OFC News

The OFC Executive Committee Meeting of 6th November 2004, held in Sydney, Australia approved the groups and match schedule for the 2005 OFC Under 20 Qualifying Tournament. The tournament will be held in Honiara, Solomon Islands from the 17-31 January 2005.

Group A - Australia, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Tonga, Cook Islands

Group B - Fiji, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Samoa

Match Schedule

Mon 17.01.2005 Main arrival of teams/officials

Fri 21.01.2005 Group B.

14.00hrs Fiji v. New Zealand

16.15hrs Samoa v. Solomon Islands

Sat 22.01.2005 Group A.

14.00hrs New Caledonia v. Australia

16.15hrs Vanuatu v. Tonga

Bye: Cook Islands

Sun 23.01.2005 Group B

14.00hrs New Zealand v. Samoa

16.15hrs Solomon Islands v. Fiji

Mon 24.01.2005 Group A.

14.00hrs Vanuatu v. New Caledonia

16.15hrs Australia v. Tonga

Tue 25.01.2005 Group B

14.00hrs Fiji v. Samoa

16.15hrs New Zealand v. Solomon Islands

Wed 26.01.2005 Group A

14.00hrs Australia v. Vanuatu

16.15hrs New Caledonia v. Tonga

Thu 27.01.2005 Rest Day

Fri 28.01.2005 Rest Day

Sat 29.01.2005

13.30hrs 1st Semi Final

Winner Group A v. R/up Group B

16.15hrs 2nd Semi Final

Winner Group B v. R/up Group A

Sun 30.01.2005 Rest Day

Mon 31.01.2005

13.30hrs 3rd and 4th Place

16.00hrs Final

At the OFC Executive Committee meeting held in Sydney, Australia on Saturday 6th November 2004, Tai Nicholas was appointed the new General Secretary of the Oceania Football Confederation.

Nicholas (aged 37yrs), is a qualified solicitor from the University of Auckland and practised law in the Cook Islands for 8 years for a private law firm before moving to work for the Cook Islands government where he held various government posts such as Secretary of Justice, Secretary of the Investment Board and Head of the Cook Islands Offshore Financial Centre.

While in the Cook Islands he got involved in refereeing and coaching football. He was the former General Secretary before becoming the President of the Cook Islands Football Association in 1995. He was also a member of the OFC Executive Committee and Chairman of the OFC Referees Committee as well as being on the FIFA Referees Committee and FIFA Appeals Committee.

He joined the Oceania Football Confederation in 1997 as development officer and competitions manager a position he held until March 2004 when he became Acting General Secretary after the resignation of long time General Secretary, Josephine King.

"The appointment of Tai Nicholas to the position of General Secretary is another step in the restructuring that is going on within OFC. Nicholas is a very experienced football administrator and the skills he brings can only enhance the development of football. His appointment was unanimous and without hesitation amongst the members which indicates how highly respected he is in football circles in this region" OFC President, Reynald Temarii said speaking from Tahiti.

"I am humbled to be appointed to such a privileged position where your work involves your passion - football. There is a lot of work that needs to be done in the development of football in the region. Our aim is to be the number one sport and I hereby give notice to rugby and league that football is coming and we will be successful" Nicholas said.

Nicholas lives with his partner Catherine and 9 year-old son Teariki in Auckland, New Zealand.

In other appointments in the weekend, Frederic Guillemont (from France) who is the OFC Finance Manager was appointed the Deputy General Secretary and former CEO of New Zealand Soccer, Bob Patterson was appointed as OFC's Events Manager.