LAUTOKA – The popularity and power of football to bring people of all cultures together in peace and enjoyment of the ‘beautiful game’ will be in evidence in Lautoka today at Match Day 4 of the OFC Men’s Olympic Football Tournament.
Each of the participating teams is supporting UN AIDS DAY at the qualifying tournament for the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing, China, 2008.
FIFA Ambassador Christian Karemebeu – born in Lifou, New Caledonia – has lent his support for the cause and praised both the United Nations AIDS programme and the Oceania Football Confederation for recognising the power of football to reach out to millions.
"AIDS is a terrible disease and it is important for Oceania Football Confederation and the football family of Oceania to help recognise the effects this disease has in our region.
I want to extend my support to OFC, UN AIDS and Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) and praise all of the teams participating in this tournament for their compassion and understanding of this unique opportunity to use football educate and prevent HIV," Karembeu said.
Karembeu a winner of the FIFA World Cup with France and two UEFA Champions League titles with Real Madrid has been actively supporting OFC social responsibility initiatives since 2005.
Team captains on Match Day 4 will read a short message of support for UN AIDS programme in Oceania and OFC Head of Competitions Seamus Marten said the response by team delegations was overwhelming.
"The teams have been exceptionally supportive of this cause. Using sport – in particular, football – to prevent HIV/AIDS is a tremendous concept and one OFC alongside our member associations is only too willing to champion," Marten said.
An estimated 14 000 people acquired HIV in Oceania in 2007, bringing to 75 000 the number of people living with the virus in this region.
Over 70% of those persons reside in Papua New Guinea, where an estimated 1.3% of adults are HIV-positive.
The majority of reported HIV infections to date have been in rural areas, where more than 80% of the population lives.
Unsafe heterosexual intercourse is estimated to be the main mode of HIV transmission. Effective and well-targeted HIV prevention programmes can reverse the epidemic in Papua New Guinea, but reversal will be a challenge.
With Match Day 4’s football family sending a message of education and prevention of HIV, the action on the pitch will be high stakes as the ‘Road to Beijing’ reaches its thrilling closing stages.
New Zealand and Solomon Islands take centre stage today with both teams eyeing a spot at the Beijing Olympics.
Solomon Islands sport a superior goal difference and a win or a draw will put the ‘Solympic’ squad within touching distance of the Olympic Games.
If New Zealand win, it will be Stu Jacobs’ Oly-Whites that will book its tickets for the XXIX Olympiad with one match remaining against Cook Islands that should present a formality for the Kiwis.
Papua New Guinea will get a chance to test Cook Islands when the two nations meet in match no. 11 of the tournament and coach George Cowie will be asking his defence to lock down the Cook Islands and produce a first victory.
Papua New Guinea has lit up the tournament with its skill, technique, pace and entertaining approach to each game, but it has sacrificed any semblance of defensive discipline turning in some lop-sided results.
Cook Islands can expect another tough match with coach Tim Jerks options ever decreasing following the red cards in the last match for Gichin Huiniu and John Bataillard.
Fiji and Vanuatu meet in another big match with the winner to hold on to its slim hopes of qualification for Beijing.
Even if either team secures three points they will still have to rely on a sequence of results to go their way on Match Day 4 and Match Day 5 if they are to remove New Zealand and/or Solomon Islands from top spot.
MATCH DAY 4
NEW ZEALAND vs. SOLOMON ISLANDS 14H30
COOK ISLANDS vs. PAPUA NEW GUINEA 17H00
VANUATU vs. FIJI 19H00*
* Delayed coverage on Fiji 1/Fiji TV 22H30 08/03/08
All times local Fiji Time unless otherwise stated
