Madang lose Oceania opener

By HENRY MORABANG
OCEANIA Football Confederate Champions League debutant, Madang FC, received a baptism of fire at the hands of Tahitian club AS Central Sport, losing 7-3 in the opening match on Saturday.
Madang coach Francis Moiyap said although his side were out-played by their fellow debutants, it was a good learning experience for his players, the majority of whom had never been part of a regional fixture before.
He said he was pleased that his side fought hard and managed to score three goals in a free-flowing affair.
“We have a young squad and for many of them this was their first match in a regional competition so scoring three goals was a good sign for us,” Moiyap said.
Madang, who had less than two weeks to prepare for the tournament after the removal of Hekari, knew they were in for a hiding but produced a surprisingly composed performance against the AS Central Sport, who are Tahiti’s second-best club.
“When we had the ball and started playing our one-two pass style ,we looked good.
“We just have to try and maintain that level for the entire match,” Moyap said.
Central Sport coach Cyril Klosek said he was happy with the big win to start their tournament.
“Of course we are pleased to win our first OFC Champions League game by a big margin,” Klosek said. “It was a great performance.”