The 23-year-old was forced to sit out their final group match against Samoa on Tuesday, making him all the more hungry to wreak havoc against New Zealand in Friday’s second semi-final.
While there has been much talk about hat-trick scorer Bertrand Kai, it could be Gope-Fenepej who proves to be the secret weapon for Les Cagous.
oceaniafootball.com sat down with the AS Magenta player to get his take on the tournament so far.
What does it mean to you being here in Solomon Islands competing at the Nations Cup?
This is a great opportunity to play at the highest level and I’m grateful to be here playing for my country. Every player dreams of playing at a World Cup and we are still in with a chance. We want to win the Nations Cup but we will also target the stage three qualifiers starting in September.
How are you enjoying the tournament so far?
I’m feeling good. The temperatures are hot but it’s the same conditions for everyone so we just have to get on with it and continue to play good football.
What do you think about the team’s performances?
The first game we played really well and it was a relief to pick up our first three points over a very talented Vanuatu side. The second game was tough and it was disappointing for me personally to be sent off. But it was great to see the team bounce back and score a lot of goals against Samoa to qualify for the semi-finals.
After missing the last match through suspension, are you fired up to score a lot of goals?
Good question. It will depend on how the game goes, but if I get the opportunities then yes I’d love to score against New Zealand. The main thing is for us to play well as a team and to stay focused on our game plan.
You’ve had trials previously in France, do you hope to play there in the future?
I went for some trials after the Pacific Games last year but then came back to New Caledonia to play for Magenta. There are a couple of clubs in France who are interested in me so I’ll stay in contact with them and see what happens. It would be a huge honour to play professionally overseas.
Are there any players in particular who you’ve looked up to?
Christian Karembeu and Antoine Kombouare have been an inspiration for me and if everything goes well I would like to follow in their footsteps. I will do everything I can do be successful.