Football will be one of 28 sports to feature at the XIV Pacific Games in New Caledonia from 27 August to 11 September 2011 when 5000 athletes and more than 150,000 spectators will take part in what is the biggest sporting event in the Pacific Islands.
The Pacific Games football tournament acts as the first stage of qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™.
SIFF General Secretary Eddie Ngava confirmed that squad members have been selected from the Solomon Cup tournament held in November last year.
“Before the 2009 Our Telekom Solomon Cup we stressed that talent identification will be carried out and our selection panel has come up with a list of players for both the men’s and women’s training squads,” said Ngava.
The list of players for both teams will be released by the SIFF technical department later in January.
Ngava added that SIFF is working hard to line up international matches for the national teams this year. In July the men’s team will travel to Vanuatu for the second edition of the Wantok Cup – a competition that proved to be a huge success when it was first held in Honiara in July 2008.
The men’s team will potentially have a second international against an OFC All-Star side this year. Planning is underway for the match to be played as part of FIFA Football For Hope and OFC Football for Life with an aim to raise funds for Goldie College to help the school purchase a new generator. The game will also double as an opportunity to try out the Solomon Islands’ men’s national team players.
“We are currently in talks with other associations in the region to organise further friendlies since our aim is to have a couple more internationals for the national team this year,” Ngava added.
Meanwhile, the national women’s team will play in the OFC Nation’s Cup competition scheduled to take place in Auckland in September and this will add to their preparations for the South Pacific Games.
Story courtesy SIFF Media