Head coach Wilson August confirmed today that all the 12 players still coming to training.
“After we won the Asia Pacific Cup last year in Gold Coast Australia, the players believe they can qualify for the World Cup in Tahiti if they play well.”
“It is not been easy for us because the dates of the competition keep changing.” said Wilson August.
National goalkeeper Chikau Mansale said that the team has worked diligently in preparation for the tournament.
“We have been training really, really hard. A lot of sacrifices have been made, a lot of practices.”
“We are just training to have our best performance possible for the tournament. I am the goalkeeper, so my training is a bit different than my teammates.”
“In beach soccer the goalkeeper is like a quarterback, if you do not have a good goalkeeper it’s almost impossible for the team to be great,” he said.
“You have to sacrifice your body a lot for the game. It’s a physically taxing game, running, screaming, jumping, bicycling, kicking, heading and tackling – all in a short time span.
It’s a ‘beast mode’ sport, you need a lot of testicular fortitude. A lot of people say they don’t like to watch soccer because they consider it to be boring, but not beach soccer. It is the opposite. There is a lot of scoring. “said Chickau Mansale.
Shepherds United midfielder Pascal Chabod said he is looking forward to the support from the Vanuatu people in Noumea when they play.
“You will be seeing a lot of me moving up and down the field, so look forward to an exciting game. We are hoping our fans in New Caledonia come out and support us.”
The OFC Beach Soccer World Cup qualifier will take place in New Caledonia at University of New Caledonia from 31 August to 2nd September 2013.
Three countries, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu has confirmed their take part in the competition.
The winner will join Tahiti Beach Soccer national Team to play in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Tahiti in September 2013.
Team List:
Goalkeepers: Chikau Mansale, Altred Malas
Players: Nanua Natou, Daniel Natou, Pascal Chabod, Anto Malapa, Remy Kensi, Robert Thomas, Daniel Michel, Yvong August, Rodney Serveux and Don Mansale.
Officials:
Head Coach: Wilson August
Physio: George: Regenvanu
Team Manager/Media: Harry Atisson