The All Whites are the only team with two wins from two so far, but Tahiti will want to continue building on the success they had at the recent French Overseas Territories Cup in Paris where they finished sixth – including notching a 1-0 win over New Caledonia who had earlier beaten them 4-0 in Stage 3.
Coach Eddy Etaeta says the tournament in Paris, which saw them come up against fellow French territories such as Mayotte and Martinique, will have a positive impact on their performances against the All Whites.
“Before the first two qualifying matches we lacked rhythm and matches of a high level, we hadn’t played enough,” he says.
“These two games against New Zealand are important for us and if we can record some positive results, the qualifiers will be thrown wide open.”
While top level games may have been missing from Tahiti’s previous preparations, Etaeta says the short turnaround from the trip to France has had an effect on the players.
“We have travelled a long way and played a lot of games in a short space of time and that affects the players mentally and physically,” he says.
“We have had 12 days to recover and get prepared. As I said to the players, we have complained that we haven’t played enough international games in the past eight years, but now all the selected players have the opportunity to play great and important games – you have to enjoy it.”
While there have been many positives from the Territories Cup for Tahiti, such as developing rhythm and cohesion playing as a team, the downside is fatigue and potential injury. But Etaeta says all the players who are carrying niggles are working hard with the medical staff to be in top form for the All Whites clashes.
With New Zealand focusing on the availability of captain Ryan Nelsen and defender Winston Reid for the match in Tahiti, Etaeta says the Toa Aito are ready to face the All Whites regardless of the line-up.
“They won’t be the same team we saw at the Nations Cup and I think what will make the difference for us will be remaining strong in defence and being efficient in front of goal,” he says.
“We expect New Zealand to press high and impose an athletic and physical presence. It’s up to us to prepare for that.”

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