08/05/2026
OFC Champions League: Host Club Rewa FC Aiming High with Experienced Squad
As tournament hosts for the 2026 OFC Men’s Champions League, Fijian domestic champions Rewa FC are entering the competition with elevated expectations, fielding a seasoned 23-man squad designed to mount a serious challenge for the regional title.
No club from Fiji has ever won the OFC Men's Champions League, but Rewa’s campaign is backed by extensive top-level experience. The roster boasts 19 international cap-holders, 18 players with prior Champions League appearances, and 11 players who recently featured in the inaugural OFC Pro League—the highest contingent of Pro League talent among all eight participating clubs.
Playing in their fifth OFC Champions League group stage and their third consecutive campaign, Rewa will be led by player/coach Tevita Waranaivalu. The 33-year-old midfielder—who featured for Tahiti United in the Pro League earlier this year—will juggle tactical duties on the sidelines with on-field leadership.
"The OFC Pro League was a huge learning experience for many of us," said Waranaivalu, who has featured in all four of Rewa’s previous regional campaigns. "Those experiences have helped us grow individually, but more importantly, they have helped raise the standard within our squad. Coming into this tournament, I think we're better prepared because we've already been tested in high-level matches earlier this year."
Rewa’s best performance in the competition came in 2024, when they reached the semi-finals before falling 4-2 to Tahiti’s AS Pirae. To build on that mark, the Fijian club has added quality reinforcements, notably New Caledonian international Joseph Athale. Athale, a versatile player capable of operating in midfield or defense, joins his former Tahiti United teammate Waranaivalu to add further high-level depth.
The squad also retains 13 players from last year's campaign in Honiara, alongside core Fijian internationals Semi Nabenu, Setareki Hughes, and Gabriele Matanisiga.
Rewa has been drawn in Group B alongside Vanuatu's Galaxy FC, Papua New Guinea's Lae City FC, and the Cook Islands' Tupapa Maraerenga FC.
Rewa FC Group B Schedule:
Sunday, Aug 9 (3:00 PM): vs Galaxy FC – Churchill Park, Lautoka
Wednesday, Aug 12 (4:00 PM): vs Tupapa Maraerenga FC – 4R Govind Park, Ba
Saturday, Aug 15 (3:00 PM): vs Lae City FC – 4R Govind Park, Ba
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