BY RICHARD MENANOPO
The Auki Capital League 2026 competition is set to officially kick off this month with the men’s and women’s divisions scheduled one week apart in Auki, Malaita Province.
Speaking to Island Sun Sports in a phone interview on Thursday last week, Malaita Football Association (MFA) General Secretary and Local Organising Committee (LOC) Secretary Johnson Maemua confirmed that the men’s competition will begin on Saturday June 20 while the women’s league will commence on Saturday June 27.
“Women’s will be on the 27th as I have indicated in the post, and men’s will be on the 20th and that is on Saturday as well,” Maemua said.
He said technical meetings for both divisions will be conducted ahead of their respective kick-off dates.
“The men’s technical meeting will be on Monday while the women’s technical meeting will be on Thursday, and games will begin on Saturday the 27th,” he said.
Maemua said ten teams have officially qualified for the men’s division of the competition.
According to him, participating teams are drawn from Ward 6 through West Mbaelelea, Fo’ondo and South Road in Arabala, including teams around Auki township.
All matches will be played at the Aligegeo Sports Ground.
On the competition format, Maemua said this year’s league will run for one round only as organizers shift focus towards upcoming national events.
“We will run one round because we need to prepare for the Solomon Cup and through this competition we will also identify teams and players that we will prepare for the Solomon Games in November,” he explained.
Maemua said one of the major objectives of the competition is to engage young people positively through sport while supporting football development in the province.
“We have aligned our programs with SIFF and we are trying to engage our young people to involve in sports so as to avoid unwanted activities arising in our communities,” he said.
The MFA official also revealed that four top teams from last season have retained their places in the league competition while six new teams advanced through a pre-season qualifying competition.
“We had more than ten teams competing in the pre-season and six of them qualified to join the four remaining teams from last year,” Maemua said.
“Our defending champions are W4 from Ward 4.”
Meanwhile, organisers are still appealing for sponsorship support ahead of the season opener.
“Usually, we only receive assistance from SIFF through the TFTs. We are still appealing for sponsors within the province and have submitted letters to sponsors like Telekom Auki because we really need assistance to host the competition,” he said.
Maemua also encouraged football fans and participating teams to support the competition and uphold the true spirit of the game.
“This competition is more than just football — it is a celebration of talent, unity, discipline and sportsmanship.
“To all participating teams, we encourage you to compete with integrity, respect your opponents and uphold the true spirit of football both on and off the field,” he said.
He added that the league will also serve as a pathway for player development and talent identification.
“The league is not only focused on competition but also serves as an important platform for player development and talent identification,” Maemua said.
He said standout players throughout the competition will be monitored by coaches and technical officials for possible opportunities in higher-level training and representative football programs.
The Auki Capital League continues to be one of the growing football competitions in Malaita Province, providing opportunities for grassroots football development and community participation while helping to identify emerging talents for higher-level competitions in Solomon Islands football.
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