Before he does that, he spoke to oceaniafootball.com about the side’s preparations and expectations for the tournament.
How long has the team been training together?
With regular support from the Fédération Calédonienne de Football in our preparations, we began meeting in September 2012 with a large group, followed by regular training sessions during the school holidays up until the end of 2012. We then took advantage of the summer school holidays from January until mid-February to train three times a week and to play some friendly matches.
What are your team’s chances at this tournament?
We will approach each match one after the other because with four games, anything can go very quickly in one direction or the other. Above all it will be our motivation and concentration that will determine our chances.
Your objective will no doubt be to qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup Turkey 2013, do you think this will be possible?
We are approaching this competition with great modesty, but what is certain is that the players will give everything in each encounter.
Do you have any players who will be ‘ones to watch’?
We want all of our players to have the same conquering and united state-of-mind because that, ahead of individuality, is what I think will be the difference. We need to have a good collective base, in attack and especially in defence that will then allow our players’ potential to be showcased. If we find that collective base we can hope to make a difference because we have the individual talent to do so.
How important is this tournament for the future of football in New Caledonia?
This type of competition is educational for our young players who will be the future of Caledonian football in the coming years.
Have any of the players currently training in the U-20 squad made their debut for Les Cagous?
At the moment none of our players are in the senior national team but there are certain players who have been participating in some training sessions with them. They proved that they have the capacity to integrate with the first team in the future. The majority of players regularly play with their club sides in the senior competitions, Super Ligue and Coupe de Calédonie, and there are several players who may play in the OFC Champions League this season. This is a situation that can only be beneficial for their progression and the way they approach the game. I have to thank the clubs concerned for making their players available for trainings and for the good relationship that we have together.
What do you know about the teams you be encountering – New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu?
New Zealand is definitely the favourite of the tournament and the contribution of their players who are progressing in overseas clubs reinforces this position. We have nevertheless the greatest respect for all the nations which will be present and who will be ready to give their best throughout this competition. We expect a difficult first encounter against the Fijians who will have their public behind them.
For more on New Caledonia football go to www.fedcalfoot.com

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