2022 OFC Champions League

The 2022 OFC Champions League (officially known as OFC Champions League 2022[1]) was the 21st edition of the Oceanian Club Championship, Oceania's premier club football tournament organized by the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), and the 16th season under the current OFC Champions League name.

2022 OFC Champions League
Tournament details
Dates4 June – 17 August 2022
Teams14 (from 8 associations)
Final positions
ChampionsNew Zealand Auckland City (10th title)
Runners-upFrench Polynesia Vénus
Tournament statistics
Matches played15
Goals scored47 (3.13 per match)
Attendance2,340 (156 per match)
Top scorer(s)French Polynesia Teaonui Tehau
(4 goals)

In the final, Auckland City defeated Vénus 3–0 for their tenth title. Hienghène Sport, having won the title in 2019, were the title holders, since the 2020 and 2021 editions were cancelled due to border closures throughout the Pacific caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the titles were not awarded, but were eliminated by Vénus in the semi-finals.[2][3]

Teams

A total of 14 teams from 8 OFC member associations are eligible to enter the competition. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the format of the competition was changed, with all teams entering a qualifying stage consisting of a qualifying tournament and national play-offs, in order to keep travel to a minimum:[4]

  • The six developed associations (Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Vanuatu) are awarded two berths each in the national play-offs, which are either played in a two-legged format or as a single match in their own country between the two teams from each association, with the six winners advancing to the final tournament.
  • As the qualifying stages were cancelled due to travel restrictions and logistic challenges, OFC nominated Nikao Sokattak (Cook Islands) based on previous results.[5]
Teams from developed associations, eligible to enter the national play-offs
Association Team Qualifying method
 Fiji Lautoka 2021 Fiji Premier League champions
Rewa 2021 Fiji Premier League runners-up
 New Caledonia Hienghène Sport 2021 New Caledonia Super Ligue champions
Ne Drehu 2021 New Caledonia Super Ligue runners-up
 Papua New Guinea Lae City 2021 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League champions
Hekari United 2021 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League runners-up
 Solomon Islands Central Coast 2021 Solomon Islands S-League champions
Solomon Warriors 2021 Solomon Islands S-League runners-up
 Tahiti Pirae 2020–21 Tahiti Ligue 1 champions
Vénus 2020–21 Tahiti Ligue 1 runners-up
 Vanuatu Galaxy 2021 VFF National Super League champions
RueRue 2021 VFF National Super League runners-up
Teams from developed association, receiving a bye to the group stage
Association Team Qualifying method
 New Zealand Auckland City 2020–21 New Zealand Football Championship regular season premiers
Teams from developing association, receiving a bye to the group stage
Association Team Qualifying method
 Cook Islands Nikao Sokattak 2021 Cook Islands Round Cup champions

Schedule

On 4 March 2021, the OFC announced that the qualifying stage, which would have been played in Tonga between 16 and 22 October 2021, had been postponed to early 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[6][7] On 4 June 2021, the OFC announced that the tournament would be moved from its traditional slot at the beginning of the year to August, and a revised format for the event would be presented at the next OFC Executive Committee meeting.[3] On 8 October 2021, the OFC announced the new format of the competition.[4]

Qualifying stage

National playoffs

On 13 May 2022, OFC announced that 6 sets of national playoffs would take place to determine which side from those nations would take part in this year's Champions League. New Zealand Football announced that they had nominated Auckland City as their sole participant taking part in the competition.[8]

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Ne Drehu New Caledonia 3–4 New Caledonia Hienghène Sport 2–2 1–2
Lautoka Fiji 1–5 Fiji Rewa 1–1 0–4
RueRue Vanuatu 0–5 Vanuatu Galaxy 0–0 0–5
Solomon Warriors Solomon Islands 3–3 (2–4 p) Solomon Islands Central Coast 1–1 2–2 (a.e.t.)
Lae City Papua New Guinea 2–1 Papua New Guinea Hekari United
Pirae French Polynesia 0–1 (a.e.t.) French Polynesia Vénus
Ne Drehu New Caledonia2–2New Caledonia Hienghène Sport
  • Wamowe 23' (pen.)
  • Hace 71'
 Report
Attendance: 308
Referee: Johnny Reboul (New Caledonia)
Hienghène Sport New Caledonia2–1New Caledonia Ne Drehu
 Report
  • Hmaen 25'
Attendance: 1,300
Referee: Mederic Lacour (New Caledonia)

Hienghène Sport won 4–3 on aggregate.

Pirae French Polynesia0–1 (a.e.t.)French Polynesia Vénus
Report
  • R. Tehau 111'
Attendance: 688
Referee: Teremoana Roihau (Tahiti)
Lautoka Fiji1–1Fiji Rewa
 Report
Attendance: 1,500
Referee: Neeshil Varman (Fiji)
Rewa Fiji4–0Fiji Lautoka
 Report
Attendance: 800
Referee: Kavitesh Behari (Fiji)

Rewa won 5–1 on aggregate.

RueRue Vanuatu0–0Vanuatu Galaxy
Report
Attendance: 3,500
Referee: Arnold Tari (Vanuatu)
Galaxy Vanuatu5–0Vanuatu RueRue
 Report
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Jarethy George (Vanuatu)

Galaxy won 5–0 on aggregate.

Solomon Warriors Solomon Islands1–1Solomon Islands Central Coast
 Report
  • Fordney 76'
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Timothy Niu (Solomon Islands)
Central Coast Solomon Islands2–2 (a.e.t.)Solomon Islands Solomon Warriors
  • Fafale 86', 120+1'
 Report
  • Molea 2'
  • Hou 96'
Penalties
 4–2
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Ben Aukwai (Solomon Islands)

3–3 on aggregate. Central Coast won 4–2 on penalties

Lae City Papua New Guinea2–1Papua New Guinea Hekari United
  • David 87', 90'
 Report
  • Simon 45'
Attendance: 2,000
Referee: David Yareboinen (Papua New Guinea)

Group stage
Main article: 2022 OFC Champions League group stage
Location of teams of the 2022 OFC Champions League group stage.
Red: Group A; Blue: Group B

The group stage was held in Auckland, New Zealand on 4-11 August 2022.[9] The four teams in each group played each other on a round-robin basis at a centralised venue, Ngahue Reserve, Auckland. The winners and runners-up of each group advanced to the semi-finals of the knockout stage.

All of the qualified teams for the group stage are as follows:

Group A

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification VEN CCO GAL LAE
1 French Polynesia Vénus 3 2 0 1 4 1 +3 6 Knockout stage — — 0–1 1–0
2 Solomon Islands Central Coast 3 2 0 1 6 6 0 6 0–3 — 3–1 —
3 Vanuatu Galaxy 3 1 1 1 4 5 −1 4 — — — 2–2
4 Papua New Guinea Lae City 3 0 1 2 4 6 −2 1 — 2–3 — —
Source: OFC

Group B

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification AUC HIE REW NIK
1 New Zealand Auckland City (H) 3 3 0 0 12 1 +11 9 Knockout stage — 5−0 — —
2 New Caledonia Hienghène Sport 3 2 0 1 3 5 −2 6 — — 2–0 —
3 Fiji Rewa 3 1 0 2 3 6 −3 3 0–3 — — 3–1
4 Cook Islands Nikao Sokattack 3 0 0 3 2 8 −6 0 1–4 0–1 — —
Source: OFC
(H) Hosts

Knockout stage
Main article: 2022 OFC Champions League knockout stage

The four teams in the knockout stage played on a single-elimination basis, with each tie played as a single match at Ngahue Reserve.

Bracket

The bracket was determined as follows:

 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
14 August 2022
 
 
French Polynesia Vénus4
 
17 August 2022
 
New Caledonia Hienghène Sport0
 
French Polynesia Vénus0
 
14 August 2022
 
New Zealand Auckland City3
 
New Zealand Auckland City2
 
 
Solomon Islands Central Coast0
 

Semi-finals
Team 1  Score  Team 2
Vénus French Polynesia 4–0 New Caledonia Hienghène Sport
Auckland City New Zealand 2–0 Solomon Islands Central Coast

Final
Main article: 2022 OFC Champions League Final

In the final, the two semi-final winners played each other. The final will be played on 17 August 2022.

Vénus French Polynesia0–3New Zealand Auckland City
Report
Attendance: 400
Referee: David Yareboinen (Papua New Guinea)

Statistics

Statistics exclude national play-off rounds.

Top goalscorers
Rank[10]PlayerTeamGoals
1 French Polynesia Teaonui Tehau French Polynesia Vénus 4
2 Solomon Islands Clifford Fafale Solomon Islands Central Coast 3
Spain Gerard Garriga New Zealand Auckland City
New Zealand Cameron Howieson New Zealand Auckland City
5 Papua New Guinea Jonathan Allen Papua New Guinea Lae City 2
Solomon Islands Junior Fordney Solomon Islands Central Coast
New Zealand Mario Ilich New Zealand Auckland City
French Polynesia Tauhiti Keck French Polynesia Vénus
New Zealand Dylan Manickum New Zealand Auckland City
New Zealand Adam Mitchell New Zealand Auckland City
New Caledonia Fonzy Ranchain New Caledonia Hienghène Sport
Argentina Emiliano Tade New Zealand Auckland City
Vanuatu Kensi Tangis Vanuatu Galaxy
Fiji Abbu Zahid Fiji Rewa
15 12 players 1

References
  1. "Everything you need to know: OFC Champions League 2022". Oceania Football Confederation. 3 August 2022.
  2. "OFC Champions League 2020 cancelled". Oceania Football Confederation. 4 September 2020.
  3. "OFC competitions calendar rescheduled". Oceania Football Confederation. 4 June 2021.
  4. "OFC competitions schedule update for 2022". Oceania Football Confederation. 8 October 2021.
  5. "OCL Qualifying Stage cancelled, Nikao Sokattak FC nominated for finals stage". Oceania Football Confederation. 7 June 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  6. "OFC confirms schedule changes". Oceania Football Confederation. 4 March 2021.
  7. "OFC Competitions 2021 Calendar (updated 4/06/2021)" (PDF). Oceania Football Confederation. Fédération Tahitienne de Football. 4 June 2021.
  8. "Next stage unveiled in battle for Oceania club supremacy". Oceania Football Confederation. 13 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  9. "Draw for OFC Champions League 2022 group stage set". Oceania Football Confederation. 30 June 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  10. "OFC Champions League 2022". oceaniafootball.com. Oceania Football Confederation. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
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