Showdown in Tahiti: Auckland and Hekari cruise to OFC Women's Champions League final

Auckland United is set to face Papua New Guinea’s Hekari in the final of this year’s OFC Women’s Champions League in Tahiti.

The match is scheduled for Sunday (New Zealand time) and will be a rematch of last year’s final, which Auckland won 1-0 in the Solomon Islands.

Auckland secured their spot in the final with an impressive 6-1 win over the Solomon Islands’ Henderson Eels in the semifinals on Thursday. Hekari earned their place by defeating Fiji’s Ba FC by the same scoreline.

During their group match earlier in the week, Auckland edged out Hekari with a 2-1 victory, indicating that the final could be a tightly-contested game.

The winner of Sunday's final will qualify for the first-ever FIFA Women’s Champions Cup in 2026 in Asia. The results from the OFC tournament are likely to influence which club will represent the region in the new FIFA Women’s Club World Cup scheduled for 2028.

Hekari delivered their best performance of the tournament, dominating the Fijians in their semifinal on Thursday.

The Papua New Guineans started slowly, and if they had been sharper in front of the goal during the first half, the score could have been even larger.

After a 1-1 tie at halftime, Hekari quickly turned things around in the second half with standout performances from key players like striker Marie Kaipu, who scored two goals and assisted others for her teammate Nenny Elipas, who netted a hat-trick.

On the other side, Auckland United had a fantastic start to their semifinal, scoring three goals within the first seven minutes.

Auckland United’s Chloe Knott leaps clear of a tackle during their semi-final against Henderson Eels in Papeete on Thursday. The Kiwis won 6-1. Photo/OFC Media/Shane Wenzlick/Phototek

Zoe Benson shone with a hat-trick of her own in just 28 minutes, pushing her ahead in the tournament's top scorer race for the Golden Boot with eight goals, one clear of Kaipu, the PNG captain.

While Henderson Eels managed to score once with a stunning shot from Ileen Pegi, they struggled to keep up with Auckland's strong attack.

The match ended 6-1 in favour of the Kiwis, and they remained in control throughout the game, despite the Eels showing some defensive strength later on.

Sunday's final will kick off at 4pm (New Zealand time) at Stade Pater in Papeete.