2023 OFC Champions League qualifying stage

The 2023 OFC Champions League qualifying stage was played from 18 to 24 February 2023.[1] A total of four teams competed in the qualifying stage to decide the last of the 8 places in the group stage of the 2023 OFC Champions League, in which the hosts Lupe ole Soaga secured that spot by winning all three of their games.

Preliminary group

Draw

The draw for the qualifying stage was held on 1 February 2023 at the OFC Headquarters in Auckland, New Zealand.[1]

Host team Remaining teams

Format

The four teams in the qualifying stage played each other on a round-robin basis at a centralised venue. The winners, Lupe ole Soaga, advanced to the group stage to join the 7 direct entrants.[1] The qualifying stage was hosted in Apia by Football Federation Samoa.[2]


Matches

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification LUP TUP VEI ITO
1 Samoa Lupe ole Soaga (H) 3 3 0 0 29 1 +28 9 Advance to group stage — 7–1 9–0 —
2 Cook Islands Tupapa Maraerenga 3 2 0 1 10 7 +3 6 — — 1–0 8–0
3 Tonga Veitongo 2 0 0 2 0 10 −10 0 — — — Canc.[a]
4 American Samoa Ilaoa and To'omata 2 0 0 2 0 21 −21 0 0–13 — — —
Source: OFC
(H) Hosts
Notes:
  1. ^ The Veitongo v Ilaoa and To'omata match was cancelled due to the threat of a cyclone closing in on Samoa.[3][4] Both teams were already eliminated prior to the cancellation.
Tupapa Maraerenga Cook Islands1–0Tonga Veitongo
 Report
Attendance: 234
Referee: Arnold Tari (Vanuatu)
Ilaoa and To'omata American Samoa0–13Samoa Lupe ole Soaga
Report
Attendance: 547
Referee: Neeshil Varman (Fiji)
Tupapa Maraerenga Cook Islands8–0American Samoa Ilaoa and To'omata
 Report
Attendance: 106
Referee: Mohammed Altaf (Fiji)
Lupe ole Soaga Samoa9–0Tonga Veitongo
 Report
Attendance: 480
Lupe ole Soaga Samoa7–1Cook Islands Tupapa Maraerenga
 Report
Attendance: 620
Referee: Arnold Tari (Vanuatu)

National play-offs

On 10 February 2023, OFC announced that 7 sets of national playoffs would take place to determine which side from those nations would take part in this year's Champions League. [5]

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Suva Fiji 3–2 Fiji Rewa 1–1 2–1
Hienghène Sport New Caledonia 1–5 New Caledonia Tiga Sport 1–3 0–2
Wellington Olympic New Zealand 4–6 New Zealand Auckland City 1–1 3–5
Hekari United Papua New Guinea 4–1 Papua New Guinea Lae City 2–1 2–0
Kossa FC Solomon Islands 2–3 Solomon Islands Solomon Warriors 1–1 1–2
Dragon French Polynesia 3–9 French Polynesia Pirae 0–2 3–7
SiaRaga FC Vanuatu 0–4 Vanuatu Ifira Black Bird FC 0–3 0–1
Suva Fiji1–1Fiji Rewa
 Report
Referee: Veer Singh (Fiji)
Rewa Fiji1–2Fiji Suva
 Report
Attendance: 850
Referee: Neeshil Varman (Fiji)

Suva won 3–2 on aggregate.

Tiga Sport New Caledonia2–0New Caledonia Hienghène Sport
 Report

Tiga Sport won 5–1 on aggregate.

Wellington Olympic New Zealand1–1New Zealand Auckland City
 Report
Attendance: 520
Auckland City New Zealand5–3New Zealand Wellington Olympic
 Report

Auckland City won 6–4 on aggregate.

Hekari United Papua New Guinea2–1Papua New Guinea Lae City
 Report
Attendance: 2,500
Lae City Papua New Guinea0–2Papua New Guinea Hekari United
Report
Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Veer Singh (Fiji)

Hekari United won 4–1 on aggregate.

Kossa Solomon Islands1–1Solomon Islands Solomon Warriors
 Report
Solomon Warriors Solomon Islands2–1Solomon Islands Kossa
 Report

Solomon Warriors won 3–2 on aggregate.

Dragon French Polynesia0–2French Polynesia Pirae
Report
Pirae French Polynesia7–3French Polynesia Dragon
 Report

Pirae won 9–3 on aggregate.

SiaRaga FC Vanuatu0–3Vanuatu Ifira Black Bird FC
Report
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Joel Hopken (Vanuatu)
Ifira Black Bird FC Vanuatu1–0Vanuatu SiaRaga FC
 Report
Attendance: 5,000

Ifira Black Bird won 4–0 on aggregate.


Notes

  1. ^ The Veitongo v Ilaoa and To'omata match was cancelled due to the threat of a cyclone closing in on Samoa.[3][4]

References

  1. ^ a b c "OFC Champions League Qualifying Stage dates announced". Oceania Football Confederation. 1 February 2023.
  2. ^ Gutu Faasau (18 February 2023). "OFC qualifiers kick off in Samoa". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  3. ^ a b "LUPE OLE SOAGA BIG VICTORS IN OFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2023 QUALIFYING". Oceania Football Confederation. 24 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  4. ^ a b "STATEMENT FROM OFC". Oceania Football Confederation Facebook. 24 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  5. ^ "OFC Champions League explained". Oceania Football Confederation. 10 February 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2023.