By GABRIEL KATUHO
Bula FC of Fiji and Vanuatu FC arrived yesterday in Port Moresby for the round two of the OFC Pro League which kicks off on Saturday 31January 2026 at the Santos National Football Stadium.
The two teams received a welcome reception from the fans and families at Jackson’s International Airport.
Vanuatu Caption Alex Saniel they were glad to return to Papua New Guinea after the Melanesian Spearhead Group Prime Ministers’ Cup while highlighting the team’s preparation towards round two of the OFC Pro League.
“Our first round at Auckland we had one draw and two losses, but we have improved on our mistakes, and we are looking forward for the second round this weekend,” Saniel said.
With handful of players who are first timers at the professional league level, Saniel said it was good they had the first experience in round one so and are looking forward for and improvement on the second round in PNG.
He thanked the Vanuatu families who turned up at the airport to welcome them and expressed gratitude for the warm gesture given by Vanuatu fans to the team every time they arrive in PNG to play.
As Vanuatu United FC prepares for the match against Tahiti United FC, Saniel appealed to the Vanuatu community in Port Moresby to attend the match and show their support for their team.
As the record for round one shows, Vanuatu United FC has zero wins, one draw and one loss while Tahiti United FC recorded zero win, one draw and one loss. Both teams have opportunity the record their first win.
Meanwhile, the Bula FC captain Roy Krishna said, coming back to PNG and playing was always a privilege for the Fijians who were ready and looking forward to their match.
“The experience at the OFC Pro League round one has been good, we have a young squad but we can play football and I think round two will be interesting so looking forward for it,” he said.
Responding to the questions about how the Video Assistant Referee was operating during the round one of the OFC Pro League, Krishna’s response was bold.
“I think for Video Assistant Referee (VAR), it has nothing to do with us, we just want to play football, at the end of the day and whatever the outcome is, we just need to follow it. For us we just focusing on football, follow the game plan and get the win,” he said.
Bula FC will take on the Solomon Kings FC on Sunday 1st of January at the Santos National Football Stadium.
In the round one, Bula FC record stands at zero win, one draw and one loss while Solomon Kings had one win, one draw and zero loss.
Krishna said the Solomons team was good with most of the players from the national team. However, Bula FC is determined to stay focused and do what they would do on the field to get the results.
“Supporters here please come out in numbers and support us, and the supports back at home please keep us in your prayers because we need it,” he said.