Development and Accountability Needed for VFF

By Matthew Walter

When it comes to sport disciplines, soccer is number one in Vanuatu. It is well-loved and played throughout the archipelago. In the Oceania Region, Vanuatu is a contender and a powerhouse. However recent times have seen inconsistent performances at the international and club levels of Oceania football.

The lack of consistent development programs continues to thwart the country’s potential. Most recently the U-17 side were underwhelming at the recent World Cup Qualifying round in Tahiti .Raymond Nasse a Sport reporter for the Vanuatu Daily Post revealed that most of the U-17 players were selected from the Northern Region Academy with very few from Port Vila. This regional was created by the Vanuatu Football Federation’s (VFF) decision to suspend development programs in the Central and Southern football regions to concentrate on the U-20 team.

Recent results suggest this move was a poor decision and the VFF have drawn criticism for a failure to commit to development. They are short sighted in concentrating on tournaments and ignoring the importance of the development programs. This is not healthy for Vanuatu football. Nasse pointed out that the defeats in the Nations Cup were blamed on the poor facilities in Papua New Guinea. However, it fails to identify the facts that the team was not tactically strong and that it had not prepared well for the event. While other countries in the Pacific like Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands focused heavily on their preparations in playing friendly matches and bringing technical experts from the most football developed nations-Vanuatu took their preparations lightly.

If Vanuatu is serious about its football then something needs to be rectified. The VFF needs to re-look at its vision and mission. Networking is important. It has to foster ties with its major stakeholders, the Vanuatu Government, non-government organisations, business community, grassroots and the Oceania Football Confederation.

FIFA President Gianni Infantion said, “it is essential that a board spectrum of stakeholders participate in our discussion of this important topic-and that we at FIFA are optimally informed and supported as we look to the future.” They need to work with communities and the Ministry of Education to ensure that the development can be implemented effectively.

Moreover, VFF needs to strengthen both the Northern Region Academy and the Teouma Academy. Links should be made with football academies in the Oceania region, Australia, Asia and Europe to enable individual to taste the experience of football in other countries. While home grown professionals should not be undermined, it would be vital to recruit foreign coaches and technical advisers because of their vast knowledge and experiences. Last minute preparations should not be permitted.

All in All, football in Vanuatu has huge potential. Vanuatu has an abundance of young talented and skills players. It could achieve maximum benefits if it is managed and coordinated well. The Vanuatu Football Federation needs to take the leading role.