Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) general secretary Eddie Ngava says a lot of work has been put in behind the scenes to give the Bonitos an appropriate build-up to the Games and is pleased to have secured the matches against Vanuatu, a country the Solomons share close footballing ties with.
“We have had several talks for friendly matches with our neighbours and the confirmation from Vanuatu is welcome news for us,” Ngava says.
“The Bonitos team has been working hard and they will look forward to the matches we have planned.”
The friendly games will be played in Honiara in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu’s Port Vila and will be timed to coincide with the respective independence days of both countries.
The games in Honiara will take place on July 5 and 7 while the return matches in Port Vila will be held on July 27 and 30.
A trip to Fiji has also been lined up for the Bonitos to play matches against the Fijian national side and SIFF is pursuing the possibility of arranging further games against other teams in the Pacific region.
The Bonitos’ preparations for the Games have spanned a year and coach Jacob Moli is keen to leave no stone unturned as he looks to improve on the sides’ fourth-place showing at the last event in 2007 in Samoa.
For more on Solomon Islands football go to www.siff.com.sb