BY BEN BILUA
Gizo
THE Western Football Association (WFA) has confirmed that the upcoming Western Cup Championship will be contested in two pools as preparations gear up for the province’s biggest football tournament.
According to the tournament guidelines released by the association, one pool will consist of five teams while the other will feature six teams.
Two finalists from the 2024 Western Cup will then be seeded into separate pools, with the remaining teams will be allocated through a draw based on the picking order.
A total of 11 teams will compete in this year’s championship, including representatives from the province’s nine constituencies, as well as Gizo Town and Noro Town, which will each field their own teams.
The WFA also outlined squad requirements, allowing each Ward Football Association or constituency team to register up to 22 players and three officials.
All qualified teams were required to submit their final squad lists by June 29, 2026.
Under the competition rules, teams are permitted to include up to three guest players, while the remainder of the squad must comprise of genuine players from wards within the respective nine constituencies.
Eligibility for the championship will be determined through ward elimination competitions, with each constituency represented by only one qualifying team.
Tournament matches will be played over the standard 90 minutes, consisting of two 45-minute halves with a 15-minute halftime break.
For the semifinal and final matches, if scores remain level after full-time, an additional 30 minutes of extra time—15 minutes per half—will be played to determine the winner before any further tie-breaking procedures are applied.
The Western Cup is scheduled to kick off next week, with participating teams expected to arrive in Gizo ahead of the tournament’s official opening.
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