Akuila Cama 
Tevita Waranivalu.[Source:OFC]
Four players are going to play crucial roles for their respective sides in today’s OFC Men’s Champions League semifinals in Ba and one of them is Rewa FC player/coach Tevita Waranaivalu.
Waranivalu has played in all four of the club’s previous OFC Champions League campaigns and is one of nine players who featured in their only previous semi-final against AS Pirae in 2024.
He looks set to line up in the middle of the park again against Auckland City, where Waranaivalu will be missing his influential Tahiti United teammate and New Caledonian international Joseph Athale through suspension.
Without his midfield partner, much of the onus will be on Waranaivalu to gain a foothold in the middle of the park for the Fijian club.
The national rep is coming off a player of the match performance in Rewa’s 2-1 win over Lae City and whether he can disrupt Auckland City’s possession-based game and win some ball for his own side will be crucial.
Rewa will need to contain Matt Ellis who has been one of Auckland’s most dangerous attacking weapons in the tournament.
Blessed with express pace and comfortable operating off either foot, Ellis has repeatedly stretched defensive lines.
Other players to look out for are Willian Dos Santos Medina of Galaxy FC and Bobby Leslie from Central Coast FC.
Rewa faces Auckland City at 3pm today while Galaxy and Central Coast meet at 7pm in Ba.
