Commins Menapi (18 September 1977 – 18 November 2017) was a Solomon Islands football player and manager who played as a striker. As manager of Western United, he guided the club to their first and only Telekom S league title in the 2014–15 season.
Club career Menapi 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 FCArticle about Solomon Islands football after a period spent as a free agent.
International career Menapi represented the Solomon Islands national team on 37 occasions, scoring a record 34 goals (including 7 against non-FIFA members). 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.Commins Menapi – International Goals – RSSSF Since Australia's exit from the Oceania Football Confederation in 2006 to join Asian Football Confederation, he became the all-time leading goal scorer for the OFC until Chris Wood of New Zealand reached his record of 34 goals on the 13 October 2023 and until Roy Krishna of Fiji surpassed both of them to break the record on the 18 November 2023.Commins Menapi – International Goals – RSSSF
Death Menapi died in Honiara in November 2017 at the age of 40, in the early hours of the day, of an undisclosed cause.
Career statistics Scores and results list Solomon Islands' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Menapi goal.
+ List of international goals scored by Commins MenapiNo.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition1Stade Pater, Papeete, Tahiti2–05–12000 OFC Nations Cup2Stade Pater, Papeete, Tahiti1–12–12000 OFC Nations Cup3North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand2–19–12002 FIFA World Cup qualification45–156–16North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand2–17–22002 FIFA World Cup qualification76–28North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand2–12–32002 OFC Nations Cup9Sir John Guise Stadium, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea5–35–3Friendly105–311ANZ National Stadium, Suva, Fiji1–22–22003 South Pacific Games122–213ANZ National Stadium, Suva, Fiji2–07–02003 South Pacific Games143–0154–0165–0176–018Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori, Fiji2–04–02003 South Pacific Games194–020Churchill Park, Lautoka, Fiji1–21–22003 South Pacific Games21Korman Stadium, Port Vila, Vanuatu1–12–1Friendly222–123Korman Stadium, Port Vila, Vanuatu2–12–1Friendly24Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia2–04–02004 OFC Nations Cup254–026Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia1–02–22004 OFC Nations Cup272–228National Soccer Stadium, Apia, Samoa3–012–12007 South Pacific Games294–0308–1319–132National Soccer Stadium, Apia, Samoa1–04–02007 South Pacific Games332–034National Soccer Stadium, Apia, Samoa2–12–32007 South Pacific Games
Honours Solomon Islands OFC Nations Cup: runner-up 2004; third place 2000
References
External links
Player profile – Waitakere club website