OFC Media: What has it been like coming from Asia to Vanuatu as a coach?
Hall: Coming from a fully professional environment in Asia where you have fitness coaches, physios and doctors, the set-up here is obviously very different. That was a challenge, but I knew that when I came into the job and was fully aware of what I was walking into.
OFC Media: How have you found integrating into the country, and with the players?
Hall: Vanuatu is a very easy country to live in. There’s no crime here, it’s a safe place and so it has been good in that aspect. I’ve found the boys to be very courteous, hard-working and very attentive. They give their all in every training session.
OFC Media: How did you put your team together?
Hall: Because the objective has always been the OFC Champions League I wasn’t coming here to coach the Vanuatu Premier League competition but to prepare a squad of players for this competition. There were a lot of challenges. We spent weeks on the phone, sending emails, communicating with players’ agents and trying to entice them to come out here. I think we’ve done a good job because when the foreign boys came here they immediately gave us a little more quality that I felt we needed to strengthen our squad.
OFC Media: You mentioned bringing in those foreign players helped the squad, but are you seeing talent emerging from local Vanuatu footballers?
Hall: There’s no doubt that we have a talented bunch of local players. Some players need more time to develop and unfortunately in a competition like the OFC Champions league it’s hard to just throw a half dozen players into the mix if they’re not ready. That’s why the Port Vila Premier League and the National Super League are there, to give chances to local players as the only way they’re going to improve andprosper is by playing matches. There’s a lot of really good players at Tafea, Erakor Golden Star and Tupuji Imere, and we also have a smorgasbord of good, young players. The standard is improving no question.
But are we ready to put a team of eleven local players against Auckland City? That will take time.
OFC Media: Have you enjoyed taking part in this region’s premier club competition?
Hall: Yes I have enjoyed it. The ten days in Fiji was tough with so many games in such a short space of time, most of the players were carrying knocks and niggles. I was very impressed with the character they showed because you know in a tournament like that it’s not easy, you need to win the group to guarantee qualification so that was very demanding and very challenging in a lot of ways.
OFC Media: You remain the only undefeated side in this competition after beating Auckland City in the group stages, will that affect your side’s approach to the finals?
Hall: I don’t think anybody is getting too overconfident or getting ahead of themselves at all. I think we know there’s still a job to do, but fatigue and tiredness is a factor for every team. Mentally it’s been very demanding for all the teams. We’ve just got to roll up our sleeves and put in another two good performances, and if we can do that then we have a good chance of lifting that trophy.
OFC Media: The final is over two-legs, one week you have home advantage and the next you don’t, will that be a factor?
Hall: Of course it is, and we need to try and get a positive result without question. You don’t want to be going to a place like Auckland knowing that you need to win by one or two goals to lift that trophy, that’s a tall order for any team in Oceania. Auckland don’t concede many goals in their home ground and I don’t think they lose a lot of matches there either. We just need to play as well as can, be relaxed and composed but at the same time, not too relaxed. If you take your foot off the gas or rest on your laurels for just that little bit you can get punished. So the two-leg tie is going to make it a bit different and we just have to go all out and try and win our home match.

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