In the history of the Confederations Cup there have been some teams viewed as outsiders after having surprised en route to winning their continental championship. The likes of Greece, Tunisia and Iraq in recent years come to mind.

However, this year’s competition will feature the ultimate underdogs in Tahiti. Ranked 135th in the world in the latest FIFA rankings, the Tahitian national team would not appear at first to be considered a side worthy of such prestigious company as the rest of the Confederations Cup field. However, a 1-0 victory in the final of the OFC Nations Cup last June against New Caledonia ensured Tahitian football would be thrust into the global spotlight this June in Brazil.

Before completely writing off this group of amateur players, there should be some respect afforded to the Oceania champions and if nothing else this is a hard-working team who have a great spirit. They also may have a wild card in the form of the thus far uncapped Marama Vahirua, an extremely experienced striker who has spent most of his career in the French top flight turning out for the likes of Nantes, Nice, Lorient and Nancy. He is the only member of the team’s Confederations Cup squad who is based abroad, playing his football in Greece for Panthrakikos. There are few who have any expectations from this Cinderella team, however with Vahirua and leading goalscorer Steevy Chong Hue in the mix, the hope is that they can keep the games as tight as possible and perhaps sneak in a goal or two in the process.

Coach: Eddy Etaeta

Though Tahiti are the only side competing at the 2013 Confederations Cup that have been eliminated from contention for the 2014 World Cup, manager Eddy Etaeta has maintained his position as head coach. Since taking over the national side in 2011, Etaeta has transformed this group of amateur players into a solid unit and led his charges to a continental title last year. A former Tahitian international, Etaeta’s work with the national side has been lauded by supporters. Now, he will lead his country into an international tournament hopefully showcasing the team spirit and unity that he has forged in his two years at the helm of Tahiti.

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Key Player: Steevy Chong Hue

The 23-year-old wrote his name into Tahitian football history when his headed strike gave Tahiti the win in the 2012 OFC Nations Cup last June. The winger, who has Chinese roots, is an important part of this side and has regularly found the net for his country with 11 goals in 22 matches. Chong Hue had a stint in the Belgian lower leagues for a period, but the player, from the remote Tahitian island of Raiatea, now stars on the domestic scene for last season’s Tahitian league champions AS Dragon.



View From Tahiti

Simply put, this tournament will be a celebration for all football fans in Tahiti. Certainly, there will be hope that a shock can be pulled off, but since that is a probably a long-shot, supporters will be extremely happy with battling displays. Against some of the world’s top teams, there will be little expectation rather just excitement at anything positive the team are able to show. An appearance by the country’s Under-20 team at the 2009 World Cup saw three Group Stage defeats with no goals scored and 21 conceded; anything better than that will be considered a success.

Verdict

In the minds of football observers, Tahiti have already proven enough in qualifying for this tournament. These three group stage matches will be cherished by the country’s football supporters especially the clash against reigning World Cup champions Spain at the Maracana on the 20th June.  Against established sides such as Nigeria, Spain and Uruguay, the most Tahiti can expect is to keep the score to respectable levels. That may seem harsh, but the gap in quality appears to be too big to bridge. Still, the team’s mere presence will win the hearts of neutrals and anything they manage to do from a shot, to a goal, to an unlikely point ,would be greatly celebrated.

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