Although the Mariners beat the OFC Nations Cup runners-up 4-2 at Stade Numa Daly in Noumea following a 1-1 draw at the same venue, it was the hosts who left a lasting impression on Arnold with 26-year-old midfielder Miguel Kayara and 24-year-old left winger Georges Bearune particularly outstanding.
“I couldn’t believe how much things have improved, the Oceania teams have come on in leaps and bounds,” Arnold says.
“The last time I was involved in Oceania, we were thumping their teams 10 and 20 blot. Now they’re pressing us, they’ve got tactics, they’ve got fitness, they’ve got academies, and the facilities are getting better all the time. In the past five years, they’ve probably developed quicker than us.
“They’re getting a lot of support from FIFA these days, and you can see the results. I was very impressed with the quality, and the professionalism.
“New Caledonia gave us two high-quality games, the sort of test we wouldn’t have got in Australia at this stage of pre-season. To me that says a lot.”
To date, no New Caledonians have been signed to a professional Australian football side, although this may change in the near future with Arnold intending on examining the abilities of Kayara and Bearune further as they tackle Stage 3 of the Oceania qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup.
New Caledonia’s road to Brazil 2014 begins with a home match against New Zealand on September 7.
“I’m open to the idea of bringing them over, that’s for sure,” Arnold says.
“The ideal set up would be to get them here after the qualifiers, perhaps to play for our feeder team. They’re good footballers, believe me. I’m excited by what I see.”
If Kayara and Bearune were to impress Arnold further and secure contracts, they would join the other four New Caledonians currently playing professionally including Georges Gope-Fenepej, who joined French Ligue 1 club Troyes after impressing in the OFC Nations Cup.

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