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'Back home': Auckland FC & South Melbourne delight in new OFC league
Anna Harrington, AAP • October 30th, 2025 7:32 am
Auckland FC | Photo: AAP
South Melbourne feel like they are "coming back home" after joining the OFC Pro League.
The former National Soccer League powerhouse is one of eight teams in the new competition, organised by the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) which runs from January to the end of May 2026.
South Melbourne join Auckland FC, Fiji's Bula FC, Papua New Guinea's PNG Hekari FC, Tahiti United, Vanuatu United FC and Solomon Kings FC.
Previously recognised as the Oceania Club of the Century, South Melbourne want to again make their mark.
South Melbourne cannot proceed to the Club World Cup but Xynas said being in a professional environment was a great opportunity.
Coach Sinisa Cohadzic planned to explore recruiting Pacific-based players and was confident South could juggle a year with the Australian Championship, OFC Pro League and NPL Victoria and Australia Cup competitions.
Auckland FC teammates celebrate with scorer Jesse Randall after his strike | Photo: Shane Wenzlick/AAP
The competition will be played across a series of circuit rounds, with each team playing a minimum of 17 matches, leading to a semi-final and final, to determine the inaugural champion.
The winner will also qualify for the FIFA Intercontinental Cup and - unless it's South Melbourne - will represent the region at the quadrennial FIFA Club World Cup.
Reigning A-League Men premiers Auckland FC have those honours in their sights.
Auckland will field a different squad, but can play U23s from their ALM roster, along with up to three overage players, and will also tap into talent from the Pacific region when recruiting.
"We want to build a strong squad as we possibly can to enter this competition and be successful," football director Terry McFlynn said.
"As we said from day one, our football club is about success. It's about having a winning culture, having a winning mentality. And this competition is something that we're very, very excited to be part of.
"... The ethos and the mentality of our club is to be successful and to win - and this is another opportunity for us to win trophies in the Pacific region."
