With a splash of blond in his hair, Teaonui Tehau wants to stand out on the pitch and what better place to do it than in front of his home crowd.
The AS Venus forward is ready to take the field in Group D of the OFC Champions League 2020 that will be played at the Stade Mahina in Tahiti.
Venus, competing in the competition for the first time since 2018, open their campaign against Samoa’s Lupe Ole Soaga SC on Sunday (TAH time).
Keep an eye out for the dashing striker with the flashy hair.
“I wanted to do this for a different style, so people notice me,” Tehau said of his hair.
While the captain isn’t expecting his teammates to dye their hair like his, they will be hoping he can deliver goals in the Champions League.
The 27-year-old has shown a penchant for scoring with 24 goals in 31 internationals for Tahiti.
He made his national team debut in 2011 and once scored six times in a match during a 17-1 romp over Kiribati at the 2011 Pacific Games.
Apart from his 11-a-side exploits, he has also represented Tahiti in futsal and beach soccer.
Tehau first played for Venus as a 6-year-old and he’d love to perform for his boyhood club in the Champions League.
“For me it means a lot. You could say that it’s a moment to live for, a moment worth playing for.
“It’s true that it’s a bit strange to be playing against foreign teams here at home, we’re not used to it, but it’s what we’ve dreamed of, to bring players back to play here at home.”
Venus, 10-time Tahiti Ligue 1 champions, made the semifinals of the OFC Champions League in 1999 and 2001 when the competition was played under a different format.
“It’s true that in the past AS Venus has done well in this competition. Now, with the young players coming through the club we want to try and repeat those moments for the fans of today, for the Mahina community,” Tehau said.
“The community is behind us, the public, our families, everyone is behind us and that’s really heart-warming. I hope everything goes well on the field for them.”
Aside from Lupe, Venus will also meet Champions League heavyweights Auckland City FC and Fijian club Ba FC in Group D.
Venus will play Auckland City in their second match on March 4 but Tehau said they were ready for the challenge.
“Yes, we’ve got Auckland City in our pool and I know them pretty well because I’ve played them twice before. It’s a big team, but because we’re playing at home with the crowd behind us, we’re going to let go and enjoy the match.”
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