2023 OFC Champions League

The 2023 OFC Champions League will be the 22nd edition of the Oceanian Club Championship, Oceania's premier club football tournament organized by the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), and the 17th season under the current OFC Champions League name. The winner of the final will earn the right to play in the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup in the Saudi Arabia.

2023 OFC Champions League
Tournament details
Host countryGroup stage:
New Zealand
DatesQualifying:
11 February – 18 March
Competition proper:
May
TeamsCompetition proper: 8
Total: 18 (from 11 associations)

Auckland City FC are the defending champions.

Teams

A total of 18 teams from all 11 OFC member associations may enter the competition.

  • The seven developed associations (Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Vanuatu) are awarded a berth each in the groups stage, after playing a national playoff between the top 2 clubs in the league.
  • The four developing associations (American Samoa, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga) are awarded one berth each in the qualifying stage, with the winners advancing to the group stage.
Association Team Qualifying method
Teams entering the National playoffs
Fiji Rewa 2022 Fiji National Football League champions
Suva 2022 Fiji National Football League runners-up
New Caledonia AS Tiga Sport 2022 New Caledonia Super Ligue champions
Hienghène Sport 2022 New Caledonia Super Ligue runners-up
New Zealand Auckland City 2022 New Zealand National League grand final champions
Wellington Olympic 2022 New Zealand National League grand final runners-up
Papua New Guinea Lae City 2022 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League champions
Hekari United 2022 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League runners-up
Solomon Islands 2022–23 Solomon Islands S-League champions
2022–23 Solomon Islands S-League runners-up
Tahiti AS Pirae 2021–22 Tahiti Ligue 1 champions
AS Dragon 2021–22 Tahiti Ligue 1 runners-up
Vanuatu 2022 VFF National Super League grand final champions
2022 VFF National Super League grand final runners-up
Teams entering the qualifying stage
American Samoa Ilaoa and To'omata 2022 FFAS Senior League champions
Cook Islands Tupapa Maraerenga 2022 Cook Islands Round Cup champions
Samoa Lupe ole Soaga 2022 Samoa National League third place
Tonga Veitongo 2022 Tonga Major League champions

Qualifying stage
Main article: 2023 OFC Champions League qualifying stage

Preliminary group

The draw for the qualifying stage was held on 1 February 2023 at the OFC Headquarters in Auckland, New Zealand.[1] The four teams in the qualifying stage played each other on a round-robin basis at a centralised venue. The winners will advance to the group stage to join the 7 direct entrants.[1]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification TUP VEI ITO LUP
1 Tupapa Maraerenga 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Group stage — 18 Feb 21 Feb —
2 Veitongo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — — 24 Feb —
3 Ilaoa and To'omata 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — — — 18 Feb
4 Lupe ole Soaga (H) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 24 Feb 21 Feb — —
Source: OFC
(H) Host

National play-offs

On 10 February 2023, OFC announced that 7 sets of national playoffs would take place to determine which side from those nations would take part in this year's Champions League. [2]

Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Suva Match 1 Rewa 23 Feb 26 Feb
Hienghène Sport Match 2 AS Tiga Sport 1–3 18 Feb
Wellington Olympic Match 3 Auckland City 11 Mar 18 Mar
Hekari United Match 4 Lae City 2–1 18 Feb
TBD Match 5 TBD 22 Feb 28 Feb
Dragon Match 6 Pirae 17 Feb 24 Feb
TBD Match 7 TBD 22 Feb 25 Feb

Group stage

The four teams in each group will play each other on a round-robin basis at a centralised venue, Ngahue Reserve, Auckland. The winners and runners-up of each group will advance to the semi-finals of the knockout stage.

References
  1. "OFC Champions League Qualifying Stage dates announced". Oceania Football Confederation. 1 February 2023.
  2. "OFC Champions League explained". Oceania Football Confederation. 10 February 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
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