NOUMEA – With the excitement of the Pascal Vahirua Jubilee match now passing into the fond memory of thousands of Tahitian football fans all eyes turn toward Noumea and the Christian Karembeu Jubilee Match in Noumea.

 

France ’98 arrives at Noumea with Christian Karembeu the focus as New Caledonia’s most famous football son returns to the territory that set him on a career path that included would one day conclude in winner’s medals at the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League, Euro 2000, FIFA Confederations Cup, and two Greek championships.

 

The match at Stade Numa Daly in Magenta on Saturday is already a sell-out with local broadcaster RFO joined by nearly 50 accredited local and international media from around the region including Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Zealand, Tahiti and France.

 

The match kicks-off at 17H30 on Saturday 31 May at Stade Numa Daly with FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter scheduled to attend following the inauguration of the FIFA Goal Project at the Federation Caledonienne de Football (FCF) Technical Centre in Païta earlier that afternoon.

 

Local observers in New Caledonia expect the Païta Inauguration to attract nearly 10,000 spectators as the FIFA delegation including FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke, Director of International Relations Jerome Champagne, FIFA Executive Member Chuck Blazer and OFC President/FIFA Vice-President Reynald Temarii and OFC General Secretary Tai Nicholas.

 

The draw for the OFC Youth Festival will be announced at a media event at the Tjibaou Centre on the outskirts of Magenta tomorrow afternoon at 17H00 local time with Christian Karembeu and members of the France ’98 team joining in a “friendly match” with children participating in the U-12 football tournament.

 

The OFC Youth Festival will kick-off on Thursday 30 May and conclude with the 3rd/4th play-off and final at Stade Numa Daly prior to kick-off for the Karembeu Jubilee Match. The winner of the OFC Youth Festival will qualify for the Danone Nations Cup in Lyon, France. United Soccer 1 – a federation representative team – played at the 2006 Danone Nations Cup as Oceania’s champion U-12 team. Last year, a Vanuatu team from St.Joseph’s School appeared at the finals and finished 20th out of 40 teams.

 

Security at the match will be at an all-time high with the visit of French Minister for Overseas French Territories Mr. Yves Jego in attendance.

 

Oceanian footballers Gideon Omokirio and John Panu of Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea have been invited to play at the Karembeu Jubilee.