Youthful Cook Islands women’s squad named

A total of 18 players will head to New Caledonia for the event, which takes place from August 27 to September 10, and exactly half are survivors from the country’s campaign at the OFC U-20 Women’s Championship in 2010.Most of the players, 13 to be precise, also represented the Cook Islands last September when Katoa’s…

Defender Saki Kumagai had the honour of hitting home the decisive spot-kick as Japan triumphed 3-1 in the shootout. USA were twice pegged back but it took Homare Sawa to equalise three minutes from the end of extra time to force penalties. Japan coach Norio Sasaki was understandably elated with the win and was quick…

Saby Natonga’s team, who had failed to win any of their previous three friendlies over recent weeks, scored twice in the first quarter of an hour to stun Fiji and notch a 2-1 victory at Churchill Park in Lautoka on Friday night.The result avenged Vanuatu’s 2-0 loss against the same opponents last Wednesday and will…

How has the build-up to the final gone? Have you done anything different?Norio Sasaki: We’ve only had three days of preparation, so we haven’t been able to do anything special in terms of preparation. The coaching staff have been studying videos on USA in action, even as far back as the Beijing Olympics, so the…

After a goalless first half, the Junior All Whites took a 52nd-minute lead when Dakota Lucas battled hard to get past defender Ben Sigmund and then beat goalkeeper Michael O’Keefe to the loose ball. It broke into the path of substitute Sean Lovemore for an easy sidefoot finish. The Phoenix regained parity nine minutes later…

A total of 30 participants are involved in the four-day course and nine of OFC’s 11 member associations are being represented at the Charles J. Dempsey Football Academy.Among those present are Finau Vulivuli (Fiji) and Lata Tuifutuna (Tonga), who, along with New Zealand’s Jacqui Stephenson, have just made history by becoming the first non-Australia OFC…

Despite her lengthy spell away from the Fiji national women’s side, the defender has been included in coach Usenio Logaivau’s training squad for the upcoming Pacific Games and is right in the frame to make the final cut.The Savusavu resident is certainly not without belief in her potential to be included in the 20-strong Games…

On the tenth FIFA Anti-Discrimination Day, the Nadeshiko made it through to the decider for the very first time, while the Stars and Stripes booked a third appearance in the fixture.The USA, current Olympic champions and leaders of the FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking, overcame Bruno Biri’s French charges 3–1 in Monchengladbach, thanks to a typically…

The match takes place at Subrail Park in Labasa and is one of two friendlies scheduled between the sides as they look to prepare for the upcoming Pacific Games in New Caledonia.Singh is taking on the coaching role temporarily as the Fiji Football Association decide upon a permanent appointment and is eager to make the…