Jacquemet says the visit proved worthwhile but also showed that there was much work ahead of both Member Associations if they wished to show improvement.
“Lifting the standard of the quality of players is important and player development needs to start as soon as possible. There is a need to focus on technical skills and improve players understanding of the game,” he says.
Jacquemet cited the recent exploits of American Samoa U-20 at the OFC U-20 Championship in Suva, Fiji, back in May, as an example of what could be achieved and where there was room for improvement.
Spirited displays by American Samoa U-20 saw the plucky side secure its first ever point with an historic 1-1 draw against Papua New Guinea but as the tournament wore on, positive results became more difficult to attain as the competition reached its peak.
“In Fiji we saw an example of a competitive American Samoa U-20 team that had good team spirit and was very well organised but struggled technically.
“Developing better players starts with youngsters, grows through to youth level and then on into activities around the senior national team.
“I met with the Presidents and CEOs of both Football Federation Samoa and Football Federation American Samoa on my recent visitation and explained how the OFC can assist and support their development goals and activities,” he says.
Jacquemet, a former professional goalkeeper and Tahiti national team coach, says the challenges faced by American Samoa and Samoa are unsurprisingly similar.
“With respect to Samoa they have a bigger technical department and more football activities but the programmes targets remain the same,” he says.
The OFC Head of Technical Development says the main areas of discussion in meetings with the two Member Associations involved introducing them to the Player Development Curriculum, the objectives of the Centre of Excellence programme, the coach Mentoring Programme and a review of the Member Association’s Technical Development activities and programmes.
“Our most recent courses in American Samoa and Samoa focussed on goalkeeping and was led by former All Whites goalkeeper James Bannatyne,” he says.
The performance of Tim Cahill – a player of Samoan extraction – at the FIFA World Cup™ in Brazil, albeit in Australian colours, still proves that both nations can develop top level talent.
American Samoan football has been in the spotlight not only on the pitch but off it with the release of the movie ‘Next Goal Wins’ that featured the national team’s journey towards its first ever victory in a FIFA World Cup™ qualifier.
The capital, Pago Pago, may also feature as host of next year’s OFC U-17 Men’s Championship, the region’s qualifying event for the 2015 FIFA U-17 Men’s World Cup to be held in Chile in October and November.
The OFC U-17 Men’s Championship is scheduled for January 17-29, 2015.
Ends