2023 OFC Champions League

Last updated
2023 OFC Champions League
Tournament details
Host countryGroup stage:
Vanuatu
DatesQualifying:
11 February – 18 March
Competition proper:
14 – 27 May [1]
TeamsTotal: 18 (from 11 associations)
Final positions
Champions Flag of New Zealand.svg Auckland City (11th title)
Runners-up Flag of Fiji.svg Suva
Tournament statistics
Matches played14
Goals scored50 (3.57 per match)
Attendance70,650 (5,046 per match)
Top scorer(s) Flag of New Zealand.svg Ryan De Vries
(5 goals)
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2024 →

The 2023 OFC Champions League was the 22nd edition of the Oceanian Club Championship, Oceania's premier club football tournament organized by the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), and the 17th season under the current OFC Champions League name.

Contents

Defending champions Auckland City FC, defeated Fijian Suva to win a record eleventh title and earned the right to play at the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia. [2] As they also won the 2021 OFC Champions League and the 2022 OFC Champions League, they also earned the right to play at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States. [3]

Teams

A total of 18 teams from all 11 OFC member associations may enter the competition.

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Location of teams of the 2023 OFC Champions League.
Red pog.svg Teams entering the National playoffs; (H) Group stage host
Blue pog.svg Teams entering the qualifying stage; (h) Qualifying stage host
AssociationTeamQualifying method
Teams entering the National playoffs
Flag of Fiji.svg Fiji Rewa 2022 Fiji National Football League champions
Suva 2022 Fiji National Football League runners-up
New Caledonia flags merged (2017).svg New Caledonia AS Tiga Sport 2022 New Caledonia Super Ligue champions
Hienghène Sport 2022 New Caledonia Super Ligue runners-up
Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand Auckland City 2022 New Zealand National League grand final champions
Wellington Olympic 2022 New Zealand National League grand final runners-up
Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg Papua New Guinea Lae City 2022 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League champions
Hekari United 2022 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League runners-up
Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg Solomon Islands Solomon Warriors 2022–23 Solomon Islands S-League champions
Kossa 2022–23 Solomon Islands S-League runners-up
Flag of French Polynesia.svg Tahiti AS Pirae 2021–22 Tahiti Ligue 1 champions
AS Dragon 2021–22 Tahiti Ligue 1 runners-up
Flag of Vanuatu.svg Vanuatu Ifira Black Bird F.C. 2022 VFF National Super League grand final champions
Sia-Raga F.C. 2022 VFF National Super League grand final runners-up
Teams entering the qualifying stage
Flag of American Samoa.svg American Samoa Ilaoa and To'omata 2022 FFAS Senior League champions
Flag of the Cook Islands.svg Cook Islands Tupapa Maraerenga 2022 Cook Islands Round Cup champions
Flag of Samoa.svg Samoa Lupe ole Soaga 2022 Samoa National League third place
Flag of Tonga.svg Tonga Veitongo 2022 Tonga Major League champions

Qualifying stage

Preliminary group

The draw for the qualifying stage was held on 1 February 2023 at the OFC Headquarters in Auckland, New Zealand. [4] The four teams in the qualifying stage played each other on a round-robin basis at a centralised venue. The winners, Lupe ole Soaga, advanced to the group stage to join the 7 direct entrants. [4] The qualifying stage was hosted in Apia by Football Federation Samoa. [5]

PosTeam
PldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification LUP TUP VEI ITO
1 Flag of Samoa.svg Lupe ole Soaga (H)3300291+289 Group stage — 7–1 9–0 —
2 Flag of the Cook Islands.svg Tupapa Maraerenga 3201107+36—— 1–0 8–0
3 Flag of Tonga.svg Veitongo 2002010−100——— Canc. [a]
4 Flag of American Samoa.svg Ilaoa and To'omata 2002021−210 0–13 ———
Source: OFC
(H) Hosts
Notes:
  1. ↑ The Veitongo v Ilaoa and To'omata match was cancelled due to the threat of a cyclone closing in on Samoa. [6] [7] Both teams were already eliminated prior to the cancellation.

National play-offs

On 10 February 2023, OFC announced that 7 sets of national playoffs would take place to determine which side from those nations would take part in this year's Champions League. [8]

Team 1 Agg. Tooltip Aggregate scoreTeam 21st leg2nd leg
Suva Flag of Fiji.svg 3–2 Flag of Fiji.svg Rewa 1–1 2–1
Hienghène Sport New Caledonia flags merged (2017).svg 1–5 New Caledonia flags merged (2017).svg Tiga Sport 1–3 0–2
Wellington Olympic Flag of New Zealand.svg 4–6 Flag of New Zealand.svg Auckland City 1–1 3–5
Hekari United Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg 4–1 Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg Lae City 2–1 2–0
Kossa FC Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg 2–3 Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg Solomon Warriors 1–1 1–2
Dragon Flag of French Polynesia.svg 3–9 Flag of French Polynesia.svg Pirae 0–2 3–7
SiaRaga FC Flag of Vanuatu.svg 0–4 Flag of Vanuatu.svg Ifira Black Bird FC 0–3 0–1

Group stage

The four teams in each group will play each other on a round-robin basis at a centralised venue in Vanuatu. [9] The winners and runners-up of each group will advance to the semi-finals of the knockout stage.

The draw of the group stage were announced by the OFC on 23 March 2023. [10] [11] The 8 teams were drawn into two groups of four. Ifira Black Bird were pre-determined to play in Port Vila and so were automatically drawn into group B.

Group A

PosTeam
PldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification AUC SUV SOL LUP
1 Flag of New Zealand.svg Auckland City 330092+79 Knockout stage —— 3–1 —
2 Flag of Fiji.svg Suva 320163+36 1–3 —— 3–0 [a]
3 Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg Solomon Warriors 310245−13— 0–2 — 3–0 [b]
4 Flag of Samoa.svg Lupe ole Soaga 300309−90 0–3 [c] ———
Source: OFC
Notes:
  1. ↑ The Lupe ole Soaga v Suva match was cancelled due to injuries in the Lupe ole Soaga squad. Lupe ole Soaga SC will have all its matches cancelled and considered null and void. OFC will award victory and the resultant three points to the opposing team as well as the score of 3–0. [12]
  2. ↑ The Lupe ole Soaga v Solomon Warriors match was cancelled due to injuries in the Lupe ole Soaga squad. Lupe ole Soaga SC will have all its matches cancelled and considered null and void. OFC will award victory and the resultant three points to the opposing team as well as the score of 3–0. [12]
  3. ↑ The Lupe ole Soaga v Auckland City match was cancelled due to injuries in the Lupe ole Soaga squad. Lupe ole Soaga SC will have all its matches cancelled and considered null and void. OFC will award victory and the resultant three points to the opposing team as well as the score of 3–0. [12]

Group B

PosTeam
PldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification PIR IFI HEK TIG
1 Flag of French Polynesia.svg Pirae 321073+47 Knockout stage ——— 3–0
2 Flag of Vanuatu.svg Ifira Black Bird (H)311134−14 2–2 — 0–2 —
3 Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg Hekari United 31023303 1–2 ———
4 New Caledonia flags merged (2017).svg Tiga Sport 310214−33— 0–1 1–0 —
Source: OFC
(H) Hosts

Knockout stage

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

Bracket

The bracket was determined as follows:

 
 Semi-finals Final
 
      
 
24 May 2023
 
 
 Flag of New Zealand.svg Auckland City (p)2 (5)
 
27 May 2023
 
 Flag of Vanuatu.svg Ifira Black Bird 2 (4)
 
 Flag of New Zealand.svg Auckland City (a.e.t.)4
 
24 May 2023
 
 Flag of Fiji.svg Suva 2
 
 Flag of French Polynesia.svg Pirae 2
 
 
 Flag of Fiji.svg Suva (a.e.t.)4
 

Semi-finals

Team 1 Score Team 2
Auckland City Flag of New Zealand.svg 2–2 (5–4 p) Flag of Vanuatu.svg Ifira Black Bird
Pirae Flag of French Polynesia.svg 2–4 (a.e.t.) Flag of Fiji.svg Suva

Final

Main article: 2023 OFC Champions League final

In the final, the two semi-final winners played against each other. The final was played on 27 May 2023.

Auckland City Flag of New Zealand.svg 4–2 (a.e.t.) Flag of Fiji.svg Suva
Report
VFF Freshwater Stadium, Port Vila
Attendance: 5,420
Referee: David Yareboinen (Papua New Guinea)

Statistics

Top goalscorers

RankPlayerTeamGoals
1 Flag of Samoa.svg Michael Tumua Leo Flag of Samoa.svg Lupe ole Soaga7
2 Flag of New Zealand.svg Ryan De Vries Flag of New Zealand.svg Auckland City5
Flag of Vanuatu.svg Azariah Soromon Flag of Fiji.svg Suva
4 Flag of French Polynesia.svg Tamatoa Tetauira Flag of French Polynesia.svg Pirae4
5 Flag of New Zealand.svg Liam Gillion Flag of New Zealand.svg Auckland City3
Flag of New Zealand.svg Angus Kilkolly
Flag of Argentina.svg Emiliano Tade
Flag of Fiji.svg Marlon Tahioa Flag of Fiji.svg Suva
Flag of Fiji.svg Alex Saniel
Flag of French Polynesia.svg Ariiura Labaste Flag of French Polynesia.svg Pirae
Flag of Vanuatu.svg Godine Tenene Flag of Vanuatu.svg Ifira Black Bird
12 Flag of Vanuatu.svg Kenny Iawak2
Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg Joseph Joe Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg Hekari United
Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg Joe Naime
Flag of Fiji.svg Rusiate Matarerega Flag of Fiji.svg Suva
Flag of French Polynesia.svg Yohann Tihoni Flag of French Polynesia.svg Pirae
Flag of French Polynesia.svg Roonui Tinirauarii Flag of French Polynesia.svg Dragon
Flag of New Zealand.svg Hamish Watson Flag of New Zealand.svg Wellington Olimpic
New Caledonia flags merged (2017).svg Shene Wélépane New Caledonia flags merged (2017).svg Tiga Sport
Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg Yagi Yasasa Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg Hekari United

Awards

AwardWinner [13]
Golden Ball Flag of New Zealand.svg Cameron Howieson
Golden Boot Flag of New Zealand.svg Ryan de Vries

References

  1. ↑ "VFF 2023 National Champions League locked to start 1 February". Vanuatu Football Federation. 30 January 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  2. ↑ "Auckland City FC are OFC Champions for 11th time". RNZ.co.nz. 27 May 2023.
  3. ↑ "FIFA Council confirms key details for FIFA Club World Cup 2025". FIFA. 17 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  4. 1 2 "OFC Champions League Qualifying Stage dates announced". Oceania Football Confederation. 1 February 2023.
  5. ↑ Gutu Faasau (18 February 2023). "OFC qualifiers kick off in Samoa". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  6. ↑ "LUPE OLE SOAGA BIG VICTORS IN OFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2023 QUALIFYING". Oceania Football Confederation. 24 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  7. ↑ "STATEMENT FROM OFC". Oceania Football Confederation Facebook. 24 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  8. ↑ "OFC Champions League explained". Oceania Football Confederation. 10 February 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  9. ↑ "OFC Competitions 2023 Calendar confirmed 1/01/2023" (PDF). Oceania Football Confederation. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  10. ↑ "OFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2023 DRAW COMPLETED". Oceania Football Confederation. 23 March 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  11. ↑ "DRAW DATE CONFIRMED FOR OFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2023". Oceania Football Confederation. 20 March 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 "OFC STATEMENT ON LUPE OLE SOAGA SC". Oceania Football Confederation. 21 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  13. ↑ "AUCKLAND CITY FC CLAIM RECORD-EXTENDING 11TH OFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TITLE IN EXTRA-TIME NAIL-BITER". Oceania Football Confederation. 27 May 2023.
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