BY CHARLIE DUMAVI
SOFI Diyalowai scored the first-ever goal in the inaugural Oceania Football Confederation’s (OFC) Women’s Champions League in Port Moresby and dedicated it to her dad.
Wearing the Labasa Football Club colors against the Kiwi Football Club of Samoa in Port Moresby, Sofia couldn’t have been prouder, but she thanked her teammates for the effort that got them this far.
“I would like to thank my teammates because without them, I could not have scored in that first game. I would also like to dedicate my first goal to my dad, my friends, my family, and my teammates back at home,” Diyalowai said.
She added that she aims to score more goals in their competition opener against the Samoans, but she couldn’t because she had a blistering foot. However, that didn’t stop her when the opportunity presented itself.
Diyalowai also expressed her appreciation for all the Fijians in Port Moresby who visited their hotel camp, stating that the players felt proud to represent Fiji and highly appreciated the gestures.
Labasa head coach Arthur Simmons described the win as “history” for his team, as it was their first victory in the OFC Women’s Champions League.
“Sofi is a prolific striker, and if you give her the ball, she will put it into the back of the net, so we expected her to score,” Simmons said. “The fans who came to the hotel and told us they would be there cheering for us provided a morale boost.”
Labasa FC secured a comfortable 6-0 victory against Kiwi FC. However, Kiwi FC also made history as the first Samoan club to participate in this inaugural tournament. The club consists of both men’s and women’s teams and previously represented Samoa in the OFC Championship in 1999, the O-League in 2012, and now the inaugural Women’s Champions League in PNG in 2023.
