Central Coast FC’s campaign in the OFC Men’s Champions League got off to a rocky start as they suffered a 3-0 defeat to Papua New Guinea’s Hekari United FC at the National Stadium today.
Head Coach Jacob Moli admitted that a lack of preparation and match fitness contributed to their downfall.
“We are struggling a little bit, especially since we have been training and preparing for this tournament without playing any friendly matches, so the team is really disorganised in some parts of the game,” Moli said after the match.
Moli pointed out that poor discipline was a key factor, with his team conceding too many free kicks in dangerous areas, allowing Hekari United to capitalise.
“The other two goals came from our own mistakes, where they capitalised on. Anyway, that’s football, teams are just waiting to capitalise on what you did wrong. This is something that we have to go back and work on.”
Hekari’s Tactical Brilliance Pays Off
Speaking to members of the local media after the match, Allen expressed his delight at his team’s performance, attributing their success to a month of rigorous preparation.
“First of all, I want to thank my boys for the big win. We have been training for one full month on how to play against Central Coast FC, because I know very well how Jacob Moli will approach the game – I know all about his game plan and his system of play.
“So within the one month, we trained on how to defend and attack the Central Coast, and it paid off well today,” Allen said.
Hekari capitalized on defensive errors from Central Coast, with two of their second goals coming directly from mistakes by the home side.
The first goal was scored from a well-taken free-kick, by Brazilian Import Lucas Santos.
Allen also spoke on the importance of squad management, making strategic substitutions to protect key players, following the caution of star striker, Ati Kepo.
“I had to substitute my key man, Ati Kepo, because we don’t want to lose him in the remaining games. At least he can start off in the second game, because the second game is the deciding game, whether we will qualify for the quarter-finals or not,” he added.
Central Coast Left to Regroup
Despite the loss, Moli remains optimistic, stating that his team must win their next match to stay in contention.
“Our next game has to be a must-win game, there is no two ways about it. We must try to win it to get maximum points before we can work out something for the final game. But we are looking forward to taking on the second game.”
Moli also pointed out that his younger players struggled with nerves on such a big stage.
“I have sent in a couple of young players, and you can see from their appearances that they are a bit nervous. It is something that is expected in such a big tournament like this, then again, it is something that they can learn from, and improve on moving forward,” he said.
What’s next?
Central Coast FC Coach, Jacob Moli said they will regroup and find a winning formula in their second match if they hope to keep their campaign alive.
With lessons learned from today’s defeat, Moli’s side will need to improve their discipline, tighten their defense, and capitalize on scoring opportunities to stay in the tournament.
Meanwhile, Hekari United now sets its sights on Ifira Black Bird FC in what will be a decisive clash for a spot in the quarter-finals. Coach Allen acknowledged the challenge ahead, recognizing that Ifira Black Bird also won their opening game.
“We will go back to the drawing board and start off again. We need to work hard again because there are two different tactics that both coaches are working on. They have also won their first game today, so it won’t be easy.
“We must make sure that we are ready to play them,” Allen said.
The first Group B match today saw Ifira Black Bird FC of Vanuatu defeating debutants Tupapa Maraerenga FC of Cook Islands with the same scoreline 3-0.
Matches will resume on Wednesday this week, for Group A at the Lawson Tama Stadium.