Vanuatu United stun South Melbourne in OFC Pro League upset

Vanuatu United FC have pulled off one of the biggest results of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Pro League season so far.

They upset heavyweights South Melbourne 2-0 in Honiara on Sunday.

The win ended the Australian side’s unbeaten run and gave Vanuatu their third victory of the campaign, keeping them firmly in the race for a top-four spot.

Currently fifth on the table, Vanuatu United controlled much of the first half and showed composure throughout the match despite a few setbacks.

Head coach Lars Hopp praised his team’s effort after the game, saying the results came down to discipline and hard work.

“It was a very disciplined performance,” he told the media. “I think it was very compact, they were very hard-working.

Vanuatu United FC. Photo/OFC Media/Phototek

“They only had one corner against us and a couple of free kicks, so a big contrast to the game we had in PNG [Papua New Guinea].”

Vanuatu captain Michel Coulon says the result means a lot, especially against one of the inaugural competition’s top sides.

“It is happiness for us,” Coulon told media. “South Melbourne is a good team, so before we came to the game, coach said, just follow the game plan,” and from there, the result certainly paid off.

The match was not without its challenges. Vanuatu stalwart Bill Kaltack was forced off the field with an injury, prompting Hopps to reshuffle his lineup.

But the change did little to slow Vanuatu’s momentum. Forward Alex Saniel once again proved dangerous in attack.

Wearing the number seven jersey, he opened the scoring with a well-placed header that passed South Melbourne's Ilia Shalamov-Trenkova.

Saniel nearly doubled the lead moments later but could not connect with a cross from team-mate Will Cardona, giving South Melbourne a brief lifeline.

The Australians continued to push forward, searching for a breakthrough through Yuki Uchida and Jordan Swibel, but the Vanuatu defence held firm.

Saniel was again involved in the decisive moment, pressuring the South Melbourne backline and forcing a mistake that allowed Vanuatu to regain possession and seal the result.

The victory marks Vanuatu United’s third win of the season and keeps them in contention for a spot in the finals.

South Melbourne remains second on the ladder and will look to bounce back when they face Solomon Kings next Sunday, with kick-off scheduled for 9pm (NZT).

Other results from round four saw Auckland FC continue their dominance in a 1-0 victory over the Solomon Kings, while Bula FC beat Tahiti United 2-0. PNG Hekari FC suffered their eighth loss of the season in a 4-1 defeat to South Island United.

For more information on the OFC Pro League, click here.