OFC NATIONS CUP/2010 FIFA WORLD CUP SOUTH AFRICA™ QUALIFIERS PREVIEW

Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand and Vanuatu will contest the eighth edition of the OFC Nations Cup a competition many expect to be the most open in
the competition’s 34 year history.

This edition of the OFC Nations Cup will be a home and away league format played between the top four nations in the Oceania Football Confederation. New Zealand – as
OFC’s top seed – are already qualified.

The top three teams from the XIII South Pacific Games men’s football tournament – New Caledonia (gold), Fiji (silver) and Vanuatu (bronze) – all qualified to take the
three remaining qualification berths alongside New Zealand.

Not only is the OFC Nations Cup up for grabs but a direct qualification slot for the FIFA Confederations Cup – South Africa 2009 and the
$1 million USD prize purse that goes with it. 

Of greater importance will be the chance for the OFC Nations Cup winner to progress to Stage 3 of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South
Africa™Qualifiers where a home and away play-off with AFC’s fifth-placed team will take place to decide which team qualifies for the
2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™– a prize worth $8 million USD to the victorious team.

The OFC Nations Cup 2008 will be without the two teams that finished 1st and 2nd in 2004. Gone are
perennial champions Australia to the Asian Football Confederation. Alongside them, Solomon Islands, after a dismal performance at the XIII South Pacific Games – Samoa 2007 saw them finish in fourth
place behind New Caledonia, Fiji and Vanuatu.

New Zealand are red-hot favourites to win the OFC Nations Cup with a team comprised of mainly professional players based in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and North
America.

Striker Chris Killen (above) plies his trade with Scottish champions Glasgow Celtic and recently scored his first goal for the club during a 2-1 Scottish Premier League
win over Gretna. The tall powerful striker also became just the second Kiwi to appear in the UEFA Champions League after making a substitute appearance during an historic 2-1 victory over AC Milan
at Parkhead.

Blackburn Rovers defender Ryan Nelsen is missing from the two opening matches on this occasion and the highly-rated FA Premiership stopper’s wealth of OFC Nations
Cup experience will be sorely missed.

Ivan Vicelich is expected to replace Nelsen in the heart of defence for the All Whites with the 60-times-capped former Central United man viewed as crucial to New
Zealand’s hopes of completing a clean sweep of the prizes on offer.

Fiji, by contrast, are a team largely comprised of part-timers and amateur players based in Australia, Fiji and New Zealand, with the main bulk of the squad chosen from
the all-conquering Ba team that has won almost every major domestic trophy on offer in Fiji football over the past two years.

Central defender Peni Finau captains both Ba and Fiji and had an inspirational XIII South Pacific Games alongside his brother, Osea Vakatalesau, who also plays for Ba.
Both players have extraordinary pace with Vakatalesau quick for a man standing well over 185cm.

Young striker Roy Krishna (above)will be third choice behind Ba’s Josaia Bukalidi but can be relied upon to cause problems with his devastating pace and eye for
goal.

In midfield Salesh Kumar offers protection for the Fiji back four with his distribution and ability to lock out midfield opposition likely to be a key factor in any
success his team achieves.

New Caledonia do not begin their OFC Nations Cup/2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™Qualifiers until November, 2007, when they play Vanuatu,
but there is already a feeling that the XIII South Pacific Games gold medal winning team could provide further surprises in this competition.

Coach Didier Chambaron has developed a well-drilled, disciplined and hard-working team along with a club atmosphere amongst his players
where AS Lossi midfielder and national team skipper Pierre Wajoka is the main conduit for New Caledonia’s attacking movements.

Fellow midfielder, Jose Hmae, is a familiar face to football followers in Tahiti after a long stint with AS Pirae and appearances at the
OFC Club Championship – Tahiti 2005 and OFC Club Championship – New Zealand 2006. Hmae was a star turn in the XIII South Pacific Games in Samoa with a string of stunning performances for New
Caledonia wide on the right of midfield and he scored the crucial winner against Fiji in the final.

New Caledonia have mastered the art of winning games 1-0 including an excellent and disciplined victory over Tahiti before struggling
against non-FIFA members Tuvalu but clinching a similar 1-0 scoreline nonetheless.

Vanuatu are surprise inclusions after they won the XIII South Pacific Games bronze medal when they upset a dispondent Solomon Islands
outfit 2-0. Seule Soromon and Francois Sakama are the two new young firebrands in coach Robert Calvo’s attacking arsenal with Soromon scoring his goals in the New World National League for Suva and
Francois Sakama emerging as a real talent after a superb performance for Vanuatu U-20 at the OFC U-20 Men’s Championship – New Zealand 2007 in January.

Talismanic goalkeeper David Chilia – the man who skippered Vanuatu to a 4-2 shock upset win over the All Whites in 2004 – is still part of
the squad but these days number two choice behind his nephew and rival Chikau Mansale. Chilia was adamant he would retire upon Vanuatu’s elimination from XIII South Pacific Games but once the
bronze medal was achieved changed his mind swiftly.

OFC Nations Cup History