With the next phase of Oceania qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup just around the corner, he could not afford to bask in his side’s glory for long and has instead been hard at work preparing for the vital upcoming matches.
But oceaniafootball.com managed to find a moment with Etaeta to talk about the unexpected Nations Cup win, the build-up to the Stage 3 qualifiers and the exciting months in store for Tahitian football.
You are now the champions of Oceania after winning the OFC Nations Cup in June. How have you used the time since that historic tittle success?
I took the chance to have a small break and then set about making an analysis of the competition so that we could plan towards the future. In sports, and football in particular, everything goes very fast. Today, we are at the top but tomorrow we can be very low. For me, the success of a team is based on its long-term progress.
Do you think the Nations Cup win has inspired the people of Tahiti and will result in an increased level of support for the national team?
I think we have managed to do something special and gave a lot of happiness, joy and pride to the French Polynesian people during the Nations Cup. On our way back, we were welcomed at the airport by numerous supporters. Even today, people still congratulate us and want to talk to us about it. I hope we will now have a lot of support at home with the stadium totally full.
How is the team’s preparations for Stage 3 of the World Cup qualifiers going?
We gave the players a month of rest – although they still needed to follow a training programme – but have been training together again for four weeks now. We still have the same philosophy that we need to work well as a team. Humility and hard work are our principles but we try to enjoy our football as well.
What do you think of your chances of repeating the Nations Cup success by winning Stage 3?
New Zealand seem to have the strongest squad but anything is possible in football. We have six home-and-away games to play and have to rely on ourselves to put in the best performance possible. The first two games will be very important as a good start will give you a foundation to build on for the rest of the tournament.
What did you think of the football tournament at the Olympic Games and in particular the final between Mexico and Brazil, given that you may play the senior sides of those countries at the 2012 FIFA Confederations Cup?
I didn’t watch too many games to be honest but I did follow the progress of the France women’s team as they did very well. And of course I watched the final as we might play those nations in a few months. I have looked at the tactical aspect of both of the teams. It is a strange feeling to realise you might be playing them soon.
The year of 2013 will be one of the most memorable in the history of Tahitian football with the hosting of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, the national team’s debut appearance at the FIFA Confederations Cup and Dragon’s participation in a new-look OFC Champions League. What will it mean for football in the country and how will you handle the players in your squad who are involved in more than one team?
It will be an amazing year for French Polynesia. The Beach Soccer World Cup, Confederations Cup, OFC Champions League and the remainder of the World Cup qualifiers – those are all amazing tournaments to be involved in. There will be a lot of training sessions and the players will have to take a lot of work on. It will only be able to be achieved through good management between the national federation, the clubs and the players. I would like to thank Fédération Tahitienne de Football President Thierry Ariiotima and the executive members for their support of the national teams.
Do you think France-based professional Marama Vahirua will be able to return for the World Cup qualifiers?
He has been included in the squad but that is all we can do, after that it is up to him. The federation has sent a letter to him and his club so hopefully we will get a positive response.
Will you use any different players for these matches than you did at the Nations Cup?
Yes, I think more players will be included, We have some young players coming through who have great qualities. And we have two players suspended, Lorenzo Tehau and Angelo Tchen, for the first match against Solomon Islands in Honiara so will have to make some changes.

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