After a memorable opening win in their first-ever professional outing on Sunday against PNG Hekari United FC, Solomon Kings head into their second match of the Inaugural OFC Pro League on Wednesday night looking to maintain their perfect start.
The Ben Cahn-coached side will face South Melbourne FC, who are also coming off an opening 2–1 win over Tahiti United, in what shapes up as a strong match day-two encounter.
The clash will kick off at 5pm (SBT) Wednesday evening at North Harbour Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand, and will be the final match of match day four.
Speaking ahead of the match, coach Cahn said the focus remains firmly on his own team and their style of play.
“We will be very focused on ourselves and what we want to do. We’ll have a very good look at South Melbourne and make sure that we tweak as best as we can, according to how they play and their strengths and weaknesses,” he said.
Cahn also stressed that the club’s vision extends beyond short-term results.
“This is a long-term journey for us and isn’t just about immediate results. This is about building something over the course of the season and well beyond that for generations to come,” he said.
“So we won’t be adapting too much for anybody. We’re trying to build something successful and with longevity that can inspire people for generations to come.”
Despite only entering pre-season just over a month before last weekend’s kick-off, Cahn said there were encouraging signs in their opening win against Hekari.
“We’re obviously a bit under conditioned, as are most teams. And look, there were some really good things and there were some things that we need to go away and improve and we’ll just keep evolving as this competition goes on,” he said.
“You know, not trained for long, but we’ve built a really clear way of playing and some really clear ideas.”
Cahn also described the squad as a special group, highlighting the strong culture already forming within the team.
“Look, they’re amazing boys. It’s a very new experience for me to work with them. They’re great boys. We have an amazing culture already. We are a special group,” he said.
Meanwhile, the first circuit of the OFC Pro League concludes this weekend with final fixtures on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 January, before the competition moves to Port Moresby for the second circuit, starting on January 31.
By TIMOTHY INIFIRI JNR
Solomon Star, Honiara
