Capital Balls FIFA football balls

Papua New Guinea is heavily favoured to clinch the South Pacific Games football gold and the Olympic Games play-off slot against New Zealand. OFC Technical Director Jim Selby met Papua New Guinea Government officials to discuss the implementation of the OFC’s Just Play coaching programme. The OFC has already started the programme in the school syllabus in Fiji, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
“The programme is targeted at children between the ages of six to 12 years and, importantly, teachers as well,” Selby said.

Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) launched its Football for Life initiative this month, with Fiji hosting a New Zealand XI in two charity football matches to help raise funds for the victims of the Gizo tsunami in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. The matches, scheduled for 10 August in Suva and 12 August in Lautoka, were expected to be sold out, with FIFA Ambassador Christian Karembeu in attendance to help with fund-raising activities. The New Zealand XI, coached by former Glasgow Celtic and Scotland goalkeeper Jonathan Gould, was comprised of club-based players with only a smattering of international experience.

On the back of the country’s excellent organisation of the 2007 Copa America, Venezuela was named host of the 2009 South American U-15 Championship. At the same time, the Venezuelan FA bid to host either the FIFA U-17 or U-20 World Cup in 2011.