Tahiti national football team

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Tahiti
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) Toa Aito (Les guerriers de fer / Iron Warriors)
Association Tahitian Football Federation
Confederation OFC (Oceania)
Head coach Eddy Etaeta
Captain Nicolas Vallar
Most caps Angelo Tchen (30)
Top scorer Félix Tagawa (14)
Home stadium Stade Hamuta
FIFA code TAH
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 189 Increase 2 (3 December 2015)
Highest 111 (14 August 2002)
Lowest 195 (3 March 2010)
First international
 French Polynesia 2–2 New Zealand 
(Papeete, Tahiti; September 21, 1952)
OFC Nations Cup
Appearances 8 (First in 1973)
Best result Winners, 2012
Confederations Cup
Appearances 1 (First in 2013)
Best result Group stage

The Tahiti national football team is the national team of French Polynesia[1][2][3][4] and is controlled by the Fédération Tahitienne de Football. The team consists of a selection of players from French Polynesia, not just Tahiti, and has competed in the Oceania Football Confederation since 1990. They are the current Oceanian football champions, having won the 2012 edition of the OFC Nations Cup, their first victory in the competition.

Tahiti is traditionally one of the stronger footballing nations of the Pacific Islands, with the second best record at the football section of the South Pacific Games, with five victories. They were runners-up in the first three instalments of the Nations Cup (1973, 1980, and 1996). The nation went through a period of less success, but showed promise when it qualified for the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt. This success was followed up with the title of 2012 OFC Nations Cup, becoming the first team other than Australia and New Zealand to win the competition.

History

Tahiti played its first full match on 21 September 1952, at home against New Zealand, and drew 2–2. Seven days later the two teams played again and New Zealand won 5–3. On 30 September they played each other for a third time, and Tahiti gained its first victory, by 2–0. However, it is unknown whether this was a full international.[5]

In September 1953, Tahiti played three matches in New Caledonia against its national side, losing the first 5–0 and the later two 4–1. They then travelled to the New Hebrides (now Vanuatu) and beat its national side 4–2 twice. In 1989, under the leadership of Napoleon Spitz, the official federation was created.

Tahiti entered its first World Cup qualification with the aim of reaching the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States. They were placed in Group A with Australia and the Solomon Islands, and played their first match away to the Solomon Islands in Honiara on 11 July 1992. Eric Etaeta equalised for Tahiti to make it 1–1 in the 76th minute. On 11 September Tahiti hosted Australia in Papeete and lost 3–0. The next fixture was again against Australia, and resulted in a 2–0 away defeat in Brisbane on 20 September. On 9 October in Papeete, Tahiti beat the Solomon Islands 4–2. Tahiti's first goal was scored as an 8th-minute penalty from Reynald Temarii, a politician and current president of the Oceania Football Confederation. However, Tahiti finished second to Australia in the group and did not advance.

2012 OFC Nations Cup

In 2012, the new edition of the tournament occurred in the Solomon Islands with the host country, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Tahiti, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Samoa (winner of the qualifying tournament) playing the competition. Tahiti defeated New Caledonia in the final in Lawson Tama Stadium 1–0 with a goal by Steevy Chong Hue and became the first team other than Australia (no longer part of OFC) and New Zealand to be crowned Oceania champions.[6]

2013 Confederations Cup

By winning the 2012 OFC Nations Cup, Tahiti qualified for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil for the first time.[7] On 17 June 2013, even though, Tahiti lost 1–6 to Nigeria in the 2013 Confederations Cup in Belo Horizonte in Brazil, with Jonathan Tehau getting the goal for Tahiti in the second half with a header from a corner, Tahiti fans still rejoiced in the prospect of scoring a goal in an international tournament.[8] On 20 June 2013, Tahiti lost 10–0 against Spain equalling their biggest ever loss against New Zealand nine years earlier.[9] On 23 June 2013, Tahiti was beaten 8–0 by Uruguay. In all, they conceded 24 goals and scored one. They ended with a goal differential of −23, the worst of any national team in any major competition.[10] But even with the bad record and heavy defeats, Tahiti's underdog qualities gathered huge respect from the people of Brazil, who always cheered for them in every match.[11] Spanish coach Vicente Del Bosque, and strikers Fernando Torres and David Villa - who scored four and three goals respectively against Tahiti - complimented the team's fair play.[12]

Competitive Record

FIFA World Cup

List of coaches

  • French Polynesia F. Vernaudon (1973)
  • Italy Umberto Mottini (1995–1996)
  • French Polynesia Gerard Kautai (1996)
  • French Polynesia Richard Vansam (1997)
  • French Polynesia Alain Rousseau/Eddy Rousseau (1997–1998)
  • Australia Leon Gardikiotis (1999–2000)
  • French Polynesia Patrick Jacquemet (2001–2002)
  • French Polynesia Gérard Kautai (2004–2007)
  • French Polynesia Eddy Etaeta (2010–present)
  • France Patrice Flaccadori (at 2015 Pacific Games)

Players

Current squad

Match Dates: 3, 5 and 7 July 2015
Competition: 2015 Pacific Games

Caps and goals correct as of the start of the competition

0#0 Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Tom Teriinohopuaiterai 0 0
2 Tevaimoana Meslien 0 0
3 Raimana Tipahaehae 0 0
4 2DF Rainui Aroita (1994-01-25) January 25, 1994 (age 31) 1 0 French Polynesia A.S. Tamarii Faa'a
5 Teheiarii Taupotini 0 0
6 Louis Petitgas 0 0
7 Tauatua Lucas 0 0
8 Manuarii Hauata 0 0
9 4FW Fred Tissot 0 0
10 3MF Yohann Tihoni (1994-07-20) July 20, 1994 (age 30) 2 0 French Polynesia AS Roniu
11 Mauarii Tehina 0 0
12 1GK Raiamanu Tetauira (1986-03-08) 8 March 1986 (age 39) 21 0 Italy Sassuolo
13 Raumatahi Noho 0 0
14 Tevairoa Tehuritaua 0 0
15 Ryan Petitgas 0 0
16 Temauiarii Crolas 0 0
17 Tumarangi Tiatoa 0 0
18 Heremoana Hoata 0 0
19 Tamatoa Tetauira 0 0
20 Raimana Dhalluin 0 0
21 Thibaut Pito 0 0
22 Michel Maihi 0 0
23 Vaiarii Halligan 0 0

References

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External links

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