Rarotonga football season enters final week of first round matches

As the 2024 Rarotonga football season enters the fifth and final week of the first round of matches, excitement is building as the first stage of the competition comes to an end.

After four rounds of fierce competition, all grassroots divisions have entered the state, and each team can’t wait to show their strength on the court today.

This afternoon the focus was on the grassroots divisions, including the Under 6 Mixed, Under 8 Mixed, Under 10 Mixed and Under 12 Mixed teams. These young footballers have shown great energy and enthusiasm since their first match, performing well each week. The support of parents, coaches and guardians continues to create a lively atmosphere, bringing positive vibes and cheers.

In previous rounds, teams in all divisions have shown marked improvement, with some standout performers showing skill and determination.

For example, Titikaweka FC’s U8 team has been dominant, remaining unbeaten with 12 points, while Awatiu FC is close behind with 10. Meanwhile, Matawira Ngatangia’s U10 team has shown impressive defensive organisation, remaining unbeaten with 12 points, while Puaikura is close behind with 10 points.

The U12 competition was very intense, especially between Avatiu and Tupapa Maraerenga. Avatiu has won four games in a row and now has 12 points, and is currently top of the table after defeating Tupapa last week. Tupapa is not far behind with three wins and one loss, and a total of 9 points.

Today’s matches will kick off at 4:15pm at the CIFA complex in Matavera. The afternoon’s action will end with the U18 men’s clash between Nikao Sokattak FC and Tupapa Maraerenga FC, which will kick off at 4:50pm.

Tupapa lost 2-0 to Awatiu last weekend and will be looking to bounce back and take the vital three points. They will need to take advantage of their chances and beat their opponents Nikausokatake.

Nikau, on the other hand, are coming off a strong 6-0 win over Puaikura FC. They will be eager to put Tupapa under pressure early and score a goal, but Tupapa’s resilience and defensive prowess may be hard to beat.

The match set the stage for a thrilling end to round one, with both teams looking to finish strongly and head into round two with confidence.

Fixtures

CIFA Field 1: Under 6 Mixed – 4:15pm Field 1 Tupapa Maraerenga vs Titikaveka (Reference: Natasha Dean), Field 2 Avatiu vs Puaikura (Reference: Raita Savage); Under 8 Mixed – 4:15pm Field 1 Nikao Sokattak vs Tupapa Maraerenga (Reference: Jubilee Jubilee and Ranjeeta Singh), Field 2 Matavera-Ngatangiia vs Puaikura (Reference: Karl Federick), Field 3 Avatiu vs Titikaveka (Reference: Athylene Savage); Under 10 Mixed – 4:15pm Field 1 Nikao Sokattak vs Tupapa Maraerenga (Reference: Andrew Teena), Field 2 Matavera-Ngatangiia vs Puaikura (Reference: Athena Napa-Nicholas), Field 3 Avatiu vs Titikaveka (Ref: Lai Gukisuva). CIFA Match 2: Under 12 Mix – 4:15pm Match 1 Nikao Sokattak vs Tupapa Maraerenga (Ref: Teupoko Tuariki), Match 2 Matavera-Ngatangiia vs Puaikura (Ref: Jaceline Pukerua), Match 3 Avatiu vs Titikaveka (Ref: Matilda Auua &) Rakesh Varman). CIFA Match 1: Under 18 Boys – 4:50pm Nikao Sokattak vs Tupapa Maraerenga (Ref: George George, AR1: Andrew Teena, AR2: Jaceline Pukerua, 4th: Rangeta Singh).