LAUTOKA received a mighty boost in its quest to become the first local soccer team to feature in the FIFA Club World Cup by being drawn in a relatively easy Oceania Champions League pool in comparison with local football giants Ba.
The Sugar City boys have been pooled with Lae City FC of Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu’s Malampa Revivors and Henderson Eels of the Solomon Islands.
The Blues will face hosts Malampa Revivors in its opening fixture of the 2020 OFC Champions League. Malampa Revivors FC has recorded just a solitary point in the six matches it has played in the OFC Champions League so far.
The feature match of Group B will kick off at 3pm on Saturday February 15 at the Luganville Soccer City Stadium in Vanuatu.
The side tackles the Peter Gunemba-coached Lae City FC of Papua New Guinea in its second match three days later in the first match of Group B at 11am. Lae City FC is expected to feature two players from South American country Ecuador; Abdias Antonio Arirre Aguirre, who is a 20-year-old defensive midfielder, and 19-year-old striker Gustine Icaza Vergara. Former Lae City centre back and Solomon Islands international Joachim Waroi is another marquee player who might play for Lae City FC. Lautoka concludes its group stages on Friday February 21 against Henderson Eels; the Eels defeated Lautoka 6-5 at Churchill Park last year with two quick goals scored in added time.
Vanuatu has been selected as the host country for Group B matches of the 2020 OFC Champions League. Group B will play their matches from February 15-21.
The top two sides from each group will progress to the quarter-finals scheduled for April 4-5, semi-finals will be played three weeks later and the grand final is scheduled for May 16.
The winner of the OFC Champions League will qualify for the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup in Qatar.
