OFC U17 Men's Championship - Teams

NEW ZEALAND

Despite being favoured to win the OFC U-17 Men’s Championship – Tahiti 2007, New Zealand do not possess a strong record at this level of the game. New Zealand won the OFC U-17 title in 1997 after an upset 1-0 win over Australia but the Kiwis were swept aside at the finals in Egypt suffering a 13-0 defeat at the hands of Spain.

It wasn’t until 1999 when New Zealand hosted the FIFA U-17 Men’s World Cup that they achieved their first win in the finals of a FIFA international event when they defeated Poland 2-1 at the group stage.

Coach Colin Tuaa brings a successful pedigree to the job having been capped 10 times by New Zealand at international level and fashioning an impressive record in domestic football with Nelson United and Youngheart Manawatu in the NZFC.

COACH: Colin TUAA
ASSISTANT: Clive CAMPBELL
PHYSIO: Matthew EVEREST
MANAGER: Charlie HOWE
GK COACH: Mark OATES

NEW ZEALAND SQUAD:

1. Michael O’KEEFE
2. Isaac FITZGERALD;
3. Mars KEOMAHAVONG
4. Colin MURPHY
5. Timothy MYERS
6. Nicholas CORLISS
7. Jacob Ben MATHEWS
8. Cory CHETTLEBURGH
9. Costa BARBAROUSES
10. Moses PETELO
11. Benjamin HUNT
12. Fraser COLSON
13. Geoffrey MacINTYRE
14. Mario HOFMANN
15. Tyson BRANDT
16 Godwin DARKWA
17. Jason HICKS
18. Hamish CHANG
19. Adam COWEN
20. Jacob GLEESON



TAHITI

Tahiti will be out to prove doubters wrong after suffering a 9-0 thumping in a friendly international against New Zealand late last year. Local media touted the current crop of young talent as potential OFC champions midway through 2006 but coach Eddie Etaeta is under no illusion at the size of the task ahead of his team.

Etaeta says the key to success for Tahiti will be found not on the performances of individual stars but in a collective work ethic of the squad as a whole with the discipline and mental strength sadly absent in the three match series against New Zealand desperately needed this time around.

Tahiti have never previously finished in the top three of an OFC competition at this level of the game and it will be the first time this age-group competition has been hosted in French-Polynesia.

COACH: Eddie ETAETA


TAHITI SQUAD:

1. Ralph HEITAA
2. Hitinui WARREN
3. Samuel TEIVA
4. Yannick VERO
5. Stephane FAATIARAU
6. Tahimanarii TARAIHAU
7. Steevy CHONG HUE
8. Thomas TEPEHU
9. Tuheiarii TETUANUI
10. Stanley ATANI
11. Tevaihau TEHURITAUA
12. Christophe GENDRON
13. Toatane ISAIA
14. Edson LEMAIRE
15. Januario POROI
16 Benson MANARII
17. Hitinui WOU LIN
18. Henri TEIKITUHAAHAA
19. Maheanuu TUA
20. Teheipuarii HAUTA


FIJI

Since the departure of Australia for the Asian Football Confederation, Fiji has experienced a renaissance at international level with former Vanuatu international coach Juan Carlos Buzzetti installed at the helm. Fiji’s previous best performance at this level came in 1999 when they finished runners-up behind Australia. The 5-0 defeat in the final was a disappointment after Fiji lost narrowly in group play 2-1.

This generation of Fijian football talent is drawn from strong domestic clubs such as Ba, Labasa and Suva with much expected from them following the exciting performance of the nation’s U-20 side in Auckland, New Zealand in 2007.

COACH: Mohammed FAROUK
OFFICIAL: Kamal SWAMY
OFFICIAL: Norman LAMBERT
OFFICIAL: Rajesh PATEL
OFFICIAL: Rineshwar LAL


FIJI SQUAD:

1. Nishad Wasim ALI
2. Sagar KUMAR
3. Solomoni QETIA
4. Josefata NEIBULI
5. REMEURU
6. Mohammed Shamir HUSSAIN
7. Ilimotama JESE
8. Joseva BUSUDRA
9. James McKAY
10. Ranjesh PRASAD
11. Josua TAWARE
12. Osea LAUTIKI
13. Akuila RADANNA
14. Ratu TUILEVUKA
15. Mitieli CAU CAU
16 Isikeli KELI
17. Nasoni MEREKE
18. Ratu Inia Uluinavuca BAINIVALU
19. Faiyum KHAN
20. Filimone BOLETAUA

NEW CALEDONIA

New Caledonia’s highly talented squad arrive in Tahiti with plenty of expectation back home following a comprehensive build-up programme that included a 3-0 friendly win over the U-20 men’s team.

Coach Didier Chambaron is adamant the team can be competitive and hopes remain high that New Caledonia can match the performance of their 2003 U-17 team that finished runners-up to Australia.

New Caledonia are famed for their fast, attacking and physical approach to football and may possess the right balance of each quality to cause opponents problems in the humid conditions in Tahiti.

New Caledonia finished fourth at the OFC U-17 Men’s Championship which they hosted in 2005.

COACH: Robert DRAWILO
COACH: Didier CHAMBARON
MANAGER: Lucien VIRIAMU
HEAD OF DELEGATION: Joannes BOUKMOU


NEW CALEDONIA SQUAD:

1. Jean Daniel CAEE
2. Gregory TARAMOIM
3. Joris GORENDIAWE
4. Vincent VAKIE
5. Jean Claude JEWINE
6. Theodore HUANGANYAN
7. Jedioja SAIKO
8. Jihovany LOLOHEA
9. Joseph IMEGIT
10. Ricardo PELLETIER
11. John TRUPIT
12. Maxime CHEVRY
13. Roy KAYARA
14. Lamo XEWE
15. Leopold MAKALU
16 Jordan XOLAWAWA
17. Luther WAKAMUMUME
18. Johan AUSSU
19. Fabian AGAMALU
20. Anthony BASSI