A new professional soccer league has launched across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, though questions remain over whether it can survive long-term.
The Oceania Football Confederation Pro League is an eight-team competition spanning seven Oceanic nations bankrolled by FIFA.FIFA’s current funding arrangement runs for four years and there are questions over how the league will sustain itself after that.
Solomon Islander Phillip Mango was 30 years old before finally making his professional soccer debut in January.”I made probably 35 caps for the Solomon Islands national team but I could only play amateur football,” he said. That changed this year with the launch of an ambitious new competition that paved the way for the Solomon Islands’s first-ever professional sports franchise.Supplied: OFC Pro LeagueThe Oceania Football Confederation Pro League is an eight-team competition spanning seven Oceanic nations bankrolled by FIFA to the tune of $US40 million over four years. Three of the teams participating are existing clubs and include South Melbourne FC and Auckland FC, who also fields a team in Australia’s A-League. The remaining clubs — based in Vanuatu , Solomon Islands , Fiji , Tahiti and New Zealand — are newly formed franchises promising to deliver Pacific footballers a pathway to the professional ranks. “I never thought I’d become a professional player so the opportunity to be part of it is a dream come true,” Mango said. South Melbourne FC and Auckland FC are among the eight clubs competing in the newly-formed OFC Pro League.But experts have raised concerns about the league’s financial viability and whether the Pacific Island-based clubs will be able to stand on their own two feet once FIFA’s funding dries up.Mango was working as a football development coach in the Solomon Islands, facilitating workshops and helping the national team before his life suddenly changed. “When we received the news that we had a team for the Pro League I thought I’d be on the coaching staff, but I had the honour to be part of it,” he said.Supplied: OFC Pro LeagueSince making his debut for the Kings in January he has played in three different countries as part of a travelling, festival-style format comparable to the World Rugby Sevens Series. Rather than a traditional home-and-away season, teams gather in a single host nation for each stage of the competition, playing multiple matches over several days before moving onto a new country. OFC Pro League competition manager Stuart Larman said the model was designed to reduce the financial burden on new clubs. “We knew there were going to be new clubs in most of the countries and it’s a lot to expect for them to host matches by themselves,” he said. Solomon Islands’s diaspora was out in force to watch the Solomon Kings play Vanuatu United this week in Melbourne.The clubs are also spared from travel and match-day costs, with the OFC footing the bill for the flights and accommodation of players and staff. It is understood player salaries are covered by the clubs which are each made up of local players and three international recruits. There is no salary cap and it is understood average player payments range from approximately $10,000 to $50,000 a season.Only six of the eight teams currently have the ability to host professional matches. Vanuatu United lacks suitable stadium infrastructure, while Tahiti United’s facilities will not be ready until 2028, meaning they are unable to host stages like other teams.Supplied: OFC Pro LeagueDeakin University professor of sport management Adam Karg said that lack of local exposure might make it hard for those teams to build a fanbase — a critical revenue stream.”So it’s going to be difficult, particularly if they struggle with digital capabilities, because sports brands grow on sharp digital content, and obviously there’s infrastructure limitations in some of these countries.The Solomon Islands National Stadium, built ahead of the 2023 Pacific Games, will allow it to host a stage of the OFC Pro League in March.The OFC could not provide a timeline of when Vanuatu United would have infrastructure in place.”We are looking at the next couple of years at what gaps there are and how we will fill them.”It is also unclear whether FIFA’s funding underpinning the competition will extend beyond four years.In the meantime, he said the goal was to get the new clubs professionally independent as soon as possible.Professor Karg said FIFA would need to provide financial backing for close to a decade for the league to survive.”In the AFL the new clubs have a 15-year runway, so something similar would be needed.”Albert Kape, a ni-Vanuatu seasonal worker living in Labertouche in Victoria, said Vanuatu was a soccer-loving nation and fans would support the team whether they were playing home games or not.”It’s our first professional team and we have to try our best to come and see them because this is big.” Vanuatu seasonal workers travelled far to see Vanuatu United face the Solomon Kings this week in Melbourne.Matt Acton, an Australian who re-located to Vanuatu after being recruited by the club after almost a decade in the A-League, said the opportunity to play professional soccer in the Pacific Islands would attract players from around the world.”I get phone calls all the time from coaches and agents after games, so people are watching and players know that,” he said.Matt Acton relocated to Vanuatu after almost a decade playing in the A-LeagueHowever he said the league should aim to adopt a traditional home-and-away season style format eventually in order to be viable long term. “If we can get a game in Vanuatu in the next couple of years we’ll sell the stadium out, there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind,” he said. From the international teams of ABC Radio Australia, ABC Australia, and ABC News, explore our comprehensive radio, digital, and video coverage of the Pacific all in one place.While the stakes are high within Oceania they also extend beyond, with the league to serve as the region’s primary qualifier for the FIFA Club World Cup.South Melbourne cannot qualify via this route due to Australia’s membership within the Asian Football Confederation. Professor Karg said the new qualification pathway gave Pacific island clubs a chance at global exposure. “But if we fast forward 10 years and it’s just Australian and NZ teams dominating the competition, then that’s not good,” he said.
Auckland FC Vanuatu United FC Solomon Kings Tahiti United OFC OFC Pro League Bula FC South Island United
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Champions League roundup: Atalanta oust Dortmund thanks to last-minute penaltyA stoppage-time penalty from Lazar Samardzic sent Atalanta into the Champions League last 16, with a thrilling 4-1 win over Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday earning the Italian side a 4-3 win on aggregate
Read more ”
Pro-democracy Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai’s fraud offence overturnedHong Kong’s Court of Appeal overturns the lower court ruling against Jimmy Lai on a fraud offence.
Read more ”
Premier League to Launch Streaming Service in SingaporeThe Premier League is set to launch its own streaming service, Premier League Plus, in Singapore, offering live coverage of all 380 matches. This marks the first time the league will sell match coverage directly to consumers. The move is seen as a learning opportunity for the league, with potential for expansion. The announcement also included discussion around financial redistribution and parachute payments.
Read more ”
Burgertory founder’s chant about Zionists at pro-Palestine rally incited hatred against Jews, tribunal rulesHash Tayeh flags appeal to Victorian civil and administrative tribunal finding over phrase used at Melbourne rally last year
Read more ”
Champions League last 16: Manchester City face Real Madrid; Europa League drawJoin our writers for the latest news, comment and previews
Read more ”
Rugby League’s Global Gamble: Super League and NRL Unite in Las VegasThe convergence of Super League and the NRL in Las Vegas signals a major push for the globalization of rugby league. With English clubs showcasing their talent alongside Australian counterparts, the event highlights the growing partnership and potential investment from the NRL. The Vegas games are just the beginning of ambitious plans for expansion.
Read more “
