+ A
A -
Agencies
Doha
After more than two years without international football being played between Oceania Football Confederation Member Associations, the action returns when the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Oceania Qualifiers kick off on March 17.
Eight nations will be playing off for the right to represent the region in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 intercontinental play-off later this year, from which the winner will secure a World Cup berth.
The Oceania Qualifiers are being staged in Doha, Qatar under a mini-tournament format, due to border restrictions in Oceania which meant it wasn’t possible to host the tournament inside the region.
Having prevailed in all three qualifying competitions since Australia’s departure to AFC, New Zealand undoubtedly start as the team to beat.
The All Whites are the continent’s highest-ranked team for a reason and come into these matches in solid form, having ended 2021 with three straight friendly victories.
Coach Danny Hay has named a squad that includes plenty of familiar names, among them veteran trio Chris Wood, Kosta Barbarouses and Tommy Smith, but which also includes Wellington Phoenix youngsters Ben Old and Ben Waine.
Although it is their first time in the senior squad, the youthful pair have been lauded as “serious footballers” by Hay, who suggested both could have a part to play in Doha.
“Over the past year we have shown people what we are capable of as a team. Now is when we have to put everything we have been talking about into practice as we fight to return to the World Cup,” said Hay.
The Solomon Islands also have genuine ambitions of winning the tournament, and arrive well prepared and with morale boosted by some encouraging pre-tournament friendly performances in Australia.
Their Spanish coach, Felipe Vega-Arango, has named a squad includes Micah Lea’alafa, Raphael Le’ai and Alvin Hou, all of whom played for the Kurukuru at the FIFA Futsal World Cup in Lithuania in 2021.
Fiji are another team capable of producing scintillating performances. And while Roy Krishna, 34, is back to lead the Bula Boys, it was a lesser-known attacking star – 25-year-old Sairusi Nalaubu – who impressed in Qatar last week, scoring a hat-trick in a 3-0 pre-tournament friendly win over Vanuatu.
Meanwhile, Tahiti coach Sam Garcia has said, “We have players who know themselves, and can teach others, what level they must reach in terms of intensity, concentration and discipline in order to achieve good results.”
Tahiti play Solomon Islands in the opening match on Thursday at 5pm.
Papua New Guinea take on favourites New Zealand on Friday at 5pm. “We are not afraid of New Zealand. I am 100 per cent sure the team will do something positive in Qatar.
“The squad has shown amazing resilience and their ability to absorb what is being taught augers well for their success,” said a confident Papua New Guinea coach Marcos Gusmao.
Doha
After more than two years without international football being played between Oceania Football Confederation Member Associations, the action returns when the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Oceania Qualifiers kick off on March 17.
Eight nations will be playing off for the right to represent the region in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 intercontinental play-off later this year, from which the winner will secure a World Cup berth.
The Oceania Qualifiers are being staged in Doha, Qatar under a mini-tournament format, due to border restrictions in Oceania which meant it wasn’t possible to host the tournament inside the region.
Having prevailed in all three qualifying competitions since Australia’s departure to AFC, New Zealand undoubtedly start as the team to beat.
The All Whites are the continent’s highest-ranked team for a reason and come into these matches in solid form, having ended 2021 with three straight friendly victories.
Coach Danny Hay has named a squad that includes plenty of familiar names, among them veteran trio Chris Wood, Kosta Barbarouses and Tommy Smith, but which also includes Wellington Phoenix youngsters Ben Old and Ben Waine.
Although it is their first time in the senior squad, the youthful pair have been lauded as “serious footballers” by Hay, who suggested both could have a part to play in Doha.
“Over the past year we have shown people what we are capable of as a team. Now is when we have to put everything we have been talking about into practice as we fight to return to the World Cup,” said Hay.
The Solomon Islands also have genuine ambitions of winning the tournament, and arrive well prepared and with morale boosted by some encouraging pre-tournament friendly performances in Australia.
Their Spanish coach, Felipe Vega-Arango, has named a squad includes Micah Lea’alafa, Raphael Le’ai and Alvin Hou, all of whom played for the Kurukuru at the FIFA Futsal World Cup in Lithuania in 2021.
Fiji are another team capable of producing scintillating performances. And while Roy Krishna, 34, is back to lead the Bula Boys, it was a lesser-known attacking star – 25-year-old Sairusi Nalaubu – who impressed in Qatar last week, scoring a hat-trick in a 3-0 pre-tournament friendly win over Vanuatu.
Meanwhile, Tahiti coach Sam Garcia has said, “We have players who know themselves, and can teach others, what level they must reach in terms of intensity, concentration and discipline in order to achieve good results.”
Tahiti play Solomon Islands in the opening match on Thursday at 5pm.
Papua New Guinea take on favourites New Zealand on Friday at 5pm. “We are not afraid of New Zealand. I am 100 per cent sure the team will do something positive in Qatar.
“The squad has shown amazing resilience and their ability to absorb what is being taught augers well for their success,” said a confident Papua New Guinea coach Marcos Gusmao.
