After a 2 year absence from the OFC Champions League, the Kiwi Football Club are busy preparing for first of qualifying for this competition. The qualifying stage of the champions league is schedule to kick off on the 26th January to the 1st February in the Cook Islands.
Kiwi Coach Martin Tamasese acknowledges that it’s going to be a challenging tournament especially since their opening match is against Tupapa FC the Cook Islands National Champions.
“Seeing the draw and playing them (Tupapa FC) in the opening match will really challenge our preparations” he said, “they will be playing on home ground and we know they prepared well including the recruitment from abroad form some experienced players.”
The 2018 FFS National League champions are not new to the region’s club championships. They competed in it as recently as 2013 & 2016 and on both occasions they won the Preliminary qualifying stage, so they are confident of progressing again this year.
20 players and 3 management staff have been selected to travel for this tournament. The team is scheduled to depart the country tonight.
History
1999 – Group Stage (first club to participate) Fiji – 7th Place
2012 – Preliminary stage – Tonga – 3rd place
2013 – Preliminary stage – American Samoa – 1st place
2014 – Group stage – Lautoka Fiji
2016 – Preliminary stage – Cook Islands – 1st place
2016 – Group stage – Auckland New Zealand
2019 – Preliminary stage – Cook Islands
Team List
- Pele Eti Fatu
- Eli Junior Satuala
- Federico Diaz
- Kenneth Kerewi
- Kitiona Nauer
- Andrew Setefano
- Jarrell Sale
- Adrian Cedeno Mera
- Samuelu Malo
- Paulo Scanlan
- Falaniko Nanumea
- Timote Hala
- Lionel Taylor
- Lafi Ioane
- Lotial Mano
- Silao Malo
- Tavita To’o
- Janardhan Goswami
- Ansheil Anil Kumar
- Cihan Erbil
- Semu Faimata
Management
- Martin Tamasese – Head Coach
- Paul Scanlan – Team Manager
- Phineas Young – Assistant Coach
