‘Petition to rename the team to Okalani FC’: How Auckland struck gold with the Pacific

Auckland Football Club’s historic double on the weekend - lifting both the A-League and Oceania Professional League titles for the first time - was marked by more than trophies.

Moments after the final whistle at Go Media Stadium on Saturday night, the stadium speakers played “Fika Mai le Pese” by Zipso, a moment that drew a strong reaction from Pacific fans in the crowd.

Former NRL player Sione Faumuina captured the mood with a light-hearted comment to his wife. “I don’t think this DJ is coming back next season,” he said in a Tiktok post.

The Pacific energy did not stop there. On Social media, Auckland FC’s championship post featured the Tongan track “Taha Hiva Siana” by Johnny Myzky.

The post has since become the club’s most-liked, surpassing 50,000 likes and attracting more than 1000 comments, with many Pacific supporters saying they felt seen and represented.

Sarah Wymer, a Senior Lecturer at Auckland University of Technology, said the response showed something deeper than a marketing win.

She said the impact went beyond sport and into how audiences connect with identity.

“Auckland is home to the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world. The song choice on the biggest night in the club’s history wasn’t random,” she wrote.

“Whether it was calculated or not, the commercial implications are significant for the club. A song choice on a social graphic just expanded their fanbase. That’s what happens when your content (and team) reflects your audience.

“The smallest decisions, like what plays for three seconds under a graphic, aren’t just creative choices, they are strategic ones.”

That sense of connection was also clear during Auckland FC’s Oceania campaign. In a celebratory dressing-room post after their 2-1 win over South Melbourne, the caption “Seki a Uce” was paired with King Kapisi’s “Screems from the Old Plantation”, continuing a pattern of Pacific cultural references throughout their run.

On the field, the link was just as visible. A-League final goalscorer Cameron Howieson, who has Sāmoan heritage, helped seal the title, adding another layer of Pacific pride to a milestone night for the club.

For many supporters online and in the stands, the message was simple: this was more than a winning team, it was a club that reflected the city it represents.

One fan even summed up the feeling by jokingly calling for a name change: “Petition to rename the team to Okalani FC.”