NOUMEA – The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and the Organising Committee of the Christian Karembeu Jubilee in conjunction with the Federation Caledonienne de Football (FCF) is pleased to announce the inclusion of former New Zealand international footballer Vaughan Coveny in the Christian Karembeu Jubilee Match scheduled for Saturday May 31 2008.

 

Christian Karembeu played for France at the 1998 FIFA World Cup and for Real Madrid winning the UEFA Champions League in 2000. Karembeu has been a firm supporter of Oceania football since retiring in 2005.

 

Vaughan Coveny won 71 caps for his country and is the top goalscorer of all time for New Zealand. Coveny plays for Wellington Phoenix but retired from international football last season.

 

Coveny will be joined by former South African international and Auckland City FC striker Keryn Jordan as part of the Karembeu XI.

 

Vanuatu international Moise Poida has also arrived in Noumea for the match. Poida has represented his country at every leveland appeared at the last two South Pacific Games.

Former Fiji international Esala Masi withdrew because of prior commitments but was among the first of the Oceanian players contacted to appear in the match. 

 

Coveny, Jordan and Poida join Papua New Guinea’s John Panu and Solomon Islands Gideon Omokirio amongst some illustrious names: 

 

The France ’98 team that landed in Noumea includes Bixente Lizarazu, Laurent Blanc, Robert Pires, Frank Lebeouf, Martin Djetou, Zinedine Zidane and Bernard Lama to name but a few.

Tahitian-born French international Pascal Vahirua will also feature. 

 

FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter will attend the match and hold a post-match press conference following the OFC Extraordinary Congress on Sunday June 1 2008.

 

It is a rare opportunity for any player from Oceania to be involved in a match alongside some of football’s greatest players of all time including Zinedine Zidane, Christian Karembeu and Jean Pierre Papin.

 

The Karembeu XI will play the France ’98 XI to celebrate the career of the Lifou-born player. 

The exact composition of the line-ups for tomorrow’s match will be announced at a Press Conference at the Hotel Le Meridien at 18H00 local time. 

 

MATCH DETAILS

Christian Karembeu XI vs. France ’98 XI

Saturday 31 May 2008

Stade Numa Daly

Noumea

New Caledonia

Kick-Off: 17H00 (NCL time)