SANTOS FC NOW BANKS ON NEW INEXPERIENCED PLAYERS AS THE 2008 HFA DIVISION 1 LEAGUE SEASON KICKS-OFF

SANTOS FC PRESIDENT WILL BE AWAY IN AUSTRALIA FOR THE NEXT 9 WEEKS

Santos FC President Mr. Henry Kausimae will leave for Brisbane/Australia on Sunday 15th June 2008 and will spend the next 9 weeks working in Brisbane in the Office of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions on a placement basis. This placement programme is being jointly organized and sponsored by the Australia's Commonwealth Government Attorney-General's Department and the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions ("CDPP"). Mr. Kausimae will be placed in the specialized "Criminal Assets Branch" of the CDPP under a supervision of an assisgned mentor. This branch deals mainly with the laws and prosecution practices concerning 'anti-money laundering and combating terrorist-financing' - a new area of law in which Solomon Islands is yet to develop its own jurisprudence.

Mr. Kausimae is currently a Senior Crown Prosecutor in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions of Solomon Islands. He will return to the Solomon Islands on the 16th August 2008. In the meantime, Mr. Kausimae says he will leave all the administration and management of Santos FC in the hands of his other executive members. The commencement of the 2008 HFA league season might happen whilst he is still away in Australia but Mr.Kausimae is confident and hopeful that all players of the club, friends and supporters and the members of his executive committee will work hand in hand together and keep the club activities moving forward until he returns on the 16/08/08.

Whilst in Brisbane for the next 9 weeks, it is an opportune time that, Mr. Kausimae says he will scout around for possible sponsors for some items for the club eg. training bibs, a new set of uniform just to name a few. Santos FC has done fairly well in the current old 2007 league and the last match may be played whilst Mr. Kausimae has already left but the President is confident Santos FC will be in contention for a share of the HFA prizes.

Mr. Kausimae or the President would like to wish all players, friends, supporters club management all the best for the new 2008 season and God's blessing in whatever activities the club may engage in. Mr. President also assures all players and the management that he will be in contact with the club whilst in Brisbane through the club's webpage and through emails to some of the executive members. In his absence, Mr. President will rely on the Treasurer Mr. John Keniapisia to update the club's webpages with the activities of the club from time to time. Please remeber 'sacrifice', have 'faith' and 'courage' in whatever we do and we shall overcome. Together We Stand Divided We Fall.

MELANESIAN MAGIC ON DAY ONE OF OFC FUTSAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Sunday, 08 June 08, 05:05 AM

Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji all got off to perfect starts on Match Day One of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Futsal Championship today at the Vodafone Arena in Suva, Fiji.The three Melanesian teams are now favourites to represent OFC at the FIFA Futsal World Cup in Brazil in September after combining for a total of 15 goals in their three respective games.The tournaments opening match proved a real crowd pleaser as hundreds of Solomon Island fans packed into the indoor stadium to show their support for Victor Wai’ias young squad.The Solomon boys didn’t disappoint and bounced out to a five goal lead with goals to Elliot Ragamo (2), Micah Lea’alafa, Maffat Sikwa’ae and Jenan Kapu.New Zealand scored a consolation goal with one minute left on the clock through Bakr Al Saudi but it was not nearly enough to stop the Solomon side establishing themselves as tournament favourites.Vanuatu fought through some stubborn first half Tuvalu defending to increase their one goal half time lead to six at the final whistle.Jack Vira Ala was the star of the show finishing off a classy hat trick after goals from Ben Edward and Derek Malas.In the final game of the night Kamal Hassan stole the show when his two late goals propelled Fiji to a well deserved 4-2 victory over New Caledonia.Rosso Alexandre’s opener for New Caledonia was cancelled out by a Sandeep Sanjesh Nair screamer which shook the gathered crowd of over 1000.Fiji went 2-1 up through Nayzal Siga Ali before New Caledonia equalized again three minutes from time through Hnailolo Albert.Hassan then scored two goals in the space of a minute to earn Fiji a very valuable three points and please the local faithful.Match Day Two kicks off tomorrow at 16H00 (local time) when New Zealand meets Vanuatu.

Photos by Marc Peretic Wilson
Match Day 1 – June 8 2008
Kick Off Team A Team B Result
4.00pm Solomon Islands New Zealand 5-1
6.00pm Tuvalu Vanuatu 0-6
8.00pm Fiji New Caledonia 4-2
ByeTahiti

Match Day 2 – June 9 2008 4.00pmNew ZealandVanuatu 6.00pmSolomon IslandsNew Caledonia 8.00pmTuvaluTahiti ByeFiji Match Day 3 – June 10 2008 4.00pmVanuatuNew Caledonia 6.00pmNew ZealandTahiti 8.00pmSolomon IslandsFiji ByeTuvalu Match Day 4 – June 11 2008 4.00pmNew CaledoniaTahiti 6.00pmVanuatuFiji 8.00pmNew ZealandTuvalu ByeSolomon Islands Match Day 5 – June 12 2008 4.00pmTahitiFiji 6.00pmNew CaledoniaTuvalu 8.00pmVanuatuSolomon islands ByeNew Zealand Match Day 6 – June 13 2008 4.00pmFijiTuvalu 6.00pmTahitiSolomon Islands 8.00pmNew CaledoniaNew Zealand ByeVanuatu Match Day 7 – June 14 2008 1.00pmTuvaluSolomon Islands 3.00pmFijiNew Zealand 5.00pmTahitiVanuatu ByeNew Caledonia

Posted by OFC

Solomon Islands Open Futsal Tournament with Dazzling Display

Saturday, 07 June 08, 09:40 PM
"The perfect way to start the tournament,"
That was how Solomon Island futsal coach Victor Wai'ia described his sides 5-1 romp over New Zealand in the opening match of the OFC Futsal Championships in Suva.
It was an exciting opening to the tournament with an adrenelin pumping opening minute resulting in Elliot Ragamo scoring the tournaments first goal for the Solomons to the delight of their boisterous army of support.New Zealand had a chance to equalise soon after but Ouadhah Ragued's penalty was neatly saved by Solomon goalkeeper Alick Lioka.
Ellito Ragamo was the star of the show for the Solomon side and he added his second from the spot with one minute remaining in the first half.
He could have completed a first half hat trick if not for his missed penalty 30 seconds later.
But that wasn't going to slow him or the Solomon side down and in the second half they quickly made it 4-0 with goals in quick sucession to Micah Lea'alafa and Maffat Sikwa'ae.
Jenan Kapu finished the scoring with a long distance blast from outside the box and provided the icing on the cake for an impressive Solomon Island performance.Gregory O'Connor scored a consolation goal for New Zealand with two minutes remaining.
Wai'ia said he was very happy with the way his side opened the tournament, and that they played to the gameplan.
"I was very confident going into the game, and 5-0 is a great scoreline for us. From here we will work on our weaknesses that I saw like communication in defence."
New Zealand coach Erkin Osman was dissapointed with the result but said his side will be better from the loss.
"Our defence was good but in our zone but we didn't put enough pressure on them."
"We lacked penetration and couldn't get them turned around.We didn't deserve that game because we didn't play well enough, but there won't be many teams at this tournament better than the Solomon Islands."

Photos by Marc Peretic Wilson
SOL: 1. Alick LIOKA (GK); 2. Phillip HOUTARAU; 3. Elliot RAGOMO; 7. James EGETA; 12. Jack WETNEY;SUBS: 4. Alfred PUNGUIKA; 5. Jenan KAPU; 6. Maffat SIKW’AE; 8.Francis LAFAI; 9. Micah LEA’ALAFA; 11. Ron GINIO; 13. StanleyPUAIRANA (RGK)COACH: Victor WAI’IA (SOL)GOALS: 3. Elliot RAGAMO 2; 9. Micah LEA’ALAFA; 6. Maffat SIKWA’AE; 5. Jenan KAPU;
NZL: 1. Elias BILLEH (GK); 12. Luke FIElD; 19.Michael CORRINGHAM; 4.Marvin EAKINS; 8. Joshua MARTIN;SUBS: 20. Clayton CHAPPEL; 5. Yukin NAIDOO; 14.Bakr AL SAUDI; 3. Andrew GWILLIAM; 10. Ouadhah RAGUED; 17. Victor ZAIA; 23. Gregory O’CONNOR;COACH: Erkin OSMAN (AUS)GOALS: 23. Gregory O'CONNOR
Referee: Amitesh BEHARI (FIJ)2nd Referee: Rajnish DAVE (FIJ)3rd Referee: Allan Alick (VAN)Timekeeper: Peter L. PAKOATONG (VAN)

Santos won against Lau Valley 2 -1

Two second half magnificient goals form Leslie Haikau and Mark Wate ensured Santos remain a strong contendor for one of the price positions in the league.

Haikau scored from 20 yards with a long strong pullet shot which left the Lau Valley defenders wondering whether it was a score. Referee was right on spot with a clear view pointing to the centre cirle (meaning it was a goal).

From a similar set piece later, Kuylard teamed up well with one touch football skills caughting the defenders off guard and Mark made no mistake in the finishing.

In the first half, Santos dominated the game, had many goal scoring chances but lacked the finishing conversions.

Our last catch up match will be against Eastern Knights (formerly Island brothers).

Thanks - jak, 30/05/008. at 9:45 am).

KOSSA, UNCLES & MAKURU MAKE PERFECT STARTS TO TELEKOM NCC

The Telekom National Club Championships are underway in Honiara with the winner earning the honor of representing the Solomon Islands in the 2008/2009 O-League.
Kossa and Makuru have both made encouraging starts and the competition looks very tough.
Below are match reviews from the first three days of action.
Day One – Saturday 24th May 2008
Match # 1 Played at Lawson Tama: Time: 2.00 pmKossa vs Landowner (5-0)
The current Telekom NCC champion scored five unanswered goals against the newcomers Landowner FC of Malaita. James Naka, Joe Luwi, Reginald Davani and Paul Wale all scored to wrap up a deserved victory. All the goals came in the first half. In the second half, Landowner came back strong and were able to shut down Kossa from scoring further goals.
The match was Davani’s final for his Kossa club. He left for Australia on Sunday to ply his trade with another club in Melbourne.
Davani expressed his intentions to return to Kossa if they qualify for O’ League again more over,
Match # 2 Played at Lawson Tama: Time: 4.00pm
Marist vs FK te Kokohale (1-1)
This was basically a repeat of their match in the same tournament in 2007. Again the Western Football Association Champion provided the spark through its striker Godwin Bebeu. He threatened early on before slotting home the first goal. Marist was fortunate to have scored the equalizer from the penalty spot, late in the second half to keep their hopes of qualifying alive.
Day Two – Monday 26th May 2008
Match # 3 Played at Lawson Tama: Time: 10.00am
Banika Bulls vs Vatu FC (0-0)
Banika Bulls represents the Central Shields Football Association and Vatu FC – Guadalcanal Football Association. The Bulls settled in quickly when match kicked off and provided the early spark. Could have grabbed an early lead through their most experienced player Silas Diau but Vatu defenders stood firm and repelled all their raids. Vatu also had their chances in both halves but poor finishing had cost them a win. In the end both teams settled for a draw.
Match # 4 Played at Lawson Tama: Time: 12.00noon
Koloale vs Fasi Roos (1-1)
As the champions of the DJ League Super 8 Challenge, Koloale was expected to have the upper hand in this match but it turned out, the little known Fasi Roos turned the heat on from the opening whistle. They invaded Koloale’s territory almost at will and made them look like beginners at times. It was evident from that match that Koloale simply ran out ideas and was fortunate to grab the equalizer injury time. Otherwise, it would have been a different story. Both teams had other chances which if scored would have separated them.
Match # 5 Played at Lawson Tama: Time: 2.00pm
Makuru vs Lagoon Brothers (7-1)
As anticipated, Makuru settled down the quickest and got into the score sheet not long after the match kicked off. Batram Suri and Alick Maemae combined sweetly with support from their entire team to demolish Lagoon Brothers of Western Football Association. It was quite obvious the gap that exists between some provincial clubs and those of Honiara in terms of their standard and style of play. Despite of that, the bonus for the provincial sides was they get good exposure from this competition.
Match # 6 Played at Lawson Tama: Time: 4.00pm
Uncles vs IC Rovers (4-1)
Uncles is another of the clubs representing the Honiara Football Association. A young side with a lot of young players, Uncles could only score four goals in that match. Three goals were scored by Ian Ngahugari who happens to come from Makira Province. The IC Rovers represents this province and Ian has always represented his province in previous national competitions. An intelligent player he had a brief stint in Fiji with Navua in 2007. He was a former national U17 player.
Day Three – Tuesday 27th May 2008
Match # 7 Played at Lawson Tama: Time: 12.00noon IC Rovers vs FK te Kokohale (2-6)
Having played in the last match the day before, IC Rovers did not quite recover when they took the field for Day 3’s opening match against high flying FK te Kokohale of the Western Province which boasts the services of national striker Godwin Bebeu and National U23 striker Nathan Kera and former national U20 rep Lenson Bisili. By halftime, the scoreline was 3-2 in Kokohale’s favour. IC Rovers could not fight on and in the end conceded three further goals. The loss is a blow to their campaign – they stand a remote chance of qualifying in their group.
Match # 8 Played at Lawson Tama: Time: 2.00pm
Koloale vs Vatu (4-0)
Koloale came into this match with one aim and that is to win after it drew 1-1 with Fasi Roos of Malaita on Monday. It was full strength side that played Vatu. They had more chances that they did not utilize. Lency Saeni scored three of their goals while Richard Anisua scored one to revive their hope of qualifying. Vatu fought bravely and had good scoring opportunities but their forward players could not put them away.
Match # 9 Played at Lawson Tama: Time: 4.00pm
Marist vs Kossa (0-5)
A sizeable crowd flocked to witness this final match at Lawson Tama. The clash of the two clubs has generated huge interests. Kossa lost twice when the two teams met in the DJ League – their most recent meeting was before Kossa traveled to Auckland for its away match with Waitakere FC. As anticipated, Kossa with the O’ League experience got into the scoresheet as early as the 7th minute through its nippy forward player Joe Luwi. He combined well with James Naka to demolish Marist. Luwi scored three of the five goals with Naka and Gideon the others. It was a sweet revenge for Kossa.

(Article taken from the OFC Website)

Santos - Eastern Knights Match Postponed

Santos FC and Eastern Knights FC players were ready to take on the field last Saturday afternoon the 24th day of May 2008 at 3.30pm at the KGVI School south field only to be told at the last minute that the match officials did not arrive for this match and so the match did not take as fixed.

This is not a good sign for the development of football in this country. The HFA Normalisation Committee must address any outstanding issues it has with the referees and match officials for its organized leagues to run smoothly. The clubs have paid their subscription and affiliation fees to the HFA for these matches to be played and completed and it is not fair on the clubs to see all their preparations for scheduled matches wasted unnecessarily at the last minute due to HFA's incompetence and incapability in running this league.

We're all just hoping that things will improve and become better in the new 2008 HFA League Season.

Santos FC's next match is scheduled for this coming Thursday 29th May 2008, 3.30pm at the KGVI School ground. The Santos boys has Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to prepare for this next match which will be against Lau Valley FC. The Santos- Eastern Knights FC match will now be played as a catch up match.