Tahiti national football team

Tahiti
Nickname(s) Toa Aito (Les guerriers de fer / Iron Warriors)
Association Tahitian Football Federation
Confederation OFC (Oceania)
Head coach Ludovic Graugnard
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 150 Increase 22 (24 November 2016)
Highest 111 (August 2002)
Lowest 196 (April–May 2016)
Elo ranking
Current 141 (15 June 2016)
Highest 45 (September 1983)
Lowest 156 (September 2010)
First international
 French Polynesia 2–2 New Zealand 
(Papeete, Tahiti; 21 September 1952)
Biggest win
 Tahiti 30–0 Cook Islands 
(Papeete, Tahiti; 2 September 1971)
Biggest defeat
 New Zealand 10–0 Tahiti 
(Adelaide, Australia; 4 June 2004)
 Spain 10–0 Tahiti 
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 20 June 2013)
OFC Nations Cup
Appearances 8 (first in 1973)
Best result Winners, 2012
Confederations Cup
Appearances 1 (first in 2013)
Best result Group stage, 2013

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.

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] Tahiti is the first and so far only team who has participated in the FIFA Confederations Cup has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup. 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, Tahiti 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

FIFA Confederations Cup

FIFA Confederations Cup Record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Saudi Arabia 1992No OFC Representative Invited
Saudi Arabia 1995
Saudi Arabia 1997Did Not Qualify
Mexico 1999
Japan South Korea 2001
France 2003
Germany 2005
South Africa 2009
Brazil 2013Group Stage8th3003124
Russia 2017Did Not Qualify
Qatar 2021To Be Determined
Total1/90 Titles3003124

OFC Nations Cup

OFC Nations Cup Record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
New Zealand 1973Runners-Up2nd522174
New Caledonia 1980Runners-Up2nd4301239
1996Runners-Up2nd4202312
Australia 1998Fourth Place4th4103810
French Polynesia 2000Group Stage5th200225
New Zealand 2002Third Place3rd530289
Australia 2004Group Stage5th5113224
2008Did Not Qualify
Solomon Islands 2012Champions1st5500205
Papua New Guinea 2016Group Stage5th312073
Indonesia 2020 TBA
Total1 Title9/1037185148081

Pacific Games

Pacific Games Record
Year Round Position Pld W D * L GF GA
Fiji 1963 Third Place 3rd 2 1 0 1 19 2
New Caledonia 1966 Champions 1st 4 4 0 0 14 3
Papua New Guinea 1969 Runners-Up 2nd 5 3 1 1 19 7
French Polynesia 1971 Third Place 3rd 4 2 1 1 41 5
Guam 1975 Champions 1st 5 4 0 1 12 6
Fiji 1979 Champions 1st 5 5 0 0 33 2
Samoa 1983 Champions 1st 5 5 0 0 25 2
New Caledonia 1987 Runners-Up 2nd 5 3 1 1 9 4
Papua New Guinea 1991 Group Stage 6th 3 1 0 2 15 5
French Polynesia 1995 Champions 1st 6 6 0 0 35 2
Fiji 2003 Fourth Place 4th 6 3 0 3 25 7
Samoa 2007 Group Stage 6th 4 1 1 2 2 6
New Caledonia 2011 Third Place 3rd 6 3 1 2 28 9
Papua New Guinea 2015 Runners-Up 2nd 5 3 1 1 34 4
Total 13/13 5 Titles 65 44 6 15 311 64

Polynesia Cup

Polynesia Cup Record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA
Samoa 1994 Champions 1st 3 3 0 0 10 1
Cook Islands 1998 Champions 1st 4 4 0 0 27 1
French Polynesia 2000 Champions 1st 4 4 0 0 30 2
Total 3/3 3 Titles 11 11 0 0 67 4

Coupe de l'Outre-Mer

Coupe de l'Outre-Mer Record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA
France 2008 Group Stage 7th 3 0 0 3 0 3
France 2010 Group Stage 6th 3 0 2 1 3 6
France 2012 Sixth Place 6th 4 2 0 2 6 7
Total 3/3 0 Titles 10 2 2 6 9 16

List of coaches

Players

Current Squad

The following players were called up for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – OFC Third Round matches against the Solomon Islands on November 7 and November 13, 2016.

Caps and goals updated as of 13 November 2016 after the second game against the Solomon Islands.

0#0 Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Mickaël Roche (1982-12-24) 24 December 1982 12 0 French Polynesia Tefana
16 1GK Steven Hiriga (1992-01-30) 30 January 1992 0 0 French Polynesia Tefana

2 2DF Taumihau Tiatia (1991-07-25) 25 July 1991 4 0 French Polynesia Tefana
4 2DF Matatia Paama (1992-10-03) 3 October 1992 2 0 French Polynesia Central Sport
5 2DF Ricky Aitamai (1991-12-22) 22 December 1991 8 0 French Polynesia Vénus
8 2DF Jonathan Tehau (1988-01-09) 9 January 1988 24 5 French Polynesia Tefana
18 2DF Tefai Faehau-Heitaa (1988-02-26) 26 February 1988 2 0 French Polynesia Vénus
19 2DF Valdo Yakeula 0 0 French Polynesia Central Sport

3 3MF Jay Warren (1989-05-04) 4 May 1989 4 0 French Polynesia Central Sport
6 3MF Tunoa Tavaerai (1992-06-18) 18 June 1992 2 0 French Polynesia Tefana
7 3MF Heirauarii Salem (1998-04-28) 28 April 1998 0 0 French Polynesia Pirae
9 3MF Tauhiti Keck (1994-08-01) 1 August 1994 5 1 French Polynesia Vénus
14 3MF Manuarii Hauata (1994-03-17) 17 March 1994 1 0 French Polynesia Central Sport
15 3MF Heimano Bourebare (1989-05-15) 15 May 1989 22 1 French Polynesia Tefana
20 3MF Alvin Tehau (1989-04-10) 10 April 1989 19 8 French Polynesia Tefana
3MF Henri Caroine (1981-09-07) 7 September 1981 12 0 New Caledonia Horizon Patho
3MF Lorenzo Tehau (1989-04-10) 10 April 1989 14 6 French Polynesia Tefana

10 4FW Teaonui Tehau (1992-09-01) 1 September 1992 22 13 French Polynesia Vénus
11 4FW Sylvain Graglia (1989-04-12) 12 April 1989 2 0 French Polynesia Tefana
12 4FW Mauarii Tehina (1993-10-16) 16 October 1993 2 0 French Polynesia Vénus
13 4FW Steevy Chong Hue (1990-01-26) 26 January 1990 26 8 French Polynesia Tefana
21 4FW Fred Tissot (1995-07-14) 14 July 1995 4 0 French Polynesia Central Sport

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to represent Tahiti within the last 12 months.

0#0 Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
2DF Rainui Aroita (1994-01-25) 25 January 1994 2 0 French Polynesia A.S. Tamarii Faa'aa
2DF Vincent Simon (1983-09-28) 28 September 1983 25 1 French Polynesia A.S. Dragon
2DF Nicolas Vallar (Captain) (1983-10-22) 22 October 1983 17 4 French Polynesia A.S. Tefana
2DF Raimana Dahlluin (1993-03-31) 31 March 1993 0 0 French Polynesia Central Sport

3MF Temarii Tinorua (1986-09-04) 4 September 1986 12 2 French Polynesia A.S. Tefana
3MF Tamatoa Tetauira (1996-04-17) 17 April 1996 2 0 French Polynesia A.S. Dragon

4FW Tauatua Lucas (1994-11-23) 23 November 1994 5 1 French Polynesia A.S. Tefana
4FW Fred Tissot (1995-07-14) 14 July 1995 3 0 French Polynesia Central Sport

References

  1. "Trophies in paradise". The Football Ramble. 2 October 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  2. "Tahiti ready for Confederations Cup". The Scotsman. 9 June 2013. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  3. "IN THE LAND OF GIANTS – Tahiti set for Confederations Cup adventure". Football Republika. 14 June 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  4. "Tahiti national football team". Road To Brazil. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  5. "Tahiti International Matches". Rsssf.com. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
  6. "Glorious Tahiti claim maiden Oceania crown". FIFA.com. 10 June 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  7. "Proud Tahiti No1 aims to enjoy Brazil challenge". FIFA.com. 14 March 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2013.
  8. "Nigeria 6 Tahiti 1". BBC Sport. 17 June 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  9. "Spain 10 Tahiti 0". BBC Sport. 20 June 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  10. "Uruguay 8 Tahiti 0". BBC Sport. 23 June 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  11. "Técnico confirma 'carisma' do Taiti e cumprimenta jornalistas na despedida". UOL Esporte (in Portuguese). 23 June 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  12. "Nada de pancadaria: 'fair play' do Taiti em goleada arranca elogios da Fúria". Globo Esporte (in Portuguese). 21 June 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
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