The countdown to Tahiti Nui Beach Soccer 2009 – Oceania’s qualifying event for this year’s FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup – is now on with kick-off just one week away.
Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) will stage the competition at Temae Beach in Moorea, Tahiti, from 27 – 31 July with Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tahiti and Vanuatu all competing for a spot at FIFA’s pinnacle Beach Soccer tournament set to take place in Dubai from 16 – 22 November.
Since the inception of the OFC Beach Soccer Championship in 2006, the Solomon Island Bilikiki have dominated the sport in Oceania and made their mark on the world stage with credible performances at the past three FIFA Beach Soccer World Cups. The team is currently ranked 14th in the world according to FIFA.
Bilikiki coach Henry Koto believes his 12-player squad for 2009 has the confidence to win another Oceania title.
“My team knows what it’s like to enter a championship as defending champions,” said Koto, who has played a key role in the Solomon Islands three World Cup appearances having served as both player and coach.
“We respect every team but our task is to get the job done, defend our title and book our fourth World Cup appearance in Dubai.”
While the Solomon Islands have a proven history behind them, it is difficult to determine just how strong they are compared to Fiji, Tahiti and Vanuatu due to the recent lull in international competition.
A qualifying event did not take place in 2008 because the change in timing of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup from November to July created significant challenges for OFC. The Solomon Islands were instead nominated to represent Oceania on the back of two strong performances at the FIFA event. As a result, the four participating teams have not been tested against each other for over a year.
Next week’s competition will include a round robin format based on a league system with the four participating teams playing each other once before a final and 3rd/4th place playoff is held on Friday.
The winner will represent OFC at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup alongside: Ivory Coast and Nigeria (African qualifiers), Italy, Portugal, Russia, Spain and Switzerland (European qualifiers), Costa Rica and El Salvador (CONCACAF qualifiers), Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay (CONMEBOL qualifiers) plus two teams from Asia (yet to be determined) as well as the United Arab Emirates who gain automatic entry as hosts.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Priscilla Duncan
Oceania Football Confederation
Media & Communications
T: +649 526 5651
F: +649 525 8164
M:+64 (0)21 884 018
Joel Tiller
Oceania Football Confederation
Media & Communications
T: +649 526 5654
F: +649 525 8164
M:+64 (0)21 994 520