Less than two months before the event, a certain vagueness still surrounds the Football Confederations Cup (June 15 to 30), a sort of mini rehearsal for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Will the stadiums all be ready on time? Will the reception of spectators be up to the challenge? At FIFA, the most skeptical are already preparing for the worst. The Brazilians want to be reassuring.
Far from all this, a surprise guest of the tournament is preparing in his own way, between impatience and anxiety for the result. The Tahiti team, scored at 134rd rank in the FIFA world rankings, won the right to compete in the Confederations Cup. She must meet, in the group stage, Spain, Nigeria and Uruguay. His coach, the Tahitian Eddy Etaeta, answered questions from FancsJeux.
FrancsJeux : How did the Tahiti team earn its place for the next Confederations Cup?
Eddy Etaeta: We won the title of Oceania Champion last year in the Solomon Islands, winning our five matches in the competition. The big favorites, the New Zealanders, had been eliminated by New Caledonia. This title qualified us for the FIFA Confederations Cup.
What is the reality of this national team? His level, his means…?
The reality is that my players are true amateurs, propelled into a very high level international competition. There is a very big gap between the teams we are going to face and us, a very small country. We will have to use this great experience to develop Tahitian football in the future. The objective is to have players who go abroad.
How are you preparing for this Confederations Cup?
The selection is prepared twice daily, with 5 to 6 training sessions per week. It’s quite huge compared to the usual 2 or 3 sessions. Since April 1, 2013, players have been paid by the Federation to devote themselves solely to football.
What do you expect in terms of results?
Sportingly, the Confederations Cup will give us a lot of experience. The conditions, the preparation, the matches… It’s going to be something exceptional for us and for the Federation. But we will meet Spain, Nigeria and Uruguay. We must be realistic: we will not go to Brazil to win, but to represent Tahiti and amateur football as worthily as possible.
What could be the repercussions of this competition for Polynesia?
On an economic, social, or tourist level, I think that the media impact will allow Tahiti to gain notoriety. Several foreign television stations have already come to film the selection. This proves that Tahiti is not only a beach destination, but that there are also great sporting values in our islands. In addition to participating in the Confederations Cup, Tahiti will host the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in September 2013.
What is the impact of this team and its adventure in Tahiti?
For now, it's a bit of a disappointment. There is no real local awareness of what the selection will experience. Maybe things will change when we get to Brazil. But our best supporters will definitely be the Brazilians!
