The team representing New Zealand accomplished the difficult task of defending the title in Tahiti and extended their record of titles won in the OFC Champions League to 12.

In addition to the pressure of being the reigning Oceania champions and being considered the strongest team in the region, the Auckland City players had to adapt to playing in high temperatures and during times when the sun and humidity were at their peak.

In the early matches, it was clear how physically demanding this Cup would be for Auckland City FC. Albert Riera's team always tried to win from the first minute, but they faced quick opponents who were more accustomed to playing in those conditions. The first match against Rewa FC didn't start in the best way as they were down 1-2 at one point, but they quickly recovered to secure a draw in the first group stage match.

The 2-2 draw in the first match increased the team's pressure for the remaining matches. In the second game, they faced Hekari United (Champions of the competition in 2010), who managed to defend the draw for almost the entire game. However, near the end, Liam Gillion, who is having a great season, scored the decisive 1-0 goal in the last minute to give his team their first win.

The last group match against Solomon Warriors was a bit easier. Auckland City FC knew they were up against a team that was already eliminated and had to win to secure the top spot in the Group A. Dylan Manickum scored the opening goal before halftime, and in the second half, Albert Riera's team finished the match with a 5-0 victory, with two more goals from Manickum, one from Ryan De Vries, and another by the young player Stipe Ukich. With that result, they secured the top spot in the group and had to face AS Magenta in the next round.

Auckland City FC had five days of rest between their last group match and the semifinal against AS Magenta. The New Caledonian team, on the other hand, played their last group match just two days before the semifinal. While this allowed the “Navy Blues” to continue acclimatizing to the temperatures in Tahiti and to plan their semifinal match with more time, they once again faced a fast opponent that did not show physical fatigue despite having less rest. Although AS Magenta did not create many chances on Conor Tracey’s goal, Auckland City could not find a way to break the deadlock until Stipe Ukich, the standout player of that match, received a good long pass from Cameron Howieson and calmly finished to secure the 1-0 win and a spot in another final for the New Zealand team.

On the other side of the tournament, AS Pirae from Tahiti qualified for the final after defeating Rewa FC 4-2 in the previous round. The grand final was held last Saturday at the Stade Pater in Tahiti, with a new continental title on the line for the “Navy Blues”.

Albert Riera’s team showcased their class in the most important match of the tournament and dominated the game from start to finish. At six minutes into the first half, after a free kick by Cam Howieson and a header pass from Adam Mitchell, Mike Den Heijer found himself free at the far post to make it 1-0. From that moment, they managed to maintain the lead, and at the 30-minute mark, Gerard Garriga provided an excellent assist to Liam Gillion, who rounded the goalkeeper to take a two-goal lead before halftime. Auckland City FC showed no mercy and, just two minutes into the second half, Stipe Ukich scored a great goal to make it 3-0. Only 10 minutes later, Cam Howieson took another free kick, and Christian Gray capitalized on a poor clearance by goalkeeper Francois Decoret to make it 4-0. AS Pirae had a couple of opportunities to narrow the gap but were not effective and did not create much trouble for Conor Tracey.

With this result, Auckland City FC won the OFC Champions League for the third consecutive time and now have 12 titles in total in the competition, a record that seems difficult to beat today. With this victory, the “Navy Blues” were the first club to qualify for the 2024 Intercontinental Cup to be held at the end of the year. Just a few hours later, they were joined by Al Ahly from Egypt (winners of the 2023-24 CAF Champions League) and Al Ain from United Arab Emirates (winners of the 2023-24 AFC Champions League). These three clubs will be joined by the champions of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the Copa Libertadores, and the UEFA Champions League in the former FIFA Club World Cup.

Champions of the OFC Champions League:

• Auckland City: 12 (2006, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2023, 2024).

• Waitakere United: 2 (2007, 2008).

• Team Wellington: 1 (2018)

• Adelaide City (Australia):  1 (1987)

• South Melbourne (Australia):  1(1999)

• Wollongong Wolves (Australia): 1 (2001)

• Sydney FC (Australia): 1 (2005)

• Hekari United (Papua New Guinea):  1 (2010)

• Hienghène Sport (New Caledonia): 1 (2019)

Article added: Monday 27 May 2024