OFC News

HONIARA - Makira Ulawa's Our Kakamora Girls won the Women’s Open Cup at Lawson Tama after defeating Malaita 2-0 in a rain-soaked grand final on Friday evening.

Malaita came into the match with a lot of confidence but it was simply not their day as their strikers Laydah Samani and Prudence Fula were tightly marked and could not convert their chances when they did arrive.

Then Our Kakamora girls struck with two goals within minutes of each other to give them a comfortable buffer heading into the break.

Malaita stepped up in the second half but a stubborn Makira defense could not allow them past.
 
Attempts by Fula and Samani were either cleared by the defenders or easily saved by the goal keeper.

In the end they simply ran out of gas and accepted their first defeat in the entire tournament.
 
The Makira girls lost to Malaita in pool match and had set their eyes on this particular game to avenge that loss.

Meanwhile, Western Turtles' girls edged out Honiara 2-1 in extra time to clinch the third place in the SIFF Women's Open Category.
The prizes;

1. 1st Makira 29 Gold medals + $5,000 and trophy

2. 2nd Malaita 29 Silver medals + $3,000

3. 3rd Western  29 Bronze medals + $2,000

4.  4th Honiara Cash prize $1,000

Consolation prizes

 Fairplay prize  Guadalcanal Hornets

 Golden Boot  Mary Dongai  (Western Turtles)

 Player of Tournament Fiona Waisi (Our Kakamora)

Tired, disappointed and cursing fate, Waitakere United captain, defender Danny Hay, cut a forlorn figure on Friday evening at the National Stadium in Tokyo. His team were 3-1 down to Sepahan and aware that they had missed their chance to advance to the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2007.

The New Zealanders were very much the outsiders against Iran's top team but were hoping to cause an upset nevertheless. It only took four minutes for the dream to die, however, with Sepahan seizing on two lapses in concentration in the Waitakere defence to race into a 2-0 lead.

A mistake from goalkeeper Simon Eaddy extended the Iranians' lead at the start of the second half, putting the result beyond doubt. Hay and his men did not give up and scored a consolation goal, but that was a meagre reward for all their efforts.

"We made three stupid mistakes," said the skipper after the match, "and that's obviously a big disappointment." Hay was nevertheless looking on the bright side, as were his team-mates. The underdogs created a number of chances through sheer guts and effort and won over the fans in the stadium.

Learning from mistakes
"The Japanese fans were great. Particularly at the end when we were really pressing, it was almost like a home match for us. The spectators turned it into a real event and gave us some great support," said coach Chris Milicich, taking the positives from the defeat.

Neil Emblen, who was a permanent danger up front alongside Benjamin Totori, also saw the glass as half full. "It was the game of our lives and one we won't forget in a hurry. The atmosphere was great and we really enjoyed the tournament. All in all it was a great experience," said the English-born journeyman.

Hay has already played for his country, on no less a stage than at the FIFA Confederations Cup France 2003, but even he was overcome by a feeling of elation and pride half an hour after the final whistle. "It is a privilege to take part in a FIFA tournament. It was an incredible experience that we'll never forget. The support from the fans was particularly memorable."

The experience gained in Tokyo can only be beneficial to Waitakere United as they strive to progress even further. "We're a good side and we know now that we can compete with bigger teams, and that's something we have to remember. We need more matches at this level to make sure we constantly raise the bar," said Milicich, looking ahead with a mixture of anticipation and confidence.

Story Courtesy of FIFA. For Full Story go to www.fifa.com

Claude Fournier is the President of the Federation de Football Nouveau Caledonienne and OFC Treasurer. He was elected to the president’s position in March of 2000 and has made great progress in the game in his native land.

Fournier was instrumental in New Caledonia joining OFC as a full member association and recently saw the island of 220,000 inhabitants perform with distinction at the OFC U-20 Men’s Championship – New Zealand 2007.

The inclusion of New Caledonia’s champion club in the inaugural 2007 OFC O-League competition provided further encouragement that football is progressing positively in the territory.

New Caledonia is making some big progress and they have just picked up a major sponsorship deal for the forthcoming seasons with Nestle and Toyota

OFC had a chance to sit down with Fournier and ask him about recent developments.

How did the deal with Nestle and Toyota sponsorship come about?

Since the results we achieved from the Community course, we managed to create great awareness amongst the private partners in our region. Since our success at the South pacific games in achieving a gold medal there has been a large rise in interest for football in this country.Our development plan is not only to develop and play football but also to use football as an education tool amongst the youth.  We want to give something to the Caledonian youth and this has encouraged the private partners to invest in football.

How will the money make a difference?
The sponsorship is not about making a difference, but it will certainly help the youth because it now means that they can do activities which weren’t feasible before because of lack of money. Let’s not forget that in NCL, there are many different level of football, from grassroots to youth to senior, U13, U15, U18, U20, Woman, Futsal, right up to the Super League. There are also a lot of tournaments so this partnership will help a lot, in terms of assisting financially towards clubs. The more sponsors we have, the more activities we can carry out and develop football.

Who will be responsible in the Federation for managing this relationship?
Within the FCF, we have recruited someone who is qualified (Gregory Crenn). He will be working closely with Jean-Paul Salvatore (GS of FCF) who together will manage all the sponsorship

How long is the term of contract for?
Toyota – 4 years
Nestle – 1 year, extensible. FCF thinks that Nestle will extend this contract

How will the sponsorship work in relation to technical development, womens football, grassroot development?
We have requested that all the departments analyse their needs and programmes and we will evaluate the costs involved and where the money should go. Until now our activities have been financially limiting. If we want to have a strong technical department program or any other department, we need a strong administration to carry these activities out. We will be very organized and the sponsorship will be supervised from OFC, FIFA, as well as from private partners.There is a necessity to have a strong administration so that we can easily manage the funds given to each department, whether technical department, women, youth, Futsal, beach soccer etc.

Will en NCL Super ligue (national league) receive any benefits?
Yes the Super Ligue will receive benefits, not financially, but it will help the organisation of the league. For example in the final phase (play offs) it will help with the transport. Getting everyone around for the tournament is a lot to organize especially when you have to gather the winner of the main island and the winner of the other islands. The aim also of this is to attract lots of spectators, as last year, for the first time, there were 5,000 spectators coming to single games.

What other sponsorship initiatives has NCL got in the fire? If any?
Yes, we have a partnership with Arc-en-Ciel, a transport company, but we are convinced that more partners will join us as a result of the partnership with Nestle and Toyota, and the result of the NCL. The local authorities are willing to help sport grow, in particularly footbal. There is a law about sponsorship where anyone having a sponsor with sport, will benefit from particular taxation. So this is very interesting to every company and to us, since football is very popular, played everywhere with everyone. We do hope that it will benefit a lot to us.

Have you been pleased with the Super Ligue standard to date?
Yes I’ve been very pleased. We’ve tried to gather all the best players in NCL. The only handicap we have is to incorporate the players from the islands (1st step), and the cost is huge just in terms of transport. To organise games between the islands and the main island (grande terre), the cost per match is CFP 400,000.This is a huge cost. So we’re trying to organise this Super Ligue in 2 steps which allows in the 1st step to play 14 games for all teams, and to add 6 games, then the tournament will have 20 games home/away for several months of tournament

Can you comment on Didier Chambaron’s influence on NCL football?
Didier Chambaron is a very competent person, he works hard and is very discreet. Although he is usually very calm, he knows the right time to get angry with his team, to explain and share his football knowledge. We have seen him several times during the competitions, whether in SPG, the qualifying WC.I’ve known him a little bit, before he join the FCF, he was the coach for AS Baco then went back to France. When we decided that we need someone to coach the teams, I was very pleased that he applied for this position. He is very a good person, gives a lot to the NCL football. He’s probably a permanent staff, but he does help a lot.

What are your thoughts on the NCL matches with NZL – can NCL cause an upset?
We have just finished the stage where we had the games vs Fiji with pretty good results. We managed to draw the first one 0-0 then won the second one. Our next game is against Vanuatu, a team that we should not disregard. The games against New Zealand will be  a good challenge. NZL teams are above all other teams. They have a team full of players that play in Europe, and also a team which plays in the A league. It’s a team better organised than ours, better equipped, but that’s not saying that we will lose. We will do our best for that game, and not focus on keeping the statistics. If we beat NZL, that’s a big achievement. Our long term goal is to get our players playing at a higher standard than they currently are and then they can learn from those types of games with other teams in the region. What is interesting is that we should, within OFC, have at least 4 good teams above NZL. This is good also for Oceania football to have other teams than NZL.
Our President should be proud later to tell his FIFA Colleague that in Oceania, there are different teams, not only one team (NZL)

Auckland City moved top of the New Zealand Football Championship yesterday for the first time this season.

Runaway leaders Team Wellington had a bye this week , with their scheduled opponents Waitakere United featuring in the FIFA Club World Cup, which meant  Auckland only needed to win against Manawatu to regain their familiar hold on the league.

For 62 minutes it looked like an upset was on the cards as Manawatu were controlling the game and enjoying a 1-0 lead thanks to a 12th minute Ian Sandbrook strike from outside the box.

But as the second half wore on it looked more and more likely that Auckland were going to get a breakthrough and it was All White Centre back and Auckland captain Ben Sigmund who provided the spark by out leaping Manawatu goalkeeper Michael Utting to nod home  the equaliser from a corner.

That opened the gates for Auckland who then went on to score a further three goals in 18 minutes through Keryn Jordan, Ki-Hyung LI and substitute Jeff Campbell.

The result sets up a mouth watering clash between Auckland and Wellington this Saturday to see who goes into the Christmas break leading the pack.

Waikato will be eyeing up fourth spot on the table following their 3-1 win over table dwellers Otago at Waikato Stadium. It was the first Home win for Waikato and sets up a six pointer this weekend against Hawke’s Bay with both teams fighting to stay in the top three hunt heading into the break.

Waikato left it until the 80th minute when super sub Joe Simpkins smashed a right footed blast into the top corner. It was a messy game played in wet slippery conditions and for long periods looked as if it would remain scoreless.

But Simpkins goal ignited the spectacle and within five minutes Waikato were 3-0 up after a converted penalty and a superb solo effort from Rob Gill.
 
Otago earned a consolation goal in the 92nd minute through John Lang but will be very disappointed with the result after enjoying long periods of domination in the second half.

All the goals in Hawke’s Bay United’s 2-1 win over Canterbury United came in the first half hour.

They took the lead after some fine work from Jarrod Smith set up a goal for Graham Fyfe after three minutes. Dave Walker equalised for Canterbury in the 26th minute before last week’s super sub Stu Wilson again popped up for Hawke’s Bay with the winner in the 30th.

The result leaves Hawke’s Bay just outside the playoff spot on goal difference and sets the scene for an exciting final round of games before the break.

TOKYO - Waitakere United have been eliminated from the FIFA Club World Cup after losing 3-1 to Sepahan at the Tokyo National Stadium in front of 25,000 fans. Waitakere got off to the worst possible start conceding two goals within the first four minutes from Ridha all but settled the result leaving the OFC O-League champions facing a mountain to climb in the second-half.

That mountain resembled Everest when a long range shot from Aboheil slipped through the arms of Simon Eaddy to make it 3-0 after 47 minutes. Waitakere United spent most of the next ten minutes in a daze as Sepahan took total control of the match and it wasn't until the final twenty minutes that the New Zealand club came into its own.

Darren Bazeley's 74th minute free-kick deflected off defender Aghily and through the arms of Savari for a bizarre goal that changed the complexion of the match almost completely with Waitakere United creating several more chances from set-plays and aerial balls that Savari was never completely comfortable with.

Waitakere United coach Chris Milicich lamented the awful start but described the final twenty minutes as proof his club deserved its place alongside the world's big boys.

"We gave away two silly goals at the start and then another silly one in the second-half. I don't know why we've started so badly at the start of each half and it's just not good enough.

But in the last twenty minutes we really came into our own and showed we belong here. We scored one goal and could have got two or three others later on. I'm very proud of my team's performance," Milicich said.

Milicich also dismissed speculation that the weather conditions had played a significant role in the team's poor start to the match.

Sepahan coach Luka Bonacic was already focussing on his club's next match against a familiar foe and felt his side was always in control of the match with Waitakere United.

"We are the professional side and they are not, so it was comfortable for us. I am glad for the opportunity to face Urawa Reds again," Bonacic said.

The winner of the Sepahan vs. Urawa Reds match will meet AC Milan in the FIFA Club World Cup semi-finals.

FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP - JAPAN 2007

SEPAHAN vs. WAITAKERE UNITED

QUARTER-FINAL QUALIFICATION MATCH

TOKYO NATIONAL STADIUM

JAPAN

07/12/07

SEP: 22. M. SAVARI; 5. H. AGHILY; 7. F. BAHADORANI; 8. M. BANGAR; 9. H.JAFARI; 12. A. ABOLHEIL; 13. M. KARIMI; 17. J. MUJURI; 20. E. RIDHA; 23. M.SEYED SALEHI; 28. E. HAJY SAFI.

SUBS: 1. A. MOHAMMADI; 3. R. TALABEH; 4. M. NAVIDKIA; 6. J. AKBARI; 11. H. KAZEMI; 14. K. BELLO; 15. A. SADEGHZADEH; 21. S. BAYAT; 25. E. LOVEINIAN; 26. J. ALIMOHAMMADI; 27. A. JAFARI; 30. H. PAPI.

COACH: Luka BONACIC (CRO)

YELLOW CARDS:  28. E. HAJY SAFI 46', 11. H.KAZEMI 89'

RED CARDS: None

GOALS:  20. E.RIDHA 3', 4', 12. A. ABOHEIL 47'

WAI: 22. Simon EADDY; 2. Jonathan PERRY; 4. Matt CUNNEEN; 5. Danny HAY; 6. Darren BAZELEY; 9. Benjamin TOTORI; 11. Neil SYKES; 15. Christopher BALE (7. Jason HAYNE 63'); 16. Neil EMBLEN; 21. Graham PEARCE (8. Commins MENAPI 85'); 33. Paul SEAMAN (13. Daniel KOPRIVCIC 90').

SUBS: 1. Richard GILLESPIE;10. Allan PEARCE; 14. Hoani EDWARDS; 17. Jake BUTLER; 20. Jason ROWLEY; 27. WEBB; 28. Arran ROWLEY.

COACH: Chris MILICICH (NZL)

YELLOW CARDS: 6. Darren BAZELEY 16', 11. Neil SYKES 31',  21. Graham PEARCE 84'

RED CARDS: None 

GOALS: 6. Darren BAZELEY 74'

TEXT COMMENTARY

1' - Match kicks off as Waitakere United carry Oceania hopes at the FIFA Club World Cup

3' - GOAL! Sepahan are in front after barely three minutes as Emad MOHAMMED heads past Simon EADDY with Waitakere United appealing for offside

4' - GOAL! Sepahan are doing it easily - a long ball into the Waitakere United penalty area Jonathan PERRY handballs but the ball skids through and Emad MOHAMMAD slips an easy finish past EADDY to make it 2-0.

7' - Waitakere United get a free-kick but it comes to nothing

16' - YELLOW CARD - Darren BAZELEY is yellow carded for taking a free-kick too soon

18' - Neil EMBLEN tries to play Benji TOTORI through but the Solomon Islander cannot outpace this fast Sepahan back four

19' - Waitakere free-kick ball is punched clear by Savari after a clash with Danny HAY

20' - Sepahan are doing it easily as Waitakere United struggle to come to terms with the faster pace and skill of the professional team from Iran

20'- Simon EADDY picks up a backpass from one of his defenders and now its a free-kick to Sepahan

22'- Sepahan free-kick Mohammad rifles it at the Waitakere United wall and it is cleared for a corner

23' - Corner is cleared but now its a Sepahan long throw from Hagy Safi and its panic stations in the United defence before the ball is cleared

24' - Mazy run from Benjamin TOTORI and he is brought crashing to the ground and Waitakere have a rare chance from a set-play

25' - Terrible delivery and Sepahan make a fast break but the cross is too close to EADDY and the United keeper claims comfortably - but it was panic stations there for a moment

27' - Neil EMBLEN shoots from long distance but no trouble for Savari

31'- YELLOW CARD for Neil SYKES and a free-kick for Sepahan but United survive

33' - Danny HAY collides with Mahmoud KARIMI and the Iranian striker receives attention but is apparently fine

34' - EMBLEN wins a header but TOTORI cannot pick up the loose ball

35'- Some inelegant defending by Waitakere United results in a throw-in for Sepahan

36'- SEPAHAN stroke the ball about with nonchalance with Waitakere United chasing shadows

37' - Jonathan PERRY finds Benjamin TOTORI who dribbles past three players but fires a wild shot high and wide - the crowd show their appreciation...but there was no real danger

39' - Waitakere United get a cross into the Sepahan area from Darren BAZELEY but SAVARI is equal to the task

40'- Sepahan are in cruise mode with 5 minutes left in the first-half. Sepahan have had 71% of possession with Waitakere United just 29% - its looking grim for the OFC O-League champions

43' - Waitakere show signs of hope from set-plays with TOTORI a constant threat but Sepahan are too strong for the New Zealand team

45'- Sepahan will be very happy with their 2-0 lead as the referee adds 1 minute of time added on

+1' time added on

HALF-TIME: SEP 2 WAI 0

46' - The match restarts as Mexican referee Marco Rodriguez blows his whistle with Waitakere United needing to do something very special to get back into this match

47' - YELLOW CARD Hajy Safi is booked for a strong challenge on Paul SEAMAN

49' - GOAL! Disaster for Simon EADDY as ABOLHEIL's rasping long range shot is dropped into the back of the net to make it 3-0

50'- SAVARI saves from a United free-kick and its a corner for United but it comes to nothing

52'- Waitakere United's confidence is shattered following the third goal and its difficult to see a way back for the West Aucklanders

53'- A long ball finds Karimi and he takes a wonderful first touch and BAZELEY looks as if he may have brought the Iraqi down but no penalty!

54'- Waitakere United earn a free-kick - can the Aucklanders get a goal?!

55'- Neil SYKES free-kick finds Danny HAY but the header lands on top of the Sepahan goal net

56'- Sepahan are starting to produce some party tricks outside the Waitakere United penalty area earning a corner

60'- SUBSTITUTION 25. LOVEINIAN in, 23. SEYED SALEHI out for Sepahan

63'- SUBSTITUTION 15. Christopher BALE out, 7. Jason HAYNE in for Waitakere United

64' - Sepahan create a wonderful attacking move but the final shot is high and wide

68' - SUBSTITUTION 13. Mahmoud KARIMI out, 11. Hamzi KAZIMI in for Sepahan

70' - Attendance at the Tokyo National Stadium is 25,000

71'- KAZEMI attempts an acrobatic bicycle kick but his powerful effort flies well wide

72' - BAZELEY'S cross to the far post finds Neil EMBLEN but his header flies high, wide and handsome

73'- Benjamin TOTORI's 22m shot after an EMBLEN lay-off fizzes past the Sepahan post - no mean effort that wins approval from the crowd

74'- GOAL! BAZELEY'S free-kick finds Danny HAY the ball bobbles clear and SAVARI bungles it and Waitakere United score!

75'- Simon EADDY makes a great save from a close range shot

76'- Sepahan fire a shot wide of EADDY'S left-hand post

78'- Great build-up by Waitakere United with BAZELEY, EMBLEN, TOTORI and HAYNE all involved with EMBLEN'S header going into the arms of SAVARI

79'- Free-kick to Waitakere United with Neil EMBLEN shaping to shoot

80'- EMBLEN'S shot is blocked by the Sepahan wall and cleared then Jonathan PERRY smashes a shot at SAVARI who produces a great save coneding a corner

83'- BAZELEY with a corner and CUNNEEN shot is blocked and then cleared and Sepahan are in trouble for the first time in this match

84' - Corner for Waitakere United SYKES takes it with EMBLEN heading goalwards but its cleared by Sepahan

84'- YELLOW CARD Graham PEARCE for a strong challenge on a Sepahan player

85'- Great run by TOTORI and his cross finds EMBLEN who shoots weakly off target at the near post

85'- SUBSTITUTION 21. Graham PEARCE out, 8. Commins MENAPI in for Waitakere United

86'- EMBLEN lay-off for TOTORI who controls the ball well but shoots wide from ten yards out - if only TOTORI had been more composed!

87'- SUBSTITUTION 14. BELLO in, 20. RIDHA out for Sepahan

89'- YELLOW CARD 11. KAZEMI for simulation

90'- SUBSTITUTION 13. Daniel KOPRIVCIC in, 33. Paul SEAMAN out for Waitakere United

+3' time added on

FULL TIME: SEP 3, WAI 1

HONIARA - Our Kakamora Women’s team caused the biggest upset in the SIFF Women’s Open Category semifinals by beating high flying Western Turtles at the SIFF academy yesterday.

Locked 1-1 at half time, Our Kakamora’s Dorcas Kaisi made sure her team advanced into the final tomorrow against Malaita Eagles when she slotted in their second goal.

Western Turtles’ officials, cried foul when match referee allowed the goal believing the goal scorer Ms Kaisi was standing in an offside position. But the referees inspector Justin Mutukera was adamant and stood by the decision.

Meanwhile, national teenage striker Layda Samani brought smiles to Malaita Eagles fans when she scored the only goal to separate them from Honiara.

Both teams had good scoring opportunities but poor finishing saw them struggling until Samani separated them with her goal midway through second half.

The final will be played at Lawson Tama on Friday.

HONIARA - Our Telekom Cup men’s soccer final on Saturday has been rescheduled based on police advise.

LOC coordinator Noel Wagapu confirmed this morning that police have requested that the matches are brought forward by an hour which means the play off for third place match will now be at 1p.m and finals at 3p.m.

This will allow enough time should the matches go into extra time for them to complete before night falls.

The police are cautious because of what had happened at the weekend when hundreds of fans invaded the pitch and smashed window glasses at the SIFF’s former headquarters when Malaita Eagles lost to West Honiara.

HONIARA - Western Turtles fairytale display in the opening matches of Our Telekom Cup came to an abrupt end yesterday when they were eliminated from the tournament after losing to  Central Honiara in a crucial decider 6-0.

They needed only a draw to qualify for the semifinals but disappointed their fans who turned out in the hundreds to see them play an improved Central Honiara team consisting of notable players such as Alick Maemae, Nelson Sale and Godwin Bebeu.

Playing without their key striker Hickley Rence, it was a mountain to climb as Nathan Kera tried tirelessly to find the hole in the Central Honiara’s defence.

Without Rence, it looked impossible for them to break the deadlock as the city team went on a scoring spree.

Rence paid the price picking up two yellow cards in the pool matches to see him miss this important encounter.

National midfielder Alick Maemae scored a hat trick with John Anita, Mostyn Beui and Godwin Bebeu all contributing to their huge win.

Also eliminated were the Malaita Eagles who finished fourth in their pool following a poor showing at the tournament.

Former PNG National Soccer League player Barnabas Junior, Augustine Anisi, Richard Anisua and Junior Eke scored for the Eagles in their final match.

It was a disappointing tournament from an underachieving squad who promised they would go all the way to the finals pre tournament.

They recorded two goalless draws against East Honiara and Avaiki Chief from Renell and Bellona province where rugby is their number one sport.

Their disappointment and frustrations came to a head when they were narrowly beaten by West Honiara.

Angry Malaita Eagles fans stormed the Lawson Tama pitch and caused Eagles representatives to pay a $3,000 fine which was imposed on them by SIFF disciplinary committee before they played their final match.

Isabel Frigates were also eliminated but not before Norman Coles made sure his team left the tournament with one win after scoring the only goal and their first in the entire tournament.

The goal lifted them from the bottom of the table, leaving Lauru Kuvojo to earn the tournaments wooden spoon.

Frigates and Kuvojo wrapped up the pool matches where barely one hundred fans remained on the ground to watch them play.

New Zealand based Joses Nawo is leading the golden boot race in the tournament after securing five goals so far for his East Honiara team as they move into the semifinal’s today.

There are other contenders and it will be known after the matches today whether he still maintains hold on the race for the golden boot category.

Guadalcanal Hornets player, Joachim Waroi also scored five goals but with his team eliminated from the competition, Nawo has the best shot at securing the $1,000 golden boot prize.

But the race is still open with chances of upset highly likely in the semifinal matches this afternoon.

For the majority of the Waitakere United squad, tonight’s FIFA Club World Cup match will be the biggest game they have every played in their life.

The Waitakere United squad who will face Iranian champions Sepahan tonight in the qualification match for the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan are ‘buzzing’ in anticipation for the match according to striker Allan Pearce.

The Waitakere United squad has been in Tokyo for the last week preparing for the game and OFC caught up with some of the players and management ahead of the big match.

Chris Milicich – Head Coach

What tactical approach will you be taking into the game tomorrow?

We’re going to play a 3-5-2 formation and we’re going to try and attempt to play in a way that Sepahan would not be used to playing against. They’re used to paying against sides who just want to keep moving the ball, keeping the ball, shifting it and not ask questions. Our objective is to try and turn them around and ask questions of them and see if they can cope. If we sit back and just try and defend we could find ourselves going quite quickly behind.

Are there any individuals in the Sepahan side that you need to play special attention to?

Yes there are. There number 4 who is there captain, don’t ask me to pronounce his name, but he’s played in the Bundesliga and he’s known as a tremendously gifted playmaker and they tend to generate a lot of play through him so we will be man marking that man, we will be chasing him to the toilet if we have to.

What will you be doing on game day to try and ease the nerves for some of the younger members of the team?

We’ve kept the environment quite relaxed so when we’re not training there’s a lot of humour throughout the camp and we’re insuring that the players aren’t focusing a thousand percent on the fact that for most of them this will be the biggest game they’ve played in their lives.

So we’re trying to keep it fairly relaxed and at the same time make it intense when we have to be. I’ll be keeping an eye on them on game day to make sure they remain calm and know what’s going on but there are a lot of experienced players here who will prove very valuable.

Where does participating in the Club World Cup rank with you as far as career achievements?

If we do well in the game tomorrow it becomes a bigger achievement. I wasn’t the coach that won them here but for me I’m taking it very seriously. The fact is that they’ve got an opportunity here to really do something good for New Zealand football and Oceania Football. If we can get a really good result then I think Oceania can say that we’re getting there as a confederation and on behalf of all New Zealand teams we can say that we deserve to be at these things.

Danny Hay - Captain

How has the preparation been in the build up for the game tonight?

It’s been excellent actually. The facilities we’ve been using have been second to none, the little things like the quality of the balls have made a big impression and it’s just made the boys feel like professional footballers for the week, so in that respect it’s been really good. Everybody seems to know what’s expected of them tomorrow so hopefully we can give as good a performance as possible.

What’s the mood in the camp?

It’s actually been pretty relaxed and we’ve kept it that way on purpose. The boys are enjoying themselves and obviously when we go out to training we know what to expect and they’re doing the right things. I’m sure with game day it’s going to be quite different and everyone will be getting a little bit nervous but for me personally I just can’t wait to get the game underway.

Where does this match and this experience rate with you in terms of your career?

This is one of the bigger and better things I’ve done at this stage looking towards the end of my career. I’ve been lucky enough to play for the All Whites a number of times and experience some good things with them, as well as playing club football in England, but for a New Zealand side this is far and away the biggest thing. It is big in the sense that there’s a lot of responsibility riding on our shoulders and I’m quite aware of that, not only for the club but for New Zealand and Oceania in general, so we do understand there’s massive responsibility so in that respect it is a massive massive game.

 Allan Pearce - midfielder/striker

How has your personal build up been for the game?

It’s been great, really enjoyable. The facilities have been top class and all the boys are buzzing because of how well we’ve been treated, it’s been top class and now it’s just up to us to perform well.

How good is the opportunity here for exposure if you play well tomorrow?

The games going to be reaching millions of people around the world, so it’s a really great opportunity. There’s also going to be thousands of scouts there, it’s really just amazing to think about the possibilities if you perform well. There is a real great possibility for us younger players, or even the older players to do well tonight and find themselves at a much bigger club than Waitakere and really improve their career.

How would you compare this experience so far to the Under 17 World Cup that you were involved in?

The Under 17 tournament was at home and there was a lot more expectation on us and you knew all your surroundings and there was a bit more of a buzz around. Here in Japan there are just so many people and some of them don’t even know that the World Club Champs are on.  The buzz isn’t quite the same throughout Japan as it was in New Zealand for the U17’s but it is here in this town and throughout the players.

Do you have any celebration plans for if you score tomorrow?

I do actually. Eric Cantona did a brilliant celebration when he scored back in his day when he chipped the keeper and just stood there and soaked it all in and that’s what I’d like to do, just absorb the crowd and not do anything stupid.

Waitakere Vs Sepahan will be screened live at 11.45pm on Sky Sport 1.

Waitakere are overwhelming underdogs for the match at Tokyo’s National Stadium which will determine which side faces Japanese powerhouse Urawa Red Diamonds in Monday’s quarterfinal.

But the Oceania champions were in a bullish mood following their second training session on Tuesday with Milicich promising Waitakere had no interest in a damage limitation mission against the Asian champions league silver medalists.

“If we set out to defend and concede two or three goals people will say it’s a good result, but is it really?” Milicich said ahead of Friday’s match to be screened live on Sky Sport 1 from 11.30pm on Friday.

Story courtesy of New Zealand Football Media - for the full story please visit: www.nzfc.co.nz

The Vice President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) visited OFC headquarters in Auckland today, between bi-lateral meetings with the FIFA development office.

Vernon Manilal Fernando is the VP of AFC, President of Sri Lankan Football, and a FIFA development officer in Sri Lanka, and took time to sit with New Zealand development officers Glenn Turner and Patrick Jacquemet and Deputy General Secretary Frederic Guillemont to discuss broad football matters involving Oceania.

Manilal’s visit opens the possibility of future partnerships and co-operation between Oceania and Asia that could be mutually beneficial.
 
Jacquemet liaised with Manilal over opportunities to visit a country in the Asian confederation to learn more about futsal and assist in a futsal course to help progress in the region.

Manilal spoke of similarities between Sri Lankan football and developing countries within Oceania and felt the two regions were comparable.

Turner has worked with Manilal before and has a lot of respect for his achievements.

“He’s a good guy with a huge sense of humor,” Turner said. “He’s the chairman of finance, a lawyer extraordinaire, a real character and a great football man.”

There are over 22 million people in Sri Lanka’s population and around 2 - 3000 people attend matches in the Sri Lankan league. The finals can attract crowds of up to 20,000.

Manilal was elected earlier this year and holds one of four Vice President spots on the AFC executive committee alongside representatives from China PR, Malaysia and UAE.

His appointment has made a big impact on Sri Lankan football where he has increased the funding to the country, is working toward building a complete football headquarters, and has plans to introduce semi professional soccer in the country.

He is the first ever Sri Lankan Vice President on the AFC executive committee and is a high profile personality in Asian football.

He was presented with a Maori axe with greenstone blade as a souvenir by OFC executive committee member Martin Alufurai and Guillemont to honor his visit to Oceania.

“It was good to visit with OFC at their base in Auckland and I was impressed with Oceania,” said Manilal. “I wish them a good future and look forward to tracking their progress.”