The axe will fall on those squad members deemed surplus to requirements this month and coach Chris Asipara is doing all he can to get his young charges up to speed.
“We do not have the luxury of time so we are making sure we are focused on our preparations 100 per cent,” he says.
“There are quality players in this team but definitely the competition at the OFC level will be tough. We need to be better than our opponents and that starts here.”
Most of the training squad were part of the SIFF LEARN&play team that held off challenges from Vanuatu and New Caledonia to win the TVL International U-16 Championship in January. But additional players have also been selected to strengthen the side.
Certain players in the squad have represented their country a number of times already.
One such player is Fred Bala, who has laced up his boots for Solomon Islands three times already, starting with the OFC U-12 Football Festival in Papua New Guinea in 2007.
The budding star has since played for the national U-14 side against Schools Soccer Port Moresby in 2008 and then with the LEARN&play team at this year’s TVL championship in Vanuatu.
Asipara is also hoping to recruit flying winger Gabriel Bosi when he comes over to Honiara to play for Malaita in the Our Telekom National U-20 Championship.
Bosi won the Player of the Tournament award at the TVL tournament and is one of the most promising youth players in Solomon Islands.
Head of Delegation Phillip Ohoto’ona says Bosi is an uniquely skilled player who will bring strength to the U-17 team’s attack and SIFF is looking forward to meeting up with him when he arrives in Honiara.
Solomon Islands have been drawn in Group B for the OFC U-17 Championship and will battle it out with Cook Islands, New Caledonia, Tahiti and Tonga.
Defending champions New Zealand are in Group A with American Samoa, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.
For more on Solomon Islands football visit www.siff.com.sb