2021 OFC Champions League

The 2021 OFC Champions League will be the 20th edition of the Oceanian Club Championship, Oceania's premier club football tournament organized by the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), and the 15th season under the current OFC Champions League name.

2021 OFC Champions League
Tournament details
Host countriesQualifying stage:
TBD
Group stage:
TBD
DatesQualifying stage:
TBD
Competition proper:
TBD
TeamsCompetition proper: 16
Total: 18 (from 11 associations)

Hienghène Sport, having won the title in 2019, are the title holders, since the 2020 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the title was not awarded.[1]

The winners of the 2021 OFC Champions League will qualify for the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan.

Teams

A total of 21 teams from all 14 OFC member associations are eligible the competition.

  • The seven developed associations (Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Vanuatu) are awarded two berths each in the group stage.
  • The four developing associations (American Samoa, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga) are awarded one berth each in the qualifying stage, with the winners and runners-up advancing to the group stage.
  • The three associate members (Kiribati, Niue, Tuvalu) are to be included in OFC competitions from 2021 onwards.[3]
Teams entering the group stage
Association Team Qualifying method
 Fiji Suva 2020 Fiji Premier League champions
Rewa 2020 Fiji Premier League runners-up
 New Caledonia Tiga Sport 2020 New Caledonia Super Ligue champions
Horizon Patho 2020 New Caledonia Super Ligue runners-up
 New Zealand Auckland City 2019–20 New Zealand Football Championship champions and regular season premiers[Note NZL]
Team Wellington 2019–20 New Zealand Football Championship regular season runners-up[Note NZL]
 Papua New Guinea Lae City 2019–20 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League champions and regular season premiers
Hekari United 2019–20 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League regular season runners-up
 Solomon Islands 2020–21 Solomon Islands S-League champions
2020–21 Solomon Islands S-League runners-up
 Tahiti Pirae 2019–20 Tahiti Ligue 1 champions[Note TAH]
Vénus 2019–20 Tahiti Ligue 1 runners-up[Note TAH]
 Vanuatu Galaxy 2020 VFF National Super League champions
Malampa Revivors 2020 VFF National Super League runners-up
Teams entering the qualifying stage
Association Team Qualifying method
 American Samoa Pago Youth 2019 FFAS Senior League champions
 Cook Islands Tupapa Maraerenga 2020 Cook Islands Round Cup champions
 Samoa Lupe o le Soaga 2020 Samoa National League first round winners
 Tonga TBC[Note TGA]
Associate members
Association Team Qualifying method
 Kiribati 2020 Kiribati National Championship champions
 Niue 2020 Niue Soccer Tournament champions
 Tuvalu Nauti 2020 Tuvalu A-Division champions
Notes
  1. ^
    New Zealand (NZL): On 18 March 2020, New Zealand Football announced that the 2019–20 New Zealand Football Championship season had been concluded, with the remainder of the regular season and the finals series cancelled, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand. Auckland City, who were leading the regular season table, were declared champions and regular season premiers, and qualified for the 2021 OFC Champions League together with Team Wellington, who were at second place in the regular season table.[4]
  2. ^
    Tahiti (TAH): On 16 May 2020, the Tahitian Football Federation announced that the 2019–20 Tahiti Ligue 1 season had been concluded, with the remainder of the season cancelled, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in French Polynesia. Originally it was decided that the title would not be awarded, and the top three teams of the league table would play in a playoff, where the winners and runners-up would qualify for the 2021 OFC Champions League.[5] However, on 27 May 2020 following new consultation with the clubs, Pirae, who were leading the table, were declared champions, and qualified for the 2021 OFC Champions League together with Vénus, who were at second place.[6]
  3. ^
    Tonga (TGA): The 2020 Tonga Major League was cancelled by the Tonga Football Association due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Tonga.[7]

Schedule

The tournament would originally be played between January and May 2021, with the qualifying stage scheduled to be played in Samoa in January, and the group stage starting in February. However, the OFC announced on 5 November 2020 that the tournament would begin no earlier than 1 July due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[8]

Stage Draw date Match dates
Qualifying stage TBD TBD (originally 11–16 January 2021 in Samoa)[9]
Group stage
  • Group A: TBD (originally 13–21 February 2021)[10]
  • Group B: TBD (originally 13–21 February 2021)[11]
  • Group C: TBD (originally 27 February – 7 March 2021)[12]
  • Group D: TBD (originally 27 February – 7 March 2021)[13]
Quarter-finals TBD TBD (originally 3–4 April 2021)[14]
Semi-finals TBD (originally 24–25 April 2021)[15]
Final TBD (originally 15 May 2021)[16]

References
  1. "OFC Champions League 2020 cancelled". Oceania Football Confederation. 4 September 2020.
  2. "New expanded format for 2017". Oceania Football Confederation. 28 June 2016.
  3. Ola Bjerkvoll (15 March 2020). "OFC confirms: Associate members to be included". Football in Oceania.
  4. "Premiership concluded, Auckland City champions". New Zealand Football. 18 March 2020.
  5. "Communiqué Officiel". Fédération Tahitienne de Football. 16 May 2020.
  6. "Communiqué Officiel – Décision du Comité Exécutif du 27 mai". Fédération Tahitienne de Football. 27 May 2020.
  7. "Football action heats up across Oceania". Oceania Football Confederation. 14 October 2020.
  8. "OFC announces schedule changes for early 2021". Oceania Football Confederation. 5 November 2020.
  9. "OFC Champions League 2021 – Qualifying Stage". Oceania Football Confederation.
  10. "OFC Champions League 2021 – Group A". Oceania Football Confederation.
  11. "OFC Champions League 2021 – Group B". Oceania Football Confederation.
  12. "OFC Champions League 2021 – Group C". Oceania Football Confederation.
  13. "OFC Champions League 2021 – Group D". Oceania Football Confederation.
  14. "OFC Champions League 2021 – Quarter Finals". Oceania Football Confederation.
  15. "OFC Champions League 2021 – Semi-Finals". Oceania Football Confederation.
  16. "OFC Champions League 2021 – Final". Oceania Football Confederation.
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