Aito Arii coach Heitapu Hunter is excited about the prospect of getting some international experience under the team’s belt, especially following the time he has spent with Spain coach José Venancio López.
“He invited me to spend a month in Spain at La Rosas, which is the equivalent of Clairefontaine,” Hunter says of his relationship with Lopez.
“He radically changed my vision of things. He is a coach with a wealth of experience and I have progressed enormously at his side. It has been exceptional to evolve at his side and see the Spanish team play in front of me.”
Now the challenge facing Hunter is translating those learnings to the Aito Arii, a side he has been working with for the past six years.
“I’ve participated in two World Cup qualifying tournaments, in 2008 I was the assistant coach to Scott Gilligan and then in 2011 I took over the reins,” he says.
“At each tournament we have reached the final, but we have never been able to win it. The silver medal doesn’t allow us to participate in the world cup and so we are still on a quest for our first qualification.”
With little knowledge of his upcoming opponents, Hunter says both sides are likely to start slow as they feel each other out.
“Having seen the results from their series of international matches, most notably against Portugal and Ukraine, I think that there level is very high,” he says of the France U-21.
“At the same time, to be perfectly honest, I don’t know this team very well. The first 10 minutes will be important, I will probably have to make some tactical re-adjustments as we progress.”
France U-21 futsal national team coach Raphael Reynaud says his side is young with plenty more to learn, but in comparison with previous teams he has worked with – has the teamwork side of the game down pat.
“This group is certainly the best that I have worked with,” Reynaud says.
“If individually and technically they perhaps don’t perform as well as those from preceding generations, collectively, they are better.”
The France U-21s have recently competed at a tournament in French Guiana where they performed well, beating three senior sides.
“We’ve come to Tahiti to continue this great series of victories. The league in French Guiana, like the Federation Tahtitienne de Football, is on its way to becoming a big, beautiful futsal organisation.”
During the trip, as well as the two internationals, Reynaud will also be assisting in several coaching courses.
Match Details
Aito Arii v France U-21
Tuesday 21 April (local)
Fautaua
Kick-off: 7pm
Aito Arii v France U-21
Saturday 25 April (local)
Dragon (Titioro)
4pm
Squad Lists
Tahiti:
Teva DUROT (GK)
Yord SOUDAY (GK)
Steeve WONG
Tamanui TURINOHO
Jacob TUTAVAE
Alexis TOOFA
Gabriel KAVERA
Matana BEA
Tahiarii TUTAVAE
Teivarii KAIHA
Tane TAVE
Smith TINO
Raiarii MANEA
Mihirai VERNAUDON
Coach: Heitapu HUNTER
France U-21
Mikail GULTEKIN (GK)
Ba El Maaroug KERROUMI (GK)
Ilyass OUHAFSSA (GK)
Youness AHSSEN
Yanis BENBEKHTI
Mohamed Smain BENKHEROUF
Dylan CORREIA TAVARES
Michael DE SA ANRADE
Anas DLIMSI
Yamine DRIHEM
Ayoub SAADAOUI
Abdallah SEDIRA
Youssef TALGOUTE
Tarek ZOUBIR
For more on Tahiti football visit www.ftf.pf.

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