VANUATU – SQUAD READY FOR OFC U20 CHAMPIONSHIP

Vanuatu has confirmed its participation for the OFC U-20 World Cup qualification tournament in Auckland, New Zealand, despite the current financial situation of the Vanuatu Football Federation. After three months of intensive training in Port Vila, the Vanuatu U20 Squad will leave the country on Saturday January 13th for New Zealand. The participation of Vanuatu…

Rebecca Smith and 50-cap veteran Wendi Henderson agree New Zealand women’s international 8-day training camp at the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Academy in Penrose, Auckland, has been a success. But both women have taken far different paths to professional and international stardom with the same goal in mind. Not many international footballers end their careers…

It is 16 years since the New Zealand senior women’s team made their one and only appearance at the World Cup finals. This year’s squad has a golden opportunity to qualify for the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup in China. First they have to get through the Oceania World Cup qualifying tournament in Papua New…

FIFA president Sepp Blatter will make an historical visit to the autonomous region of Bougainville to promote peace through football on Jan 18. Blatter’s visit coincides with Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Congress which is also scheduled for January at Kimbe with the PNGFA bi-annual Congress following after. The one-day visit will see the FIFA boss…

University Football Club of Port Moresby will represent Papua New Guinea in the 2008 OFC Champions League. University defeated PRK Souths in a two series match following the implementation of a new format set by the Papua New Guinea Football Association to get the champion and the best team to represent PNG in the OFC…

New Zealand U-17 has ended the three match international programme with a resounding 9-0 destruction over lacklustre Tahiti with Costa Barbarouses producing a four goal haul. Jacob Mathews and Tyson Brandt scored a brace with Corey Chettleburgh also on target as New Zealand ran amok against a slipshod Tahiti. Tahiti coach Eddie Etaeta was extremely…

When these two teams meet controversy, passion and high entertainment are never very far away. Yesterday’s card-littered Auckland derby contained everything as a tired Auckland City lifted their weary legs to retrieve a 3-0 deficit against runaway NZFC leaders and bitter rivals Waitakere United. Nobody could have predicted the frenzied and entertaining second-half – much…

Tahiti’s explosive temperament landed them in hot water at Waikaraka Park yesterday after they were beaten convincingly by a vastly improved and composed New Zealand team. New Zealand’s performance was peppered by outstanding individual contributions by Team Wellington striker Costa Barbarouses and Youngheart Manawatu midfielder Corey Chettleburgh. Barbarouses – who missed New Zealand’s 3-2 victory…

A-league boss Matt Carroll is convinced a Ricki Herbert-helmed, New Zealand Soccer-supported team can succeed in the A-League and win over a sceptical Kiwi sporting public. Carroll, Football Federation Australia’s head of operations, joined NZ Soccer chief executive Graham Seatter at a media conference in Auckland on Monday to outline the future of the A-League…

Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) has written to Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters regarding visas of the Fiji squad for the 2007 FIFA U20 World Cup qualifiers in NZ next month. Fiji FA chief executive officer Bob Kumar said he received a copy of the letter sent by OFC to Peters last Friday. “OFC is urging…