Nets were shaken five times

Elimination pair for World Cup 2026 - region Oceania, round 2, match 1, group B3 playing in Vanuatu, day 2 out of 2:

Vanuatu - Samoa 4:1

Scorers: 1:0 07 Mitchell Cooper

               2:0 35 John Alick

               2:1 54 Nathan Viliamu

               3:1 57 John Alick

               4:1 90 Bong Kalo

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B group opener

Elimination pair for World Cup 2026 - region Oceania, round 2, match 1, group B, playing in Vanuatu, day 1 out of 2:

New Zealand - Tahiti 3:0 (neutral place)

Scorers: 1:0 02 Elijah Henry Just

               2:0 67 Christopher Wood

               3:0 89 Benjamin Waine

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One team has failed to score

Elimination pairs for World Cup 2026 - region Oceania, round 2, match 1, group A, playing in Fiji:

New Caledonia - Papua new Guinea 3:1 (neutral place)

Scorers: 1:0 19-pen Joseph Athale

               2:0 44 Georges Gope-Fenepej

               2:1 78 Tommy Semmy

               3:1 83 Germain Haewegene

Elimination pairs for World Cup 2026 - region Oceania, round 2, match 1, group A, playing in Fiji:

Solomon islands - Fiji 0:1 (neutral place)

Scorer: 0:1 13 Roy Krishna

- On 34 midfielder Aporosa Yada (Fiji) received a direct red card.

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Round two traveler familiar

Elimination plays for World Cup 2026 - region Oceania, round 1, mini - tournament in Samoa, final:

Tonga - Samoa 1:1, 1:2 after extra time

Scorers: 1:0 45 Ulafala Sonasi

               1:1 85 Luke Lui Matai Salisbury

               1:2 105+2 Jefferson Faamatau

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Known which teams will battle for next phase

Elimination plays for World Cup 2026 - region Oceania, round 1, mini - tournament in Samoa, semi - final 1:

Cook islands - Tonga 1:3

Scorers: 0:1 27 Viliami Tikoipau

               0:2 39-pem Hemaloto Polovili

               1:2 63 Taci Kumsuz

               1:3 79 Christopher Kefu

Elimination plays for World Cup 2026 - region Oceania, round 1, mini - tournament in Samoa, semi - final 2:

American Samoa - Samoa 0:2

Scorers: 0:1 59-pen Dilo Tumua

               0:2 90+7 Jarvis Vaai

- Alton Leiatua (Samoa) on 72 was removed from the game receiving a direct red card.

Supplemental information: Tonga and Samoa are going to encounter against each other, and the winner from this match is going to qualify for round 2.

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Smallest region joins in

Plenty of elimination duels awaits us for the World Cup 2026. Out of the 3 confederations that are playing duels for this event, the penultimate region is joining the fun.

With 18 teams who are equally divided in three groups starts round 3 in Asia. This month on schedule would be 2 games, while the finish (until we will reach number 10) is expected to be on June of next year. For now the start looks like this:

Game 1

05 September, Thursday at 12.10 CEt: Australia - Bahrain.

05 September, Thursday at 12.35 CEt: Japan - People's Republic of China.

05 September, Thursday at 13.00 CEt: South Korea - Palestine.

05 September, Thursday at 16.00 CEt: Uzbekistan - North Korea.

05 September, Thursday at 18.00 CEt: Iraq - Oman.

05 September, Thursday at 18.00 CEt: Islamic Republic of Iran - Kyrgyzstan.

05 September, Thursday at 18.00 CEt: Qatar - United Arab Emirates.

05 September, Thursday at 20.00 CEt: Jordan - Kuwait.

05 September, Thursday at 20.00 CEt: Saudi Arabia - Indonesia.

After the pause of 10 months (since its last game), the excitements on the South American continent is resuming. Next week this region is going to use 2 days and nights (3 mornings) to play the following 5 pairs:

Duel 07

05 September, Thursday at 22.00 CEt: Bolivia - Venezuela.

06 September, Friday at 02.00 CEt: Argentina - Chile.

07 September, Saturday at 01.30 CEt: Uruguay - Paraguay.

07 September, Saturday at 03.00 CEt: Brazil - Ecuador.

07 September, Saturday at 03.00 CEt: Peru - Colombia.

Oceania is the fifth confederation that joins these qualifiers. Everything begins with round 1 where the 4 lowest teams in the world rankings are going to introduce to the public.

This phase would be played in a mini-tournament basis who is entirely going to be in Samoa, those who will win in the next 2 pairs expect one more game where the victory team of that one would participate at round 2.

Semi-final 1 and 2:

06 September, Friday at 00.00 CEt: Cook islands - Tonga.

06 September, Friday at 04.00 CEt: American Samoa - Samoa.

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Last place has been revealed

Intercontinental qualifying game for World Cup 2022 (2 out of 2), North, Central and Caribbean - Oceania teams, neutral place - Qatar, one duel only:

Costa Rica - New Zealand 1:0

Scorer: 1:0 02 (02.09) Joel Campbell

- For dangerous foul Konstantinos Barbarouses (New Zealand) was awarded with a direct red card at 68 (68.14).

Additional information: we will see Costa Rica again in five months time and they will be entertained in the group stage with Spain, Germany and Japan.

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Dates of intercontinental plays

In April were familiar when the inter-confederation play-off matches are going to be played this summer for the World Cup competition which is towards the end of the year. From earlier it was known that both of them are going to be staged in Qatar and in 90 minutes only (or more).

The Asian fourth round winner (either United Arab Emirates or Australia) on 07 June would decide the continental representative of whom will meet Peru, the South American team that in the table has finished in fifth place. At the beginning of the month was revealed that these two are going to clash each other at 13 June where the penultimate traveler would appear. In the capital Doha this duel is going to kick-off at night (21.00 local time) so that all participants would not feel the consequences of the heatwave.

Just 24 hours later, and almost certain that will start the same, the Oceania champion is going to meet the team that was fourth in the table of North, Central America and Caribbean octagonal competition. On 20 April the New Zealand football association has announced that its team would play Costa Rica. Whoever wins this duel, it would be the last team that will reach the World Cup 2022 tournament.

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Champion of the region

Qualifiers for World Cup 2022 - region Oceania, round 5 (final), play 10:

Solomon islands - New Zealand 0:5

Scorers: 0:1 23 (22.49) Bill Tuiloma

               0:2 38 (38.10) Christopher Wood

               0:3 49 (48.38) Joe Bell

               0:4 69 (68.52) Bill Tuiloma

               0:5 90+1 (90.29) Matthew Garbett

Additional information: New Zealand will have to jump one more hurdle if it wants to be seen at the final tournament this November - would have to beat an unknown team from another continent.

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Known finalists

Qualifiers for World Cup 2022 - region Oceania, round 4 (semi final 1), play 08:

Solomon islands - Papua new Guinea 3:2

Scorers: 0:1 24 (23.42) Alwin Komolong

               1:1 32 (32.18) Alwin Hou

               2:1 65 (64.56) Alwin Hou

               3:1 70 (70.18) Raphael Lea'i

               3:2 87 (87.06) Ati Kepo

- The post was the main cause why Solomon islands did not lead on 40 (39.26) because Micah Lea'alafa have shaken it from 11 metres.

Qualifiers for World Cup 2022 - region Oceania, round 4 (semi final 2), play 09:

New Zealand - Tahiti 1:0

Scorer: 1:0 70 (69.56) Liberato Cacace

Additional information: Solomon islands and New Zealand will battle it through to be a champion of the region on 30 March, and this summer would represent Oceania at the intercontinental play-off.

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After the equalizer came the real flood

Qualifiers for World Cup 2022 - region Oceania, group A, round 3, play 05:

Solomon islands - Tahiti 3:1

Scorers: 1:0 20 (19.36) Raphael Lea'i

               1:1 26 (25.28) Alvin Tehau

               2:1 52 (51.46) Raphael Lea'i

               3:1 90+5 (95.00) Raphael Lea'i

Qualifiers for World Cup 2022 - region Oceania, group A, round 3:

Vanuatu - Cook islands (SUSPENDED, both teams have withdrawn from the tournament because of positive virus cases during it).

Qualifiers for World Cup 2022 - region Oceania, group B, round 3, play 06:

New Zealand - New Caledonia 7:1

Scorers: 1:0 07 (07.04) Alexander Greive

               1:1 12 (11.55) Jean-Philippe Saiko

               2:1 35-pen (35.04) Logan Rogerson

               3:1 45+2 (46.34) Alexander Greive

               4:1 75 (74.29) Andre de Jong

               5:1 80 (80.18) Bill Tuiloma

               6:1 83 (82.25) Christopher Wood

               7:1 89 (88.52) Christopher Wood

Qualifiers for World Cup 2022 - region Oceania, group B, round 3, play 07:

Fiji - Papua new Guinea 1:2

Scorers: 1:0 12 (11.45) Tevita Waranaivalu

               1:1 45+2 (46.38) Ati Kepo

               1:2 63 (62.49) Tommy Semmy

- The scorer for Fiji deservedly received a direct red card at 41 (41.03) after a nasty foul.

Additional information: Solomon islands - Papua new Guinea together with New Zealand - Tahiti are making the semi final pairs of this region.

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Second half most excited than first

Qualifiers for World Cup 2022 - region Oceania, group B, round 2, play 04:

Papua new Guinea - New Caledonia 1:0

Scorer: 1:0 07 (07.05) Tommy Semmy

- For doing a nasty foul on the opposing goalkeeper, the New Caledonia defender Jean-Luc Decoire received a deserved direct red card on 87 (87.01).

Qualifiers for World Cup 2022 - region Oceania, group B, round 2, play 05:

New Zealand - Fiji 4:0

Scorers: 1:0 44 (44.14) Christopher Wood

               2:0 71 (70.47) Elijah Just

               3:0 72 (72.17) Christopher Wood

               4:0 90+3-pen (92.35) Clayton Lewis

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Regional qualifiers continues without one team

On the following seven nights there will be plenty elimination matches that are going to be staged for three future tournaments.

It looks like the troubles of Oceania are resuming. After the natural disaster this January, another team had plenty of headaches (with the pandemic this time around) for which there was another withdrawal from the mini-qualifying competition for the World Cup 2022.

Yesterday Vanuatu has officially pulled out because they could barely composed a team for their first duel with Tahiti. Many players had been tested positive of the virus prior to the match which was obvious that they can only pulled out of the event. Also for the same reason today Cook islands had the same health trouble, so their game against the same rival (Tahiti) was postponed. Until now there is no information of whether or when this game will be played. Therefore the first group resumes its business with three teams.

In the penultimate week of this elimination tournament we will know the two teams who are going to play in the final. According to the schedule, the semi-final matches are expected to be staged on a weekend where new kick-off time is introduced.

21 March, Monday at 15.00 CET: Papua new Guinea - New Caledonia.

21 March, Monday at 18.00 CET: New Zealand - Fiji.

24 March, Thursday at 15.00 CET: Solomon islands - Tahiti.

24 March, Thursday at 18.00 CET: New Zealand - New Caledonia.

24 March, Thursday at 18.00 CET: Fiji - Papua new Guinea.

27 March, Sunday at 15.00 CET: winner of group A - second team from group B.

27 March, Sunday at 18.30 CET: champion of group B - runner-up from group A.

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Double scorer for first three points

Qualifiers for World Cup 2022 - region Oceania, group B, round 1, play 03:

Papua new Guinea - New Zealand 0:1

Scorer: 0:1 75 (74.48) Benjamin Waine

Qualifiers for World Cup 2022 - region Oceania, group B, round 1, play 04:

New Caledonia - Fiji 1:2

Scorers: 0:1 10 (10.06) Sairusi Nalaubu

               1:1 78 (77.47) Jordan Wetria

               1:2 89 (88.32) Sairusi Nalaubu

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Group one incomplete

Qualifiers for World Cup 2022 - region Oceania, group A, round 1, play 01:

Cook islands - Solomon islands 0:2

Scorers: 0:1 20 (19.25) Atkin Kaua

               0:2 45 (45.02) Alvin Hou

Qualifiers for World Cup 2022 - region Oceania, group A, round 1, play 02:

Tahiti - Vanuatu (POSTPONED, because of positive virus cases at the Vanuatu team prior to the match).

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Competition with only three games

From September 2021 (when was postponed) the following mini tournament supposed to begin on 13 March, however because of the natural disaster that happened in the middle of January at Tonga, the same team has decided to withdrew, thus the play-off match was suspended. Because of that, the tiniest confederation of the globe finally is going to commence this competition (which is now moved) four nights later.

The World Cup qualifying event is almost over at all continents, but for Oceania is just beginning. As the pandemic situation did its bad part anywhere throughout the globe, all duels of the region were shifted to neutral ground.

Eight teams are equally divided into two groups, each of them will have three games in the end, and all of them are going to be staged at the capital of Qatar - Doha. When everything completes after game 12 the first 2 teams from A and B groups will advance to the next phase. Until then let us enjoy the starting six pairs:

17 March, Thursday at 15.00 CET: Cook islands - Solomon islands.

17 March, Thursday at 18.00 CET: Tahiti - Vanuatu.

18 March, Friday at 15.00 CET: Papua new Guinea - New Zealand.

18 March, Friday at 18.00 CET: New Caledonia - Fiji.

20 March, Sunday at 15.00 CET: Cook islands - Tahiti.

20 March, Sunday at 18.00 CET: Solomon islands - Vanuatu.

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Play off team forced to withdraw from qualifying competition

Currently the epidemic situation is causing lots of headaches to everyone in the world, and on 15 January one other phenomenon has happened: this time in the South Pacific island state of Tonga. On this date there was an underwater volcano eruption where the consequences were catastrophic: everything was covered in dust, debris, drinking water got poisoned, the agricultural land was affected, at least two villages was wiped of the chart plus massive waves of tsunami was triggered. Because of this (very rare) natural disaster something was telling that the national team may not compete for the World Cup elimination matches, where sadly later this news got only certified.

At 13 March Tonga supposed to open the play-off stage, so that finally games of the Oceania region would kick-off (in peace) on neutral place. But after the catastrophe last month it was just impossible to appear so the country has officially pulled out its participation from the event three days ago. This means that their rivals (Cook islands) has automatically joined group A who will play together with Solomon islands, Tahiti and Vanuatu.

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Region who is starting last

The sporting most watched event on our planet is commencing less than a year from now, and practically five out of six confederations are near the qualifying end. However, the last one is yet to start where the plan for it was finally released seven days ago with a draw.

Definitely the tiniest regions of all, Oceania had many problems with the pandemic outbreak, thus its schedule was delayed from this September. Because the World Cup is approaching fast and there is no time anymore, it was determined that a mini-tournament will determine the winner. The first two teams from A and B groups are going to participate at the final round of the confederation where with the additional matches the champion of the confederation is going to be known. Each of those duels have to be played from 14 and up until 30 March 2022 at neutral place - Qatar.

From eleven members that this continent has, nine of them are going to appear (American Samoa and Samoa has withdrew their participation earlier) whereas the last two who are the lower ranked ones will have to clash between each other just to enter the main group phase which are divided in:

Group A: Solomon islands, Tahiti, Vanuatu, play off victory team (between Tonga - Cook islands).

Group B: New Zealand, New Caledonia, Fiji, Papua new Guinea.

Furthermore, the winner of this region would have to play one more extra game (who is called the intercontinental one) with the fourth placed representative from the North, Central America and Caribbean confederation in June that will decide one of the final spots for the World Cup 2022 event.

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Powerful goals from each halves enough for Russia

Peru - New Zealand 2:0

Scorers: 1:0 27 Jefferson Farfan
              2:0 64 Christian Ramos

Additional information: Peru completed the 32 team line up for World Cup. After 36 years of absence, Los Incas earned its fifth appearance at next summer football fiesta.

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Tired teams will be more tired

Those who just came will be now hosts, and those who will arrive their opponents. For both applies one rule: not to concede a goal. On top of that if final results are scoreless, comes more running for 30 minutes and that, which no one likes - penalties. If this scenario is on, each player will be on the pitch for approximately two hours and 45 minutes.
Two intercontinental duels are chosen to close this World Cup qualifying campaign for Russia 2018. Their first leg were disappointing (for many) and now 90 minutes are remained or more for 2 lucky teams to be last travelers to the big football holiday in June.

15 November, Wednesday at 10.00 CET: Australia - Honduras.

16 November, Thursday at 03.15 CET: Peru - New Zealand.

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