Commins Menapi


Commins Menapi was a Solomon Islands striker, who was last the manager of Western United. He guided them to their first and only Telekom S league title season 2014/2015.

Club career

He played for YoungHeart Manawatu in New Zealand, Sydney United of the old National Soccer League in Australia and for Marist FC, a club from the Solomon Islands.
In the 2006–2007 season, he became the first player to be sent off in a New Zealand Football Championship Grand Final with a nasty studs up kick on Auckland City defender Riki van Steeden. Van Steeden's leg was broken in the incident and Waitakere United lost the final 3–2 however, he would not be suspended for the OFC Champions League final against Ba F.C. because of the OFC and New Zealand Football being two separate organisations.
Commins rejoined Solomon Islands team Marist FC after a period spent as a free agent.

International career

He represented the Solomon Islands national football team on over 30 occasions, scoring a record 34 goals. Menapi was arguably the most famous Solomon Islands footballer, after scoring twice for his country against Australia in a sensational 2–2 draw in the Oceania Nations Cup group match in 2004. The result was the only game in the competition that Australia did not win, and the result also ensured Solomon Islands' progression to the next phase at the expense of New Zealand. In that tournament, Menapi scored four goals in six games.

International goals

#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1Stade Pater, Papeete, Tahiti2–05–12000 OFC Nations Cup
2Stade Pater, Papeete, Tahiti1–12–12000 OFC Nations Cup
3North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand2–19–12002 FIFA World Cup qualification
4North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand5–19–12002 FIFA World Cup qualification
5North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand6–19–12002 FIFA World Cup qualification
6North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand2–17–22002 FIFA World Cup qualification
7North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand6–27–22002 FIFA World Cup qualification
8North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand2–12–32002 OFC Nations Cup
9Sir John Guise Stadium, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea5–35–3Friendly
10Sir John Guise Stadium, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea5–35–3Friendly
11ANZ National Stadium, Suva, Fiji1–22–22003 South Pacific Games
12ANZ National Stadium, Suva, Fiji2–22–22003 South Pacific Games
13ANZ National Stadium, Suva, Fiji2–07–02003 South Pacific Games
14ANZ National Stadium, Suva, Fiji3–07–02003 South Pacific Games
15ANZ National Stadium, Suva, Fiji4–07–02003 South Pacific Games
16ANZ National Stadium, Suva, Fiji5–07–02003 South Pacific Games
17ANZ National Stadium, Suva, Fiji6–07–02003 South Pacific Games
18Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori, Fiji2–04–02003 South Pacific Games
19Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori, Fiji4–04–02003 South Pacific Games
20Churchill Park, Lautoka, Fiji1–21–22003 South Pacific Games
21Korman Stadium, Port Vila, Vanuatu1–12–1Friendly
22Korman Stadium, Port Vila, Vanuatu2–12–1Friendly
23Korman Stadium, Port Vila, Vanuatu2–12–1Friendly
24Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia2–04–02004 OFC Nations Cup
25Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia4–04–02004 OFC Nations Cup
26Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia1–02–22004 OFC Nations Cup
27Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia2–22–22004 OFC Nations Cup
28National Soccer Stadium, Apia, Samoa3–012–12007 South Pacific Games
29National Soccer Stadium, Apia, Samoa4–012–12007 South Pacific Games
30National Soccer Stadium, Apia, Samoa8–112–12007 South Pacific Games
31National Soccer Stadium, Apia, Samoa9–112–12007 South Pacific Games
32National Soccer Stadium, Apia, Samoa1–04–02007 South Pacific Games
33National Soccer Stadium, Apia, Samoa2–04–02007 South Pacific Games
34National Soccer Stadium, Apia, Samoa2–12–32007 South Pacific Games

Death

Menapi died in Honiara in November 2017 at the age of 40, in the early hours of the day, of undisclosed cause.