Prior to the tournament, the 25-year-old was a little known player in Solomon Islands but his performances in his first three internationals has rocketed him into centre stage.
Nate boasts a Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Technology in Papua New Guinea and while studying there he found time to continue his passion for football. He started off for Sobou in the local league but moved up to the Papua New Guinea National Soccer League with the Morobe Kumuls who he played for in 2007 and 2008. In 2009 he joined University Pukoko in the NSL before returning to join Kossa in the Telekom S-League at home earlier this year.
oceaniafootball.com caught up with Nate to hear about his debut showing for the Solomon Islands national team.
As one of the new players in the Bonito squad, how do you feel about your selection and how much pressure have you felt?
To be selected for the national team is the ultimate dream of any player and I am very proud to wear the Solomon Islands jersey. This side has a lot of history and we all dream to be part of it so I was happy to get the call up. Playing alongside some of our big stars is such a great experience. Of course there is a lot of pressure for the team and all of the new players have felt that. I found it difficult in some of our first training sessions but we have had a lot of support from the senior players and also we try to focus on what we have to do rather than the pressure on us.
How would you describe playing in the OFC Nations Cup?
We are playing at the highest level and the competition is tough. I have never experienced this intensity until I played my first international. At the same time the experience is wonderful – the atmosphere is great because we are playing at home and so far we have done well and this makes it all the more enjoyable. Playing against the region’s top players is something special and I see it as a privilege to share the field with some of the World Cup heroes for New Zealand as well as stars from leagues in other countries.
What opponent did you find the most difficult playing against in Group B?
All our pool games were tough but I would have to pick the one against Fiji as the most difficult. This is because Fiji were quite physical and the match really took its toll on some of our best players. Playing New Zealand was also challenging but they were more tactical than physical so we came out less drained compared to our Fiji match.
What are your objectives in this competition?
My mission with all the other players in the Bonito team is the same. Our first objective is to take Solomon Islands to the third stage of the OFC qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and that has been achieved. Now we are focussed on qualifying for the FIFA Confederations Cup.
You’ve mentioned Zinedine Zidane as your favourite international player. What qualities do you see in him that make you admire him as a player?
I admire Zidane because he makes football look so simple. He has the touch of a genius in every way and it is amazing what he does with the ball. He is what I describe as a complete player and as a midfielder there is so much I can learn from Zidane.
What message do you have for young players who dream to play for Solomon Islands in the future?
I want to say that there is no road to success other than hard work. With everything in life you must work hard for your goals. You must sacrifice some of the things you enjoy and be dedicated so that what you want to achieve will come to you. To be a national player you must have good discipline, commitment and the constant desire to make yourself a better player. I also want to call upon all young Solomon Islanders to stay away from things which will damage their abilities and reduce their potential in life. There are many activities that young people are undertaking like alcoholism, smoking, drug use and prostitution which have negative consequences. I ask our youth to choose wisely and follow the example of positive people in our community and, most of all, be proud to be a Solomon Islander.