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Sunday, September 25, 2011

HURRAY FOR THE SAN MARINOS OF THIS WORLD

At the beginning of this month, Holland inflicted a heavy defeat on San Marino by 11 goals to 0, which will now be registered as the all-time record victory for Het Oranje, surpassing Holland's previous record 9:0 wins, which came against Finland (Olympic Games, 1912) and Norway (1972). San Marino's dismal record of never having won a competitive international match continues, and shows no sign of changing any time in the near future. There will be those, of course, who will demand an answer to the question of why countries such as San Marino, Tonga, American Samoa, Maldives and Andorra should be permitted to compete in continental and World Cup qualifying competitions.


On one level, the answer is easy: such countries have been admitted to membership of FIFA and their relevant continental organisations, after fulfilling all of the conditions needed to obtain membership. However, many commentators and journalists have alleged, and will continue to do so, that many of the smaller associations have been admitted to FIFA, etc. down the years in order to help keep some continental/world football leader in power.

On another, it could also be argued that such small countries could be admitted in an attempt to actually better the standard of football available in that country and has, indeed, happened to each of those countries mentioned above. And, of course, to countries such as Liechtenstein, who, at the beginning of this month, earned a respectable 0:0 draw away to Lithuania. The principality have won only a few competitive games since they began to participate in continental competition at the beginning of the 1990s, but have progressed well even so. 


Then there were the Faroes, who won with some comfort at home to Estonia in June, and were tremendously unlucky to lose 1:0 against Italy on the same evening as Liechtenstein's success, having struck both bar and post (although Italy, to be fair, also struck the woodwork). Liechtenstein have proved themselves to be no mugs in recent years, while the Faroes are also more than capable of making life difficult for the best of teams, especially at home.


The perenially game, if unsuccessful, Luxembourg side are, more often than not, still finding themselves at the bottom of their qualifying groups - they, together with Ireland and Portugal, are the only European countries who have taken part in every World Cup qualifying tournament - but, although they are stil finding points hard to come by, results have steadily been improving over the last few years (with the exception of an utterly horrible qualifying series for Euro 2008). With one game to go in their qualifying group, the Lions Rouges are bottom with four points, with their sole victory coming only a couple of weeks ago when they defeated Albania 2:1 at home, but they have suffered no heavy defeats this time round.


The same could be said of Malta, who finally got off the mark in their group with a 1:1 home draw against Georgia at the Ta'Qali last week. The Maltese are bottom with just that solitary point, but have been unlucky not to have picked up a couple more points, especially at home, and have not been on the wrong end of a thrashing so far in the group whilst scoring a few goals themselves.

Andorra are also entrenched at the bottom of their group, but have also proved to be stubborn opponents so far. However, their last two games are scheduled for the beginning of October, with the Irish team coming to town before the Andorrans themselves head for Moscow to face Russia. Ireland will want to pick up three points to keep their Euro 2012 qualification campaign alive, whereas Russia will be looking to round off what should be a routine qualification in some style, so the Andorran defence may well be working overtime. The Andorrans' gritty style has won them few matches and even fewer friends, but they are nothing if not determined.


Iceland and Cyprus have found themselves together at the bottom of Group 8, which is not entirely unsurprising given that they are in the same group as Portugal, Denmark and Norway. Iceland have taken 4 points out of a possible 6 against Cyprus, who startled Europe by drawing 4:4 away to Portugal at the start of the qualifiers. However, the campaign has been extremely disappointing for the Cypriots, who have improved in leaps and bounds during the last few years.


Many small footballing nations have suffered heavy defeats recently, but does that give anyone the reason to opine that they should all be cast out into the footballing wilderness, alongside non-FIFA nations such as Greenland, Monaco and Gibraltar (who themselves would like to be welcomed into the FIFA/UEFA family, but, due to various reasons, find themselves outside the perimeter of FIFA-sanctioned competition)?

In an article published in the edition of the Dutch newspaper Dagblad de Limburger which was published a couple of days before the San Marino game, the usual quote from Marco van Basten regarding the participation of the smallest of the small in international football competition - "folklore football" -appeared; van Basten was, and remains, implaccably opposed to, their appearing in international football competitions - he is far from alone in this.  

The article also stated that Luxembourg brought on a gardener as a substitute in  a game in 1976. But, van Basten and the rest of those calling for the exclusion of countries such as San Marino, whilst commentating on the current state of Dutch and European football, are ignoring their own country's footballing history. Professional football was only introduced in Holland in November 1954; before that, the game in the country was strictly amateur, with students and even tobacconists appearing for the country in international action. In fact, Holland's record defeat in an international match was by 12 goals to 2 against an England Amateur selection in Darlington in 1907.

The Dutch have a reputaton for forgetting their history - and this article refers only to football - but their press are quick to pour scorn on the shortcomings of others. For example, after the first game in San Marino last September, the following quote appeared in several newspapers, etc:

"The name Stadio Olimpico sounds wonderful and represents classic beauty, but a fourth-class [seventh-division side in England] amateur side would laugh at the accommodation here. There are no stands behind the goals, there is an old cinder track, dilapadated dressing rooms, the field is poor and there is no scoreboard." If the Dutch press, football fraternity etc. are so concerned with the state of football in San Marino, why don't they do something constructive to help the country's footballing authorities and its football infrastructure?


One example of what could be achieved with a little action was when the former Dutch Under-21 coach Foppe de Haan coached Tuvalu to a creditable fourth place in their Pacific Games group a fortnight or so ago, finishing ahead of Guam and American Samoa; he was there in a voluntary capacity as part of Dutch Support Tuvalu, a project aimed at propelling Tuvalu toward FIFA-member status. The Pacific Games ended a fortnight ago; Dutch Support Tuvalu's involvement with football in the islands ends very shortly, and there are doubts as to whether the Tuvaluans will be able to press on and achieve their aim of FIFA membership without some outside help.  


To say that only the Dutch press (maybe also some of the players and supporters) are a bit condescending towards countries which possess a less imposing footballing pedigree would be incorrect in the the extreme, but the English press have been just as bad down the years when things haven't quite worked out against countries such as Turkey (the 1980s variety) and, more recently, Montenegro, who have impressed in this qualifying campaign, and also in the qualifying rounds for the 2010 World Cup.


Montenegro, who profited form being part of the Yugoslav football pyramid first of all, and then that of Serbia before gaining independence, are in with a shout for a play-off place for Euro 2012, and countries such as England, Italy and Ireland can testify to the fact that they are becoming a formidable bunch to play against.


Meanwhile, in Africa, the Seychelles won the Indian Ocean Island Games on home soil last month, beating off the likes of the Maldives and, on penalties in the final in Victoria, Mauritius to collect the country's first honour on the football field.

In Asia, the involvement of countries such as Mongolia, Macau, Taiwan and East Timor in World Cup qualifying didn't last long, not least because, like many of those countries mentioned above, they don't often get the chance to play in international competition and so lack the experience - and, sometimes, the talent, not to mention the financial clout which would help to bring in good-quality foreign coaches - to progress. But, should that matter? Is it so bad that these small countries are in FIFA and participating, albeit irregularly, in international competition?

Quite simply, no. Too many followers of football are blinkered to the fact that the sport exists outside the confines of the Champions league; for many fans the world over, football begins with the Premier League and stops with the Champions League, with the World Cup thrown in every four years as an exciting diversion. One gets the feeling that many football fans would be hard-pressed to name half-a-dozen teams in their native country's top division, let alone the names of those players featured in their national XI. How many of them would regularly go to a game featuring their local club?


There are pubs in Singapore, for example, which would be full to the brim at some unearthly hour with punters watching Arsenal take on Manchester United  at the Emirates Stadium or Barcelona face Real Madrid at the Nou Camp, and the number sitting there watching the game on the big-screen would most likely surpass that watching Geylang United take on Gombak United in the local S-League during the last programme of league matches, played a almost fortnight ago (Gombak recently beat Geylang 2:0 at home, by the way - Tampines Rovers currently head the S-League by a point from Home United).

So, in a climate where ever-increasing amounts of money are going to the richer clubs and federations, while their poorer, smaller, more inferior counterparts are being increasingly marginalised, it is indeed a wonder that countries such as San Marino, Andorra, both Samoas, Montserrat (with around 6000 inhabitants, the smallest FIFA member of them all) and Anguilla can regularly turn out teams for international competition. Guam would also have got a mention, but the GFA did not enter the qualifying rounds for the 2014 World Cup as they reckoned that their national stadium was not up to FIFA standard..and they couldn't afford to enter anyway.

Oh, for the days of the open draw right from the start of European competition, when there were 3 competitions instead of the lop-sided 2, and a semi-professional club from Northern Ireland could be paired with one of Germany's top teams, and when solely the TV rights earned from the tie could keep the semi-professional team in the black for that season and maybe the next. Now, the minnows have to face each other in 3 or 4 preliminary rounds before they can qualify for the group stages - if they get past the bigger clubs who didn't automatically qualify for the group stages first - and most of them will have gone by then, taking with them debts incurred from their brief European sojourns. Further afield, the leading clubs from the smallest Asian nations don't even get a look-in when it comes to continental club competitions any more; entry to Asia's Champions League competition is only granted to clubs from the continent's top 32 nations. 


It is a pity that football has gone the way it has in the last 30-40 years, from hooliganism becoming - and remaining - a problem in world football to FIFA turning a blind eye to how the Argentine junta behaved itself before, during and after the 1978 World Cup, from the advent of pay-per-view TV and organisations such as the Premier League, to FIFA and UEFA's rejecting membership applications from Gibraltar, more or less at the insistence of the Spanish FA, for fear that Spain would leave both organisations if Gib's applications were to be accepted. (And all that, of course, is only the half of it..)


It is also a pity that football luminaries such as van Basten, Uli Hoeness and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge have tut-tutted the involvement of the smaller nations in international competition in recent years. One might ask whether these individuals have ever sat down with somebody from, say, the Icelandic FA and asked them what they thought about what is happening to European/world football (most probably not), and whether they should become more involved in the continental and global game, instead of perhaps thinking how much money the richer clubs and associations could glean from countries as diverse as Iceland and Armenia.


Regardless of the size or population of the country, as soon as they become a FIFA member, they should be given the chance to compete on an equal footing on the international stage with larger, more established footballing nations. At the end of the day, it matters not whether we are discussing Germany defeating San Marino by 13 goals to 0, or how clubs from Luxembourg will perform in European competition, it is far more important that teams from the smallest countries are able to participate and, for the most part, improve.


Gibraltar, Greenland and Zanzibar are, sadly, through the machinations of others, already excluded from competing internationally in FIFA-sanctioned tournaments; it would be a shame if the likes of La Serenissima (San Marino) and the Lions Rouges (Luxembourg) would be forbidden from playing the major European nations because of their size, ability to put out a decent international team, or how much money could be gleaned from clubs and organisations in such places.


Again, it is to the credit of the small associations that they are able to have a go in international competition, and long may it continue. There may be more moments of dismay than those of joy for the so-called minnows, but they are giving it a shot and doing their best; they do not expect to qualify for the World Cup Finals, for one, but that should not lead to them being excluded from the competition. It is their opportunity to strut their stuff with the best of them and hopefully learn and improve, one which should not be denied them, and it can only be of benefit to those countries, who play football for all the right reasons - hurray for the likes of San Marino, indeed!

























Friday, September 16, 2011

ALL SMILES IN BELIZE - FOR NOW

It's full steam ahead for the Belize national team in the second stage of qualification for the 2014 World Cup, following not only their 3:1 win in the second leg of their CONCACAF preliminary round joust with Montserrat in July, but also after the Belizean government - represented by the NSC (National Sports Council) - and the BFF (Belize Football Federation) sat down, thrashed out a few things and settled their differences last month, thanks in no small part to a little prodding from FIFA.

Those who regularly read this blog will remember that there has been an ongoing power-struggle of sorts for control of local football in the small Central American country for some time now, which came to a head in the run-up to the first leg of the tie against Montserrat, which took place in Couva, Trinidad and Tobago in mid-June. The Jaguars beat their counterparts from Montserrat in that game by 5 goals to 2.

The Belizean team arrived back home, happy as a bunch of sand-boys, on 17/6/11, only to find that FIFA had slapped a suspension on the national governing body due to there being "severe governmental interference" in the running of the game in Belize. According to the country's Minister of Sports, the FFB was not being democratically run, and it had consistently failed to supply details of its annual financial comings and goings to Belize's National Sports Council.

The Belizean government had informed FIFA that, due to the above charges, local police would not be deployed to provide security for the second leg, which was due to have been played in Belmopan on 19/6/11. There then folowed the FIFA suspension, which was due to expire on 30/6/11, and a request from FIFA for the game to be played before 10/7/11. The deadlines came and went, and FIFA's patience was starting to wear a little thin; they twice sent representatives to Belize to mediate on the dispute.

However, FIFA saw enough progress being made on the ground to provisionally lift the suspension on 7/7/11; the suspension was put back until 15/8/11 in order for the second-leg of the Belize : Montserrat tie to be played, which, as was stated at the beginning of this article, was played in the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula on 17/7/11 and resulted in a 3:1 win for Belize (the nominal "home" team) and an 8:3 aggregate scoreline in favour of the Central American nation.

Daniel Jímenez put the Belizeans in front after 23 minutes, but Jay Lee Hodgson, who had scored twice in the first-leg, briefly gave Montserrat a glimmer of hope with an equaliser after 58 minutes. That glimmer of hope was extinguished barely a minute later by Deon McCauley, Belize's hat-trick hero in the first leg, and Lúis Mendez effectively ended the game, and the tie, as a contest in the 61st minute.

A couple of days before the game in Honduras, the FFB and the NSC were battling it out in court, as the FFB wanted the Belize Supreme Court to impose an interim injunction on the NSC, forbidding them from denying the FFB access to NCS-owned facilities and stadiums in Belize until the court-case regarding the continuing non-recognition by the national government and the NSC of the FFB as football's lawmasters in the country commenced. The FFB's bid to lift the NCS ban was not upheld.

The day after the game in San Pedro Sula, FIFA officials met their NSC counterparts in Belize to try and find a way forward in the dispute between the government and the FFB. The discussions were apparently "fruitful and productive." FIFA troubleshooters were back in the country at the start of August, and met at the Ministry of Sports offices. Also in attendance were the Minister of Sports himself, John Saldivar, UNCAF president Rafael Tinoco and FFB senior vice-president Bernaldino Pech.

FIFA decided to throw its weight behind the NCS and the Ministry of Sports; the FIFA representatives at the meeting personally handed over a letter to Pech outlining the world governing body's decision to go against the FFB. Local TV station 7 News said of the FIFA decision that it couldn't "even be called a slap in the face; it's more like a kick in the rear end."

Belize's Minister of Sports, John Saldivar, announced details of the meeting to the press, saying that a FFB constitution would have to be changed and that its electoral code be aligned to that of FIFA. (The question is: In the light of all the shenanagans af FIFA HQ at the start of the summer, is that really such a good idea?) The FFB, he continued, would also have to hold an extraordinary congress by the end of September, which would meet to approve not only a new constitution and the new electoral code, but also to elect an independent electoral committee which oversee FFB elections, which are required to be held no later than 10/12/11.


Finally, on 17/8/11, FIFA officially lifted the threatened suspension once and for all after issuing a statement in which it had said that the Belize Sports Ministry had stated its intent to show its "unconditional support for the national team in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers." In an article published in the local Amandala newspaper the day before, it was stated that FIFA had received, a couple of days previously, a letter from Saldivar, in which he pledged his "Government's commitment to support the Belize Selection's participation in the second round of the World Cup qualifiers."

The FFB also announced that president Dr. Bertie Chimillo and other high-ranking officials in the organisation would face re-election in a process which would be concluded no later that 10/12/11. Saldivar's letter also contained a promise to "alow the FFB to carry out its activities unimpeded during the process leading up to the..elections."

According to the article in Amandala, Chimillo and the NSC's Acting Director, Patrick Henry, signed a Memorandum of Understanding which included the following points:

"1 There will be full disclosure of all clubs registered with FFB by August 18, 2011;

"2 The National Sports Council must have observer status to the District Association Elections and the FFB General Elections;

"3 The Electoral Commission of the FFB must include persons of high moral standing and integrity, and must have no real or perceived affiliation with the current FFB Executive;

"4 The FFB will submit its new statutes and Electoral Code for approval of the NSC and for the completion of the registration process by October 14, 2011; and


"5 During the period leading up to the December 10, 2011, deadline for elections, the FFB and its affiliates will have full access to the facilities of the National Sports Council."

But what of the football itself, or more specifically, the country's World Cup campaign? Well, in the draw for the round-robin series in the second round of CONCACAF qualifying, Belize found itself drawn in Group E, together with Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines..and neighbour Guatemala, with which Belize has a long-running border dispute which shows no sign of being resolved.

Another case of football and politics, politics and football, maybe, but the two countries played each other in Belmopan on Tuesday of last week, with Guatemala running out rather fortuitous winners by the odd goal in three, leading 2:0 going into the last 15 minutes through goals from Gustavo Cabrera and Mynor Lopez before Deon McCauley ensured an uncomfortable last quarter of an hour for the visitors with his seventh goal of the qualifying campaign so far. He also opened the scoring for Belize in their group opener, a fine 3:0 win away to Grenada in St. George's on 2/9/11; Harrison Roches and Elroy Smith finished the job off in what was, in the eyes of many observers, a surprise victory.

Guatemala are strong favourites to win the group and qualify for the third round of qualifying, where the usual suspects - Mexico, USA, Honduras and Costa Rica - await the winners of the six second-round groups. Even so, Belize have got off to an encouraging start in Group E, and would hope to defeat Grenada at home in their next group match early next month before facing the Guatemalans again a few days later, this time away. Belize will round off their group games, and (it must be said) most likely, their World Cup campaign, in mid-November with home and away games against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Domestically, the BPFL (Belize Professional Football League) is the FFB-sanctioned local league competition, which this season consisted of a total of eight clubs: Belize Defence Force (winners of the 2010-11 opening championship), FC Belize, San Pedro Barcelona, Toledo Ambassadors, Griga United, Hankook Verdes, Belmopan Blaze and San Pedro Sea Dogs.

The closing season, aka the BPFL Cup, featured four clubs from the opening season: Belize Defence Force, FC Belize, San Felipe Barcelona, Hankook Verdes. The championship was abandoned in May when the BPFL withdrew from the FFB.

There is another nationwide competition in Belize, the Super League of Belize, which is not affiliated to the FFB, and this year's competition saw eight clubs in action, and it saw Placencia Assassin defeat Raymond Gentle-City Boys United in a two-leg play-off final. The other participating clubs were Orange Walk United, Paradise/Freedom Fighters, Griga Knights, Third World FC, Hattieville Monarch and Cayo South United.

Interestingly, the league's president is one Michael Blease, who, you may recall, was nominated as president of the recently-founded and NSC-suported NFAB  (National Football Association of Belize) earlier this year, during the climate of uncertainty and confusion. The NFAB were being touted as the successor to the FFB, but the latter is not yet dead, and the NFAB has retreated into the shadows. However, with the FFB elections coming up (admittedly on an as yet unspecified date), Blease may yet surface and throw his hat into the ring for election as president.


Your correspondent's take on things regarding the forthcoming election - should it go ahead - and its aftermath goes like this; if the good doctor, Bertie Chimillo, remains as president as the FFB, then there will be no change in the situation as it now stands - he will remain in power, though he may well find that his power-base will be severely diminished, his popularity will decrease still further, as might the standing of the FFB, both in Belize and further afield.


Now that Chimillo's alleged backer and protector, the Honourable Jack Walker (stop laughing, that man at the back wearing the black coat; this surely isn't the first time that the word honourable has been used in the same sentence together with the name Jack Walker now, is it? - surely not?), has disappeared into the shadows of the footballing nether-world and has instead been concentrating on toying with Trinidad and Tobago's transport network and sorting out the local sewage-systems (also not the first time that Jack Walker's name and something relating to excrement has appeared in print in the same sentence, if Trinidadian and international web forums are anything to go by), there has been nobody covering his back for the past few months as the local press have - for a lot longer than just a few months - been gunning for him and his time as FFB president may well be up.


If Blease decides to run for election and wins, he may well turn out to be a unifying force for Belizean football - he is already head of the NFAB - and a victory for him and his supporters could see the formation of a unified, twelve-team national league, while leading to the disbandment of the FFB as it stands. It is possible that a new régime might not only keep the government happy, but it might keep FIFA onside, as well as pacifying large swathes of the local media, as long as everybody decides to sing from the same song-sheet. Who knows, there might even be a role for Bertie in the new organisation.


Or then again, there might not. There may be other FFB or NFAB people willing to have a shot for the post of president, and who may well turn out to be a compromise candidate of sorts, who could conceivably leave both Chimillo and Blease sitting on the sidelines. 

As usual, it's all whys and wherefores, maybes and maybe nots, just conjecture..and any (or none) of the above scenarios could yet come to pass. Whatever the eventual outcome, at least both sides have put their differences aside and are concentrating on sorting out the mess that is Belize football's body politic, whilst (at least publicly) showing their support for Belize's international team, who are doing their bit where, at the end of the day, it all matters - on the pitch - and that can surely be nothing but a source of blessed relief for Belize's long-suffering football fans. 



















Wednesday, September 14, 2011

PACIFIC GAMES 2011 - RESULTS (MEN'S TOURNAMENT)

The Pacific Games took place in New Caledonia between 27/9/11-9/9/11, and, as was widely expected, the hosts won the Men's football tournament after defeating the Solomon Islands 2:0 in the nation's capital, Nouméa. Tahiti took third place after a 2:1 win against Fiji.

The tournament was to have been the first stage of the OFC's qualification process for the 2014 World Cup, but the inclusion of AFC side Guam in the tournament scuppered that idea. (A separate preliminary tournament will be held shortly, and details will be printed on this blogsite in due course.)

Tuvalu, coached by ex-Holland Under-21 manager Foppe de Haan, and Kiribati, both associate members of the OFC, also took part, along with Papua New Guinea, American Samoa, Cook Islands and Tahiti. Samoa, who will be hosting the 2014 World Cup preliminary competition, did not take part, preferring to keep their powder dry for the prelims.

Please find below the results for the Men's tournament.


GROUP A

27/8/11 09:00 Tuvalu 4:0 American Samoa (Rivière Salée, Nouméa)
27/8/11 12:00 Solomon Islands 7:0 Guam (Rivière Salée, Nouméa)
27/8/11 15:00 New Caledonia 5:0 Vanuatu (Rivière Salée, Nouméa)
30/8/11 09:00 Vanuatu 5:1 Tuvalu (Rivière Salée, Nouméa)
30/8/11 12:00 American Samoa 0:4 Solomon Islands (Stade Boewa, Boulari)
30/8/11 15:00 Guam 0:9 New Caledonia (Rivière Salée, Nouméa)
1/9/11 09:00 American Samoa 0:2 Guam (Rivière Salée, Nouméa)
1/9/11 12:00 Tuvalu 0:8 New Caledonia (Rivière Salée, Nouméa)
1/9/11 15:00 Vanuatu 1:0 Solomon Islands (Rivière Salée, Nouméa)
3/9/11 09:00 Guam 1:4 Vanuatu (Rivière Salée, Nouméa)
3/9/11 12:00 Solomon Islands 6:1 Tuvalu (Rivière Salée, Nouméa)
3/9/11 15:00 New Caledonia 8:0 American Samoa (Rivière Salée, Nouméa)
5/9/11 09:00 Guam 1:1 Tuvalu (Rivière Salée, Nouméa)
5/9/11 12:00 American Samoa 0:8 Tuvalu (Rivière Salée, Nouméa)
5/9/11 15:00 Solomon Islands 2:1 New Caledonia (Rivière Salée, Nouméa)


TEAM/W/D/L/GF/GA/PTS/GD

NEW CALEDONIA/5/0/1/31/2/12/+29
SOLOMON ISLANDS/5/0/1/19/3/12/+16
VANUATU/5/0/1/18/7/12/+11
TUVALU/5/1/1/3/7/20/4/-13
GUAM/5/1/1/3/4/21/4/-17
AMERICAN SAMOA/5/0/0/5/0/26/0/-26

GROUP B

27/8/11 10:00 Papua New Guinea 4:0 Cook Islands (Stade Boewa, Boulari)
27/8/11 15:00 Fiji 3:0 Tahiti (Stade Boewa, Boulari)
30/8/11 10:00 Fiji 9:0 Kiribati (Stade Boewa, Boulari)
30/8/11 15:00 Tahiti 7:0 Cook Islands (Stade Boewa, Boulari)
1/9/11 10:00 Cook Islands 3:0 Kiribati (Stade Boewa, Boulari)
1/9/11 15:00 Tahiti 1:1 Papua New Guinea (Stade Boewa, Boulari)
3/9/11 10:00 Kiribati 1:17 Papua New Guinea (Stade Boewa, Boulari)
3/9/11 15:00 Cook Islands 1:4 Fiji (Stade Boewa, Boulari)
5/9/11 10:00 Kiribati 1:17 Tahiti (Stade Boewa, Boulari)
5/9/11 15:00 Papua New Guinea 0:2 Fiji (Stade Boewa, Boulari)


TEAM/W/D/L/GF/GA/PTS/GD

FIJI/4/4/0/0/18/1/12/+17
TAHITI/4/2/1/1/25/5/7/+20
PAPUA NEW GUINEA/4/2/1/1/22/4/7/+18
COOK ISLANDS/4/1/0/3/4/15/-11/3
KIRIBATI/4/0/0/4/2/46/0/-44

SEMI-FINALS

7/9/11 15:00 New Caledonia 3:1 Tahiti (Stade Yoshida, Koné)
7/9/11 15:00 Solomon Islands 2:1 Fiji (Stade Hnasse, Lifou)

THIRD-PLACE MATCH

9/9/11 15:00 Tahiti 2:1 Fiji(Stade Boewa, Boulari)

FINAL

9/9/11 15:00 New Caledonia 2:0 Solomon Islands (Stade Numa Daly, Nouméa)

Please note that kick-off times listed are under local (New Caledonian) time.

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AUTHO'R'S NOTE: Many thanks are due once again to Priscilla Duncan from the OFC for granting permission to publish the above. Please go to www.oceaniafootball.com for more information on the Pacific Games, and on football in the Oceania region in general.