THE Oceania Football Confederation’s national teams have eagerly embraced the chance to challenge challenging opponents from across the globe in the FIFA Series over the past 10 days.
Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and New Zealand have all participated in the FIFA Series tournaments held in Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, respectively, and have lauded the initiative aimed at providing more opportunities for nations on the distant corners of the world to test and enhance their abilities.
The head coach of Papua New Guinea, Warren Moon, expressed his admiration for FIFA and the hosting countries for this innovative initiative, expressing hope for its continuation.
“I think it’s a brilliant initiative from FIFA. It obviously wouldn’t have happened if FIFA didn’t roll something like this out. I know it’s a pilot, it’s the first time it’s happened, but I can only see this being a positive, especially for countries like PNG,” said Moon ahead of their second match against the Central African Republic,” he said.
Despite suffering a 0-4 defeat to the formidable African opposition in their second match, following a credible 0-0 draw with hosts Sri Lanka in the opening match, Moon emphasized the significance of the opportunity provided.
“To get this kind of opportunity to come to a place like Sri Lanka, we’ve been treated really well, the organization’s been first class from FIFA, so I think it really gives the team something to look forward to,” Moon remarked.
Expressing gratitude for Papua New Guinea’s inclusion in the FIFA Series, Moon voiced hopes for continued invitations from FIFA, believing such initiatives could greatly benefit his nation.
“We hope it’s not the last time that FIFA invites us, because I think something like this can really benefit Papua New Guinea,” Moon emphasized.
The FIFA Series, backed by FIFA, facilitates member associations in arranging international friendly matches involving four national teams from different confederations in a single host country.
This endeavour provides FIFA Member Associations with a more frequent opportunity to engage with national teams from other continents, unlocking technical development opportunities previously inaccessible to many. The pilot edition of the FIFA Series featured national teams from all six confederations, with future editions planned during every March international match window of even years.
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