Waitakere United have missed the chance to book their place in the final of the O-League after losing 3-0 away to Tahitian champions Tefana tonight.
A win for the west Aucklanders would have secured top spot on group A with two games to play, confirming their place in the two-legged final set for late April/early May.
But Tefana, dismantled 10-0 when they visited Waitakere in October, exacted a measure of revenge and handed Waitakere their first loss in this season's competition. Two first half goals gave the home side the advantage at the break and they made the points safe in the second half, despite the presence of Waitakere coach Neil Emblem in the starting line-up.
Tefana now move to seven points, two behind Waitakere, meaning the new Zealanders will probably have to take points from both of their last games to ensure they progress to final.
If they do, their likely opposition will be Auckland City after Auckland all but clinched top spot in group B with a 7-3 win over Koloale at Kiwitea St earlier today. This is the first year the New Zealand giants have been drawn in separate groups, setting the stage for a mouth-watering home-and-away tie to determine Oceania's representative at the lucrative Fifa Club World Cup later in the year.
