Promise aplenty in Vanuatu ranks

OFC Nations Cup ProfilesVanuatuMale sides from Vanuatu have consistently finished in the top four of OFC tournaments at various levels in recent months and the senior team will be hoping to continue that trend. Their last international outing ended in failure though as they missed out on a semi-final spot at the 2011 Pacific Games…

The 23-man squad picked for the tournament, which takes place in the Solomon Islands capital Honiara from 1-10 June, has spent the past week at a training camp in Ba and received a welcome boost with the late arrival of goalkeeper Simione Tamanisau and New Zealand-based striker Roy Krishna.Fiji have been drawn in Group B…

McGeorge, who captained the New Zealand U-23 team to Olympic qualification in March, and Hogg, on course to appear in a second straight Olympic Games, bring New Zealand’s Nations Cup squad to a full quota of 23.But the All Whites will be without skipper Nelsen for the start of their World Cup qualifying campaign after…

The national team have played just three matches since 2007, although their return to the international stage under Frank Farina suggests brighter times ahead.The OFC Nations Cup – the second stage of Oceania qualifiers for Brazil 2014 – commence on 1 June and could prove to be a case of too much too soon for…

Mariappa, who was born in London, England, to a Jamaican mother and a Fijian father, was eligible to represent all three of those countries and had received interest from both Jamaica and Fiji.He opted for Jamaica due to its higher standing on the international stage.“Jamaica has a great heritage and has been to the World…

oceaniafootball.com will run a series of profiles looking at each team’s prospects as the countdown continues and we kick off today with a look at hosts the Solomon Islands.OFC Nations Cup ProfilesSolomon IslandsThe Solomon Islands is a football-mad nation and news of Honiara’s successful bid to stage the Nations Cup was greeted with a high…

Both players have been included in the New Zealand squad for the OFC Nations Cup – set to be staged in the Solomon Islands from 1-10 June – and the vote of confidence from their clubs will give the pair a welcome boost going into the tournament.Defender Smith has signed on for two more years…