The Toa Aito, whose victory over New Caledonia at the OFC Nations Cup in June saw them crowned regional champions for the first time, will also be joined in Group B by Uruguay and the champions of Africa, whose identity will be revealed after next February’s CAF Africa Cup of Nations final.
Having learnt his side’s fate for the Festival of Champions, which runs from June 15 to 30, 2013, coach Eddy Etaeta says the team will look to acquit themselves well at the tournament – even if they expect to be taught several footballing lessons along the way.
“It’s amazing to think that here we are, a little country of 250,000 people, playing against the best teams in the world,” Etaeta says.
“We’ll be up against Uruguay and Spain, the world champions, and we will be out to represent our region the best we possibly can.
“It’s going to be exciting to face Spain at the Maracana and it will be an incredible feeling if we can score. As for our objectives, we need to be realistic.”
Etaeta says his side’s Nations Cup win was an incredibly joyous occasion, but the squad still hasn’t quite come to grips with the enormity of the task they will face in Brazil next year.
“The problem has been to digest this victory over the following months,” he says.
“But we have to be aware we are playing with the big boys now.”
He says it has been difficult for Tahiti, ranked 179th in the world, to emerge as any kind of force even on a regional level given the usual dominance of New Zealand.
With his side coming off tough losses to the Kiwis in Oceania group Stage 3 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Etaeta says the Toa Aito must show they are no flash in the pan.
“Now is the time to get down to the nitty gritty.”
Along with Fédération Tahitienne de Football CEO Charles Ariiotima, Etaeta must now begin setting in motion the appropriate preparations for the Tahiti national team to do their country, and region, proud.
Tahiti is scheduled to play the CAF champions on June 17 and Uruguay on June 23 at Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte, while their match against world and European champions Spain is set for June 20 at Maracana, the largest stadium in Rio de Janeiro with a capacity of 79,000.
For more on the world game go to www.fifa.com

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