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OFC PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2008 - TWENTY FIVE PLAYERS NOMINATED

Monday, 05 January 09, 02:01 PM

Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) is pleased to announce the nominees for OFC Player of the Year Awards 2008. Twenty five players from around the Oceania region have made shortlists in both men’s and women’s categories.

It is the first time in the confederation’s history that an OFC Player of the Year Award will be made in the category of women’s football with fifteen players on the shortlist.

Ten players have made the shortlist in the Men’s category with few surprises that most nominees play their trade in Europe and Asia. Fifteen players were nominated in the Women’s category.

The voting system used to determine the winners of each category will be similar to the one used in Europe to determine the winner of the Ballon D’Or.

The jury is comprised by members of the OFC Executive Committee, Member Association Presidents, General Secretaries, as well as national team coaches and technical directors of all OFC Member Associations.

OFC General Secretary Tai Nicholas said nominees will be judged based on their performances from the middle of July 2007 to the final day of last year to allow the performances of players based in the Oceania region to be taken into consideration.

“Football is played intermittently within the region because of the geographic spread and isolation and it presents difficulties if you are too reliant on the calendar.

There were some very notable individual performances at the XIII South Pacific Games that deserve acknowledgement,” Nicholas said.
The OFC Player of the Year Award has been in hiatus until last year when it was announced Marama Vahirua (2005), Ryan Nelsen (2006) and Shane Smeltz (2007) had been awarded the honour retrospectively.

“It is great for the promotion of football in the region to acknowledge our achievers. It helps establish a legacy and gives youngsters heroes to aspire too.

We have a great list of nominees in both categories and there is a good spread of representation of most of our member associations.

There is a strong presence of players based in professional leagues around the world including Australia, England, France and Scotland which is encouraging.

I am delighted there is a women’s category particularly after the quality of football we witnessed at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup hosted by New Zealand,” OFC General Secretary Tai Nicholas added.

Wynton Rufer and Harry Kewell have won the award three times each.

Christian Karembeu and Robbie Slater have won the award twice.

Jurors have until 21 March 2009 to submit their votes.
The winners of each award will be announced officially in April 2009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Gordon Glen Watson
OFC Media and Communications
Oceania Football Confederation
Tel: +649-526-5658
Fax: +649-525-8164
Mob: +649-994-520
Email: gordon@oceaniafootball.com
Skype ID: gordonglenwatson

EXTRA INFORMATION:

OFC Player of the Year Award (Men) – Nominees

Roy KRISHNA    Fiji   (Waitakere United)
Frederic PIQUIONNE   New Caledonia  (FC Lyon)
Pierre WAJOKA    New Caledonia  (AS Magenta)
Ryan NELSEN    New Zealand  (Blackburn Rovers)
Chris KILLEN    New Zealand  (Glasgow Celtic)
Shane SMELTZ    New Zealand  (Wellington Phoenix)
David MUTA    Papua New Guinea (Hekari Souths)
James NAKA    Solomon Islands  (Zome Mars)
Marama VAHIRUA    Tahiti   (FC Lorient)
Billy MATAITAI    Tahiti   (AS Manu Ura)

OFC Player of the Year Award (Women) – Nominees

Filiga KERISIANO   American Samoa
Adiela KURIKABA    Fiji
Asena Reba RATU    Fiji
Daisy WINAS    Papua New Guinea
Lydia BANABAS    Papua New Guinea
Marjorie POUYE    New Caledonia
Elodie TEIN-POAWI   New Caledonia
Haley MOORWOOD    New Zealand
Rosie WHITE    New Zealand
Ali RILEY    New Zealand
Annalie LONGO    New Zealand
Kirsty YALLOP    New Zealand
Laydah SAMANI    Solomon Islands
Mimosa MARMOUYET   Tahiti
Mele LIKILIKI    Tonga

OFC PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD (MEN) – PREVIOUS WINNERS

1988 Frank FARINA   Australia
1989 Wynton RUFER   New Zealand
1990 Wynton RUFER   New Zealand
1991 Robbie SLATER   Australia
1992 Wynton RUFER   New Zealand
1993 Robbie SLATER   Australia
1994 Aurelio VIDMAR   Australia
1995 Christian KAREMBEU  New Caledonia
1996 Paul OKON   Australia
1997 Mark BOSNICH   Australia
1998 Christian KAREMBEU  New Caledonia
1999 Harry KEWELL   Australia
2000 Mark VIDUKA   Australia
2001 Harry KEWELL   Australia
2002 Brett EMERTON   Australia
2003 Harry KEWELL   Australia
2004 Tim CAHILL   Australia
2005 Marama VAHIRUA          Tahiti
2006 Ryan NELSEN   New Zealand
2007 Shane SMELTZ   New Zealand

11 Comments

Tatwin wrote: | 6 months ago

For Vanuatu men, it could be either Lambert Maltok (President VFF) or Robert Calvo (President PVFL) or Whole Tafea FC as finalists......bata wea..nomo nao!!!

eynukoks wrote: | 6 months ago

i think that this year shane smeltz diserves the awards because of his concistency in both club and international level !!! If not then I believe Roy krishna had a good year too !!!

arogeraldes wrote: | 6 months ago

Pierre Wajoka first goal in Preliminary competition was unforgetable. Hi hope Wajoka wins the prize...
Best regards from Argentina
Pablo
www.arogeraldes.com

dz100 wrote: | 6 months ago

Pere wajoka seems to be a player destined for overseas soon. very intelligent player.

dz100 wrote: | 6 months ago

my pick would be chris Killen....playing top flight football in Europe...

vanroots wrote: | 6 months ago

Tatwin, that's a real fact... I guess we require 100 more decades to reach top level football - That's according to Maltock & Calvo as well as Iapsen. Business fastaem, politic blo football
lo ol lik mo lack lo decipline lo running blo affairs blo squad blo Vanuatu.

mi no save nao!!!!!!

vanroots wrote: | 6 months ago

If a player that meets the folowing criteria:

1. Playing club football in the region
2. Perform well for both Club as well as National Team

Then I would opted for Shane SMELTZ -
since he has done well for his club : New Zealand (Wellington Phoenix)to stay competent in the A leguea and he has done extremely well for the ALL whites over the OFC worldcup qualification
despite the last game defeat to Fiji due to Krishna two goals.

eynukoks wrote: | 6 months ago

vanroots I agree with you except on your list of criteria where you stated that "Playing club football in the region"
I'll have to disagree for this one and i don't know why a footballer
playing in our region should get the award. we all know that the level in our region is low in compare to overseas ,therefore I think it would make more sense and more appropriate to select a
player playing elsewhere and overseas.

eynukoks wrote: | 6 months ago

VANROOTS !!! If you look at the previous winners for OFC player of the year, you will notice that you can't find a footballer who played in our region. they were all playing either in european or
australian league.
In my opinion, many player such as TOTORI, ROY KRISHNA, PIERRE WAJOKA, FRANCOIS SAMAKA etc... all are very good players that have potential in winning the award however the
problem is that they play in our region so they will never get the award or it will be difficult to get it.

Soloman777 wrote: | 6 months ago

James Naka is really a feared name among participating teams and is also named along side the top goal scorers in the past two beach world cups, no wonder its his name i see here than that of
totori or faarodo.

Tatwin wrote: | 6 months ago

I totally agree with eynukoks, that OFC will have to set the par very high, and that is to always consider someone who is playing at a very high level of League. Playing in the Oceania region is
low compared to Europe as far as standard is concern....then the player will have to be consistent in the international level as well. Apart from these criterias, Vanuatu's football should be
ashamed for not producing any names in the first 10 list of male players. What is VFF doing? Playing too much politics? Sacking old staff members and recruiting Tafea FC players? Selecting only
Tafea players for Charity matches such as the Karembue jubilee, game with Beckham? It shows VFF is controlled by Tafea FC....no wonder Vanuatu Football is heading no where!!!!

For the
other regional players selected, congratulations and good luck!!

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