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OFC Professional League 🌏

Kitwally said:
This confused me: “We open the Australian market and we open the Asian markets [with South Melbourne's entry]. Therefore, it's a win-win situation.”
We open the Asian markets? Huh?
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Australian football is in AFC, I dont think FIFA actually believe that South Melbourne is banned from the Aleague forever...
 
The good thing is we will receive a percentage of the World Club Cup and annual FIFA Intercontinental Club tournament prize money as well even if we are not allowed to represent Oceania at these tournaments. That is on top of the prize money that South would earn just from the OFC Professional League.

A couple of hundred thousand dollars a year in revenue really makes the club a lot of financial sustainable as other clubs throw ridiculous money at reaching the Australian Championship.
 
Monoethnic Social Club said:
Australian football is in AFC, I dont think FIFA actually believe that South Melbourne is banned from the Aleague forever...
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Don’t think the A-League has much pull in Asia but I might be wrong. Despite the strength of the national team, A-League teams’ poor performance in the ACL hasn’t reflected well on the league. Which A-League teams (if any?) have Asian sponsors or connections? I can only think of the Bakrie Group at Brisbane.
 
*I’ve lived in Japan, China, and Malaysia for 28 years and have traveled to every country in Asia except East Timor.
 
Kitwally said:
Don’t think the A-League has much pull in Asia but I might be wrong. Despite the strength of the national team, A-League teams’ poor performance in the ACL hasn’t reflected well on the league. Which A-League teams (if any?) have Asian sponsors or connections? I can only think of the Bakrie Group at Brisbane.
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The most important one is CFG and Melbourne City.
 
Kitwally said:
Don’t think the A-League has much pull in Asia but I might be wrong. Despite the strength of the national team, A-League teams’ poor performance in the ACL hasn’t reflected well on the league. Which A-League teams (if any?) have Asian sponsors or connections? I can only think of the Bakrie Group at Brisbane.
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One of Adelaide’s owners is Chinese
 
The match schedule for the inaugural OFC Pro League has been confirmed, as the countdown continues until football in the Pacific steps into an exciting new era.

Following on from last month’s historic launch event held at Eden Park in Auckland, we now know who will be playing who and when, as the action kicks off on Saturday January 17 in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Round 2 of the circuit series will be played in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, with Round 3 in Australia, Round 4 held in Honiara, Solomon Islands and Round 5 in Ba and Suva, Fiji, before the League returns to New Zealand for the final set of fixtures in May.

Vanuatu United FC of Vanuatu and Fiji’s Bula FC will have the honour of playing the first-ever match in the OFC Pro League, when they meet at Eden Park, before Auckland FC take on South Island United, in what promises to be an explosive first chapter in the north versus south New Zealand derby.

The following day, Tahiti United take on Australia’s South Melbourne FC, before a hotly anticipated clash between close neighbours PNG Hekari FC of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Kings FC, as the league kicks into gear.

Sunday, February 1 is one to mark in the diary, with the first trans-Tasman clash scheduled, as South Island United take on South Melbourne.

Teams will play 14 matches each in total during the first phase, before the league splits into two sections – Leaders and Challengers – following the final round of phase one fixtures on April 18.

From there, the stakes rise even further, with phase two – played from May 6-13 – determining who will book their place in the semi-finals.

The single-leg semi-finals will take place on Wednesday, May 20, before the build up begins to the OFC Pro League final, on Sunday, May 24.

https://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc-pro-league-match-schedule-confirmed/
 
One thing that I realised today about South Melbourne's involvement in this new competition is that it is not really a 'drain' on supporter resources.

That is, there are only 3 extra games which we could realistically be expected to attend. The Melbourne Hub.

The club itself and those working there, on the other hand, well ...... I hope they are all refreshed for the year ahead!
 
Son of Sam said:
One thing that I realised today about South Melbourne's involvement in this new competition is that it is not really a 'drain' on supporter resources.

That is, there are only 3 extra games which we could realistically be expected to attend. The Melbourne Hub.

The club itself and those working there, on the other hand, well ...... I hope they are all refreshed for the year ahead!
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The club officials are looking at 12 months of football. This is beyond the scale for a normal NPL club. South will need to employ full time administrative staff to manage this additional workload.
 
SMFC1959 said:
The club officials are looking at 12 months of football. This is beyond the scale for a normal NPL club. South will need to employ full time administrative staff to manage this additional workload.
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Will it be worth the expense (prize money, I know ) the three games at home are hardly mouthwatering.
 
Sutherlandbear said:
Will it be worth the expense (prize money, I know ) the three games at home are hardly mouthwatering.
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All travel and accommodation costs are fully funded from the OFC Professional League. I'll probably head out to catch a game or two that South plays in the Melbourne hub. I don't think it will attract anything remotely to what we saw in the Australian Championship.
 
https://www.dailypost.vu/vanuatu_sp...cle_19fd72a0-edb9-5800-95e5-5445166926db.html

Australia should not be in OFC Pro League: Poida​

  • By Vourie Molivakoro
  • Dec 13, 2025

Australia should not be in OFC Pro League: Poida

Poida believes the addition of South Melbourne FC will greatly reduce the chances for Vanuatu and the other seven OFC clubs to qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup.


Former national player and coach Moise Poida has criticised the inclusion of Australia in the OFC Professional League, saying it limits opportunities for Pacific teams.

South Melbourne FC is the only non-Oceania club in the competition.
Poida said Australia’s participation appears to be driven by a desire to dominate a region where football standards and resources are significantly lower than those in Australia’s A-League environment.

He believes the addition of South Melbourne FC will greatly reduce the chances for Vanuatu and the other seven OFC clubs to qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup.

According to him, Vanuatu’s dream of one day reaching a global FIFA competition is now “imminently crushed.”
In response, the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) issued a clarification emphasising that South Melbourne FC cannot qualify for the FIFA Intercontinental Cup or FIFA Club World Cup through the OFC Pro League.

OFC noted that because Football Australia is a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Australian clubs are ineligible to claim OFC’s qualification pathway.

OFC explained that if South Melbourne win the Pro League, the runner-up — not the Australian club — would receive the FIFA qualification spot. Therefore, no OFC team loses out due to their participation.

The OFC Pro League provides two routes to global tournaments. The annual winner will qualify for the FIFA Intercontinental Cup each year, while the best-performing team over the league’s first three seasons will earn a spot in the next FIFA Club World Cup, scheduled for 2029.

OFC further defended the inclusion of an Australian club as part of a wider strategy to raise football standards in the region.
OFC said the involvement of South Melbourne FC will bring greater visibility, stronger competition, and increased international interest, while also strengthening cooperation with Football Australia, which already contributes significantly to football development in the Pacific.

Having a professionally run club in the competition sets a higher benchmark for all teams to aspire to as the region embarks on its first professional football league, according to OFC.

The Pro League will operate as a circuit-style competition, with matches hosted in Auckland, Port Moresby, Australia, Honiara, Suva, and Ba in Fiji.

OFC confirmed that travel and accommodation for all OFC member clubs will be fully funded, ensuring that Pacific teams are not disadvantaged by Australia’s involvement in the competition.
 
SMFC1959 said:
https://www.dailypost.vu/vanuatu_sp...cle_19fd72a0-edb9-5800-95e5-5445166926db.html

Australia should not be in OFC Pro League: Poida​

  • By Vourie Molivakoro
  • Dec 13, 2025

Australia should not be in OFC Pro League: Poida

Poida believes the addition of South Melbourne FC will greatly reduce the chances for Vanuatu and the other seven OFC clubs to qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup.


Former national player and coach Moise Poida has criticised the inclusion of Australia in the OFC Professional League, saying it limits opportunities for Pacific teams.

South Melbourne FC is the only non-Oceania club in the competition.
Poida said Australia’s participation appears to be driven by a desire to dominate a region where football standards and resources are significantly lower than those in Australia’s A-League environment.

He believes the addition of South Melbourne FC will greatly reduce the chances for Vanuatu and the other seven OFC clubs to qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup.

According to him, Vanuatu’s dream of one day reaching a global FIFA competition is now “imminently crushed.”
In response, the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) issued a clarification emphasising that South Melbourne FC cannot qualify for the FIFA Intercontinental Cup or FIFA Club World Cup through the OFC Pro League.

OFC noted that because Football Australia is a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Australian clubs are ineligible to claim OFC’s qualification pathway.

OFC explained that if South Melbourne win the Pro League, the runner-up — not the Australian club — would receive the FIFA qualification spot. Therefore, no OFC team loses out due to their participation.

The OFC Pro League provides two routes to global tournaments. The annual winner will qualify for the FIFA Intercontinental Cup each year, while the best-performing team over the league’s first three seasons will earn a spot in the next FIFA Club World Cup, scheduled for 2029.

OFC further defended the inclusion of an Australian club as part of a wider strategy to raise football standards in the region.
OFC said the involvement of South Melbourne FC will bring greater visibility, stronger competition, and increased international interest, while also strengthening cooperation with Football Australia, which already contributes significantly to football development in the Pacific.

Having a professionally run club in the competition sets a higher benchmark for all teams to aspire to as the region embarks on its first professional football league, according to OFC.

The Pro League will operate as a circuit-style competition, with matches hosted in Auckland, Port Moresby, Australia, Honiara, Suva, and Ba in Fiji.

OFC confirmed that travel and accommodation for all OFC member clubs will be fully funded, ensuring that Pacific teams are not disadvantaged by Australia’s involvement in the competition.
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Take it easy Poida....

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