New Caledonia, Tahiti, New Zealand And Fiji Prepare For FIFA World Cup 26™ Showdown
Press Release – Oceania Football Confederation
New Caledonia player Josh Sotirio who spent two seasons playing on Sky Stadium in the A-League for the Wellington Phoenix, expressed his pride in playing for New Caledonia, whom he became eligible for this year.
The coaches and captains of the four semi-finalists have fronted the media in Wellington ahead of a decisive weekend of FIFA World Cup 26™ Oceania Qualifiers.
New Caledonia and Tahiti meet in the first semi-final at Sky Stadium on Friday before New Zealand and Fiji square off, with the winners to compete for a place at the FIFA showpiece in the USA, Mexico and Canada, on Monday night at Auckland’s Eden Park.
For New Caledonia’s coach Johan Sidaner, the journey to the semi-finals is already a triumph for his team which has had little in the way of competitive club football since civil unrest broke out in the country last year.
“We are very delighted to be here,” Sidaner said, “The group, the team, the selection is already very satisfied,” he added, suggesting that the match is as much about overcoming challenges as it is about securing victory.
The sentiment is echoed by Tahiti’s coach, Samuel Garcia, who acknowledged the significance of this encounter. “I’m very pleased to be here and to meet our Caledonian brothers,” Garcia said, stressing his team has trained well.
Both teams know each other well and while excited, Garcia emphasised the importance of staying grounded: “We’re very focused on what we’re doing at the moment. Our final is on Friday.”
New Caledonia player Josh Sotirio who spent two seasons playing on Sky Stadium in the A-League for the Wellington Phoenix, expressed his pride in playing for New Caledonia, whom he became eligible for this year.
“My great-grandfather played for New Caledonia in the ’60s,” Sotirio revealed, underlining the generational pride that drives him and his teammates. As for the match itself, he predicted a fast and physical game, but one in which New Caledonia will look to exploit any weaknesses in Tahiti’s defence.
Despite the looming prospect of a World Cup berth, or a second chance to qualify via the FIFA Intercontinental playoff tournament, both coaches have kept their focus firmly on Friday’s match. Sidaner and Garcia stated the semi-final is their immediate priority, and they are looking ahead to the possibility of playing in Monday’s final.
On the other side of the bracket, the second semi-final has New Zealand at short-priced favourites against Fiji. All Whites coach Darren Bazeley has reflected on the significance of the game, citing the historic 2009 World Cup qualifier at the same venue against Bahrain, which clinched New Zealand’s place at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Finals in South Africa.
“It’s a massive moment for New Zealand football. We want to replicate the feeling of qualifying for the World Cup,” Bazeley said.
Bazeley however is ensuring he keeps his New Zealand players grounded.
“We know we’re the favourites with the squad we have, but we also know that it’s a game of football,” Bazeley warned.
“Fiji will bring some challenges for us, and we have to be ready.”
Chris Wood, New Zealand’s star English Premier League striker with Nottingham Forest, is the sole survivor from the squad that played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. He is relishing the opportunity to make it back to the sport’s biggest stage, and inspire another generation of Kiwi kids.
“We’ve heard stories about where everyone was when that game happened, one of the two most historic games in New Zealand football history. So, it shows how much it has an effect on the next generation. That’s why these two games, starting on Friday, is massive for us as a nation.”
And Wood is thrilled Oceania finally has a direct pathway to the FIFA World Cup and is adamant it should have come much sooner.
“I think it’s truly a fair way of doing it and I do think our confederation should be represented in some sort of way,” Wood said.
Fiji coach Rob Sherman and captain Felipe Baravilala are determined to rise to the occasion. Sherman admitted that while New Zealand’s squad is full of professional players with extensive experience, his side is capable of causing an upset. “We believe we can win. “It’s about executing our game plan and believing in ourselves.”
“We’re amateurs compared to them,” Baravilala acknowledged, but he expressed his team’s readiness to face the challenge head-on. “We are here thanks to the sacrifices we’ve made,” he said.
Content Sourced from scoop.co.nz
Original url