The squad arrived in Auckland a month before the tournament began to make sure they would be well prepared but that lengthy build-up counted for little when they were comprehensively beaten by eventual champions New Zealand 6-0 in the semi-final.
They faced an impressive Vanuatu side the next day in the 3rd/4th play-off and again failed to post a victory, going down 2-0 to return home empty-handed.
Ibrahim says the coaching staff expected more from their young charges and feels changes in the set-up need to be made.
“I believe we need to have another look at the various structures we have put in place,” he says. “We need to asses our programmes and see what we can do to make them better.
“The team did not perform to expectations but the tournament is now gone and in the history books. It is very important that we learn from our mistakes quickly and hope not to repeat them when the other national sides get ready for their competitions.”
The Ravinesh Kumar-coached team did enjoy some success in group play in Auckland, beating American Samoa 5-1 and holding Papua New Guinea to a scoreless draw despite being down to ten men for most of the game. Their other Group A match resulted in a 2-0 defeat against Vanuatu.
Hosts New Zealand will go on to represent Oceania at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Colombia 2011 after beating Solomon Islands 3-1 in the grand final.
The focus of the footballing public in Fiji now turns to the national futsal side, which will be in action later this month when the country plays host to the OFC Futsal Championship. The tournament will be held at Vodafone Arena in Suva from May 16 to 20 and also features Kiribati, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
Following the futsal tournament, both the men’s and women’s national teams will take to the field again at the Pacific Games, set to take place in New Caledonia during August and September.
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