Warriors also had to dig deep to overcome their arch rivals Koss FC in their two-legged playoff in February.

With the opening qualifier ending in a 1-1 stalemate, the Warriors found themselves a goal down in the return leg before scoring twice to secure a 3-2 aggregate victory to advance.

Solomon Islands’ most successful club with seven national titles, the Honiara based club are regular Champions League participants.

The Franco Ne’e - coached side arrived in Luganville with a win and a draw after two rounds in the new domestic Telekom S-League season.

City and the Warriors have faced each other on three previous occasions on the Oceania stage with the New Zealanders coming out on top 4-0 in 2016, before another 2-0 victory in 2018 and a comfortable 6-0 triumph in their most recent meeting in 2019.

Those three wins however will mean nothing when the two sides meet again on Sunday according to City coach Albert Riera.

“Our first game against the Solomon Warriors, they are a top side and that’s why they are in the Champions League. We faced them before and it’s always very hard, especially in conditions we are not used to playing in,” Riera explained.

“We have to get used to playing against different teams and different types of players, they are technically very good, they are very fast and they have flare, especially in the Solomon Islands where futsal is culturally ingrained, so we will have to stay focussed and we have to be on the top of our game,” continued the City coach.

Riera, who has been to Vanuatu before as a player, says playing in the islands will present new challenges to his side.

“There will be no surprises. We have players with a lot of experience in these tournaments in the islands and others who haven’t been there. There are different elements to it, the climate, the heat, players that we’re going to be playing against who we are not used to playing against on a daily basis. Nobody is easy. It’s very hard actually,” said Riera.

Meanwhile City skipper Cam Howieson says the players are fully focused and determined to complete another successful campaign.

“We are obviously very excited, a bit of travel involved and we have looked at the teams and there is a lot of quality in the islands, but we are going there with the goal of winning it and to have another successful run in the Champions League,” said the Navy Blues captain.

“Playing overseas is different from playing at home, we had a successful campaign last year when it was in Auckland, but it’s a lot different when you travel overseas which makes it very difficult.

“Even being here in winter and going over there to play in the heat is very challenging, especially for the ones who are new in terms of going overseas.

“But we have a great squad, great players and we have the ambition to win it,” insisted the Auckland City FC midfielder.

OFC Champions League - Group A

Sunday 14 May 2023
Auckland City FC v Solomon warriors
Luganville Soccer City Stadium, Vanuatu
Kick-off: 12h00 local time / 1.00pm NZST

LIVE: Click here for live coverage

AC 2023 OCL SQUAD 1. Conor TRACEY (GK) 2. Mario ILICH, 3. Adam MITCHELL,4. Christian GRAY, 5. Michael DEN HEIJER, 6. Dan MORGAN, 7. Cam HOWIESON (c) 8. Gerard GARRIGA , 9. Angus KILKOLLY, 10. Dylan MANICKUM, 11. Ryan DE VRIES, 12. Regont MURATI, 13. Nathan LOBO, 14. Jordan VALE, 15. Aidan CAREY, 16. Joseph LEE, 19. Liam GILLION, 22. Tong ZHOU, 23. Matt ELLIS, 24. Joe WALLIS (GK)

Coach: Albert RIERA
Assistant coach: Ivan VICELICH
Goalkeeper coach: Enaut ZUBIKARAI
Technical: Adria CASALS
Physiotherapist: Matt PAYNE
Logistics Manager: Keith COTON
General Manager: Gordon WATSON