2020 OFC Champions League

The 2020 OFC Champions League was the 19th edition of the Oceanian Club Championship, Oceania's premier club football tournament organized by the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), and the 14th season under the current OFC Champions League name.

2020 OFC Champions League
Tournament details
Host countriesQualifying stage:
New Zealand
Group stage:
Papua New Guinea
Vanuatu
New Caledonia
Tahiti
DatesQualifying stage:
25–31 January 2020
Group stage:
15 February – 7 March 2020
Knockout stage:
Cancelled (originally 4 April – 16 May 2020)
TeamsCompetition proper: 16
Total: 18 (from 11 associations)
Final positions
ChampionsNot awarded
Tournament statistics
Matches played24
Goals scored92 (3.83 per match)
Attendance27,400 (1,142 per match)
Top scorer(s)Uruguay Martín Bueno (6 goals)
2019
2021
2022

The tournament was suspended in March 2020 after the group stage due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On 4 September 2020, the OFC announced that the tournament was abandoned due to the border and travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and no champions would be awarded.[1] The OFC representative at the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup in Qatar, which would originally be the winners of the 2020 OFC Champions League, was confirmed to be Auckland City on 19 November 2020 following a decision by the OFC Executive Committee, based on the principles within the competition regulations of the OFC Champions League which established a ranking of each team after the group stage, which was topped by Auckland City.[2] However, on 15 January 2021, FIFA announced that Auckland City had withdrawn from the competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related quarantine measures required by the New Zealand authorities,[3] meaning that no OFC representatives competed in the tournament.

Hienghène Sport were the defending champions, but were eliminated in the group stage.

Teams

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Location of teams of the 2020 OFC Champions League.
Teams entering the group stage; (H) Group stage host
Teams entering the qualifying stage; Teams which withdrew

A total of 18 teams from all 11 OFC member associations entered the competition.

  • The seven developed associations (Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Vanuatu) were awarded two berths each in the group stage.
  • The four developing associations (American Samoa, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga) were awarded one berth each in the qualifying stage, with the winners and runners-up advancing to the group stage.
Teams entering the group stage
AssociationTeamQualifying method
 FijiBa2019 Fiji Premier League champions
Lautoka2019 Fiji Premier League runners-up
 New CaledoniaMagenta2018 New Caledonia Super Ligue champions
Hienghène Sport2018 New Caledonia Super Ligue runners-up
 New ZealandEastern Suburbs2018–19 New Zealand Football Championship finals series champions
Auckland City2018–19 New Zealand Football Championship regular season premiers
 Papua New GuineaLae City2019 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League champions
Hekari United2019 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League runners-up
 Solomon IslandsSolomon Warriors2019–20 Solomon Islands S-League champions[Note SOL]
Henderson Eels2019–20 Solomon Islands S-League runners-up[Note SOL]
 TahitiVénus2018–19 Tahiti Ligue 1 champions
Tiare Tahiti2018–19 Tahiti Ligue 1 runners-up
 VanuatuMalampa Revivors2019 VFF National Super League grand final champions
Galaxy2019 VFF National Super League grand final runners-up
Teams entering the qualifying stage
AssociationTeamQualifying method
 American SamoaPago Youth2018 FFAS Senior League champions
 Cook IslandsTupapa Maraerenga2019 Cook Islands Round Cup champions
 SamoaLupe o le Soaga2019 Samoa National League champions
 TongaVeitongo2019 Tonga Major League champions
Notes
  1. ^
    Solomon Islands (SOL): Since the 2019–20 Solomon Islands S-League was not finished at the end of 2019, Solomon Warriors and Henderson Eels, which were both assured of a top two finish and thus had qualified for the 2020 OFC Champions League at that time, were placed in the group stage following their ranking at the end of 2019.[4][5] The league continued in 2020, and Solomon Warriors and Henderson Eels eventually finished in the same positions as champions and runners-up respectively.[6]

Schedule

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The schedule of the competition is as follows.[7] For this season, the qualifying stage was originally brought forward from January 2020 to December 2019 to coincide with the end of the participating Member Associations' national league seasons, and to be played in Samoa.[8] However, it was later delayed to January 2020 and moved to New Zealand.

On 9 March 2020, the OFC announced that all OFC tournaments were postponed until 6 May 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] On 14 May 2020, it was announced that the quarter-finals had been postponed until September 2020 at the earliest.[10] On 28 July 2020, the OFC announced that the knockout matches would take place at a single location, with the decision of the dates and venue to be made by the OFC Executive Committee on 31 August 2020.[11] On 4 September 2020, the OFC announced that the tournament was abandoned.[1]

StageDraw dateMatch dates
Qualifying stage13 December 201925–31 January 2020 (New Zealand)[12]
Group stage
Quarter-finalsCancelledCancelled (originally 4–5 April 2020)[15]
Semi-finalsCancelled (originally 25–26 April 2020)[16]
FinalCancelled (originally 16 May 2020)[17]

Qualifying stage

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The draw and the hosts of the qualifying stage were announced by the OFC on 13 December 2019.[7]The four teams in the qualifying stage played each other on a round-robin basis at a centralised venue. The winners and runners-up advanced to the group stage to join the 14 direct entrants.Matches were played between 25–31 January 2020 in New Zealand.

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification LUP TUP VEI PAG
1 Lupe o le Soaga211020+24Group stage2–0
2 Tupapa Maraerenga202022020–0
3 Veitongo201124−212–2
4 Pago Youth00000000Withdrew[a]
Source: OFC
Notes:
  1. ^ On 17 December 2019, the OFC announced that Pago Youth had withdrawn from the qualifying stage due to concerns about the measles outbreak in the Pacific.[18]

Group stage

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The draw and the hosts of the qualifying stage were announced by the OFC on 13 December 2019.[7] The 16 teams (14 teams entering the group stage and two teams advancing from the qualifying stage) were drawn into four groups of four.The four teams in each group played each other on a round-robin basis at a centralised venue. The winners and runners-up of each group advanced to the quarter-finals of the knockout stage.Matches were played on the following dates and venues:

  • Group A matches were played between 16–22 February 2020 in Papua New Guinea.
  • Group B matches were played between 15–21 February 2020 in Vanuatu.
  • Group C matches were played between 1–7 March 2020 in New Caledonia.
  • Group D matches were played between 1–7 March 2020 in Tahiti.

Group A

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PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification EAS GAL HEK HIE
1 Eastern Suburbs321083+57Knockout stage2–1
2 Galaxy311175+242–24–1
3 Hekari United (H)311155042–1
4 Hienghène Sport3012310−710–42–2
Source: OFC
(H) Hosts

Group B

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PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification MAL HEN LAE LAU
1 Malampa Revivors (H)312063+35Knockout stage2–23–0
2 Henderson Eels312087+153–2
3 Lae City3111106+443–3
4 Lautoka3012311−811–10–7
Source: OFC
(H) Hosts

Group C

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PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification MAG WAR TIA TUP
1 Magenta (H)330082+69Knockout stage2–03–2
2 Solomon Warriors320142+261–0
3 Tiare Tahiti310254+133–0[a]
4 Tupapa Maraerenga300309−90Withdrew[b]0–3[a]0–3[a]
Source: OFC
(H) Hosts
Notes:
  1. ^ a b c Tupapa Maraerenga were ruled to have forfeited all matches, which were awarded as 3–0 wins to their opponents, due to their withdrawal.[19]
  2. ^ On 1 March 2020, the OFC announced that Tupapa Maraerenga had withdrawn from the group stage due to three of their players not being allowed to compete by the Directorate of Health and Social Affairs of New Caledonia as their immunization for measles could not be confirmed.[20]

Group D

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PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification AUC VEN LUP BAF
1 Auckland City330090+99Knockout stage2–0
2 Vénus (H)3201103+760–14–2
3 Lupe o le Soaga3102411−730–64–3
4 Ba3003514−900–6
Source: OFC
(H) Hosts

Knockout stage

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Qualified teams

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The winners and runners-up of each of the four groups in the group stage would have played in the knockout stage, before it was cancelled.[1]

GroupWinnersRunners-up
A Eastern Suburbs Galaxy
B Malampa Revivors Henderson Eels
C Magenta Solomon Warriors
D Auckland City Vénus

Qualification to FIFA Club World Cup

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Due to the abandonment of the tournament, the OFC decided to nominate the team with the best record in the group stage as their representative at the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup.[2]

PosGrpTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1D Auckland City330090+992020 FIFA Club World Cup
2C Magenta330082+69
3A Eastern Suburbs321083+57
4D Vénus3201103+76
5C Solomon Warriors320142+26
6B Malampa Revivors312063+35
7B Henderson Eels312087+15
8B Lae City3111106+44
9A Galaxy311175+24
10A Hekari United31115504
11C Tiare Tahiti310254+13
12D Lupe o le Soaga3102411−73
13A Hienghène Sport3012310−71
14B Lautoka3012311−81
15D Ba3003514−90
16C Tupapa Maraerenga300309−90
Source: OFC
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored (Regulations Article 31).[2]

Top goalscorers

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  Team eliminated / inactive for this round.
RankPlayerTeamQS1QS2QS3GS1GS2GS3Total
1 Martín Bueno Eastern Suburbs2226
2 Emmanuel Simon Lae City224
Teaonui Tehau Vénus13
4 Andre Batick Malampa Revivors33
Nigel Dabinyaba Lae City12
Joses Nawo Henderson Eels21
Tamatoa Tetauira Vénus3
8 Joseph Athale Hienghène Sport112
Myer Bevan Auckland City11
Terence Carter Galaxy11
Jack Caunter Lautoka11
Samuela Drudru Ba11
Raymond Gunemba Lae City2
Brian Kaltak Auckland City11
Ati Kepo Hekari United2
Raphael Le'ai Henderson Eels11
Kevin Nemia Magenta2
Hema Polovili Veitongo2
Manarii Porlier Tiare Tahiti2
Roberson Galaxy11
Emiliano Tade Auckland City2
Tutizama Tanito Henderson Eels2

References

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  1. ^ a b c "OFC Champions League 2020 cancelled". Oceania Football Confederation. 4 September 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "Auckland City nominated for CWC". Oceania Football Confederation. 19 November 2020.
  3. ^ "Auckland City FC withdraw from FIFA Club World Cup". FIFA.com. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  4. ^ "Solomon Islands has its Champions League contenders". Oceania Football Confederation. 30 December 2019.
  5. ^ "Teams vying for OFC Champions League spots". Oceania Football Confederation. 20 January 2020.
  6. ^ "Solomon Warriors clinch sixth title". Solomon Islands Football Federation. 26 January 2020.
  7. ^ a b c "Champions League group hosts named". Oceania Football Confederation. 13 December 2019.
  8. ^ "Hosts appointed for 2019 competitions". Oceania Football Confederation. 6 November 2018.
  9. ^ "OFC tournaments, workshops, training and courses postponed until 6 May". Oceania Football Confederation. 9 March 2020.
  10. ^ "OFC tournaments postponed". Oceania Football Confederation. 14 May 2020.
  11. ^ "OFC tournaments update". Oceania Football Confederation. 28 July 2020.
  12. ^ "OFC Champions League 2020 Qualifying Stage". Oceania Football Confederation.
  13. ^ a b "OFC Champions League 2020 Groups A & B". Oceania Football Confederation.
  14. ^ a b "OFC Champions League 2020 Groups C & D". Oceania Football Confederation.
  15. ^ "OFC Champions League 2020 Quarter-finals". Oceania Football Confederation.
  16. ^ "OFC Champions League 2020 Semi-finals". Oceania Football Confederation.
  17. ^ "OFC Champions League 2020 Final". Oceania Football Confederation.
  18. ^ "Champions League qualifying confirmed". Oceania Football Confederation. 17 December 2019.
  19. ^ @OFCfootball (7 March 2020). "This is how Group C of the OFC Champions League 2020 ended up in Noumea 👇 Congrats to AS Magenta 🇳🇨 🇫🇷 and Solomon Warriors 🇸🇧 on their qualification to the quarterfinals 👏 👊 ⚽ #OFCCL" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  20. ^ "Tupapa withdraws from Champions League". Oceania Football Confederation. 1 March 2020.
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