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Liechtenstein joined teams from Vanuatu, Tahiti, Fiji, Tonga, Cook Islands, and the Solomon Islands at the Oceania Football Confederation’s (OFC) Home of Football, which itself was funded in part by Assist, UEFA’s international programme that contributes to the development of the game outside Europe.
The tournament gave the young players crucial experience of an international tournament format, including travel, competitive matches, and associated training, as well as forging the links between national associations and federations on opposite sides of the world.
French FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2000 winner Christian Karembeu, who was born in New Caledonia, was in attendance and felt the tournament was a great inspiration for the players.
“Kids these days grow up fast,” Karembeu said. “A tournament like this can give them extra adrenaline and experience, not just for them but for their coaches too. For them to think, ah we have done this one way, can we do it better? Also, to connect with the world, we want to be part of the world of football.”
OFC’s Chief of Football Development Patrick Jacquemet said the tournament was a wonderful opportunity for the players, coaches and officials involved.
“The key here is development,” he said. “Thanks to UEFA Assist, these young players [are] exposed to a high degree of professionalism on and off the field. For many involved in the tournament it [is] the first time they have played outside their country, and it [helps] them in their personal development.”
As part of the experience, players attended psychology and nutrition workshops as well as a Q&A session with Karembeu, who also looked ahead to the forthcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
“I am very proud that we will have the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023,” he said. “The impact is going to be phenomenal. I think that again, it is going to be a learning process for everyone in the region. How to host a beautiful event, manage these kind of venues – it’s great for our youth to see we are capable of this.”
How UEFA Assist is putting football first around the world
UEFA launched the Assist football development programme in 2017. Its objective: to share the experience and know-how of UEFA and its member associations beyond Europe.
By working closely with UEFA’s five sister confederations and FIFA, Assist has built on existing collaborations with the AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), CONCACAF (North and Central America), CONMEBOL (South America) and the OFC (New Zealand and South Pacific island nations).
UEFA Assist initiatives focus on four main goals:
• Building capacity
• Developing youth football
• Strengthening infrastructure
• Supporting UEFA member associations to create their own solidarity programmes
