It has been one of the biggest sporting events ever held in the Solomon Islands with 8 teams, 16 matches, a cumulative crowd attendance of 127,500 and thousands more watching the games live online or on television across the region.
OFC Event Manager Seamus Marten has thanked the volunteers, saying the tournament would not have been possible without their support.
“We knew that fans would come out in force for the Nations Cup but it has also been encouraging to see the level of support from volunteers,” says Marten.
“Organising a major event is never easy but the local football family has risen to the challenge with hundreds of people giving up their time to help out where they can. Solomon Islands has been in the spotlight over the past two weeks and it’s clear to see how much it means for the country to host this tournament. Volunteers in particular can be proud of what they’ve achieved.”
Planning for the OFC Nations Cup began in March when Solomon Islands earned the right to host the event.
The Local Organising Committee (LOC) laid the groundwork before volunteers were recruited to manage various tournament-time operations.
One key role has been the team liaison officer for each of the eight participating nations and volunteer Franco Ne’e considers himself fortunate to have worked with the Tahiti team.
“For me it was a privilege to share with my team in their mission, their challenges and, ultimately for Tahiti, their triumph.”
The 25-year-old is no stranger to OFC competitions, or to Tahiti, having participated in last year’s OFC Beach Soccer Championship held in Papeete.
Ne’e says contributing as a volunteer has been a great learning experience.
“Personally, it has made me understand a different culture and realise the similarities that we face as people sharing the same passion for football. Overall, I feel very proud to have been a part of this tournament because it will remain Solomon Islands’ biggest football event for some years to come. I look forward to working in a similar role when we host another tournament like this.”
With these sentiments shared by other volunteers, Solomon Islands is in good stead to host major events in the future.

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