BY ELTON LONRATHA JNR
TELEKOM Super League (TSL) Champions Solomon Warriors Football Club (FC) will depart today for the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Champions League 2024 in Tahiti.
The tournament will kick off this week from the 11th to the 24th at Stade Paea and Stade Pater.
A total of eight top football clubs in the region will be vying for this year’s title in the two weeks packed with football action.
Solomon Islands eight-time club champions head coach, Franco Ne’e, told SunSPORTS confirming the team’s departure for the tournament, adding that the team is well-prepared.
“The team will depart today for the tournament.
“Team preparation was excellent. In terms of our team bonding, since the start of the TSL league, we played 3 games, which also helped to build the team’s momentum before departing for the Champions League.
“I’m happy with the boy’s performance in the new TSL season, and this is the type of performance the boys should deliver,” Ne’e said.
With the 3 matches played in the TSL, Ne’e told SunSPORTS that their preparation has entered recovery mode for the past three days.
“However, the main focus is to keep the players confident with each other and get used to the rhythm, similar to what we will be expecting at the OCL championship in Tahiti,” the coach told SunSPORTS.
Meanwhile, the TSL champions, Solomon Warriors, remain undefeated after playing three matches in the new season.
They beat Real Kakamora FC 3-2 in their first game, followed by a 3-1 victory over Henderson Eels FC, and another 4-1 win against Laugu United on Saturday at Lawson Tama Stadium.
The team is drawn in Group A with Hekari United FC, Rewa FC, and defending champions Auckland City FC, while AS Pirae, Vaivase-Tai FC, AS Magenta, and Ifira Black Bird are drawn in Group B.
The Group A winner will face the Group B runner-up, with the Group B winner to face the Group A runner-up in the semi-finals.
The winner of the OFC Men’s Champions League 2024 will represent Oceania at the new FIFA Intercontinental Cup in December.
The OFC winner will travel to either Africa or Asia to meet the winner of the CAF Champions League or AFC Champions League in the first round.
Solomon Warriors FC will take on Hekari United FC in its first match in the Champions League 2024 this weekend. The match will be played this Saturday at Stade Paea, at 3:00 PM.
