OFC Champions League: Kiwi Blank Tupapa Maraerenga To Advance To Group Stage

At Pago Pago, American Samoa:

Adam Cowan (22'), Jamie Mason (27'), and Joseph Gaughan (88') delivered the goals as Kiwi FC dominated Tupapa Maraerenga 3-0 to win their preliminary-round group and advanced to the group stage of the OFC Champions League on Saturday.

Heavy rains as Pago Pago forced the cancellation of the scheduled match between Pago Youth and Lotoha'apai United.  Both clubs had already been eliminated anyway.

FINAL PRELIMINARY ROUND STANDINGS:

1. Kiwi FC (GP: 3; GD: +9; PTS: 9)
2. Tupapa Maraerenga (GP: 3; GD: +10; PTS: 6)
3. Lotoha'apai United (GP: 2; GD: -5; PTS: 0)
4. Pago Youth (GP: 2; GD: -14; PTS: 0)

Kiwi FC advanced to the group stage of the OFC Champions League.

All group stage and knockout stage contests are to take place in Fiji beginning in April with each club playing one game against each of the other three teams in its group.  There will be three groups of four teams each with the winner of each group and the second-place team with the best record advancing to the semifinal round.

Group A:

Waitakere United (New Zealand)
S-League champions (Solomon Islands)
Kiwi FC (Samoa)
AS Tefana (Tahiti, French Polynesia)

Group B:

Auckland City (New Zealand; defending champions)
AS Dragon (Tahiti, French Polynesia)
Amicale FC (Vanuatu)
Nadi FC (Fiji)

Group C:

Tafea FC (Vanuatu)
Ba FC (Fiji)
AS Magenta (New Caledonia)
PRK Hekari United (Papua New Guinea)

Note:  All clubs listed, save for the two New Zealand clubs and Kiwi FC, are to be officially confirmed by the Oceania Football Confederation.