WORLD SERVICE“It was the first time that Tahiti
qualified and it was historic,” reflects
Teaonui Tehau. “That changed our lives.
We never thought that we were going
to play a World Cup. We only watched
it on TV. The fact of participating was
something unforgettable. We made
it click – everything was possible and
we said that we wanted to relive those
moments because those moments
were unforgettable and magical.”
That maiden participation in
the finals of a major tournament
was transformative for the national
team. Tahiti won the 2012 OFC
Cup and participated in the 2013
Confederations Cup, when four Tehaus
were part of the squad. They were
the whipping boys in Brazil, but the
experience was priceless. Three years
ago, the Tahitians were back at the
Under-20 World Cup to cap off a
golden decade.
The question
is: what comes
next? Can they
sustain that
success and
aim even
higher? Tehau
quips that more
of his family
members are on the way: his younger
brother Roonui played at the 2019
Under-20 World Cup in Poland, while
Garcia also has confidence in the next
generation. He singles out midfielder
Terai Bremond, 20, striker Eddy
Kaspard, 20, and Roonui from that
team, as well as defender Francois
Hapipi, 23. Kaspard and Hapipi are
two of four squad members to ply
their trade abroad, largely as semi-
professionals, while Bremond was
released by Toulouse last summer.Garcia wants more Tahitians playing
abroad, but the options are limited.
New Zealand’s top flight is amateur.
The country’s only professional club,
Wellington Phoenix, play in Australia,
where the Men’s A-League has a
maximum quota of five foreign players
per club. The solution, according to
Garcia, is to look east: “We are thinking
to send young players to the United
States, where they can study with a
scholarship, play well and develop.
That’s what we are thinking of today.”
His captain echoes his view. Tehau
says: “Sending players to the United
States could lift the level, and when
they return to the national team the
level can match that of New Zealand.”
Since Australia’s departure from
Oceania, defeating New Zealand
remains the Holy Grail. The All Whites
are now the continental superpower,but Garcia, Tehau and the Tahitians
know that the 48-team 2026 World
Cup changes the equation. “We lost
1-0 against New Zealand,” says Garcia.
“It wasn’t 8-0, 7-0. That must motivate
the federation. Why? At U17 and U20,
the OFC has two places for the World
Cup. In 2026, we will have1.5 spots.
The winner of the qualifiers will go
directly and the second one will play
the intercontinental play-off. We see
that New Zealand is higher, that’s
normal, but there is work to do.”Next generation...Terai Bremond at the Under-20 World Cup in 2019
Skipper...Teaonui
Tehau competes
withJavi Martinez
of Spain at the 2013
Confederations Cup“Sending players to the United
States could lift the level, and when
they return to the national team the
level can match that of New Zealand”
Tahiti captain Teaonui Tehau