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Nauru Soccer Federation

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Nauru Soccer Federation
OFC
Founded2018; 6 years ago (2018)
FIFA affiliationN/A
OFC affiliationN/A
PresidentKaz Cain[1]

The Nauru Soccer Federation is the governing body of soccer in Nauru and is under the auspices of the Nauru Olympic Committee.[2][3] Nauru is not a member of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and is one of the few sovereign states that is not a member of FIFA but aims to become a member of both governing bodies.[4][5]

History

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In 2009 the Nauruan Minister of Sport Rayong Itsimaera indicated that the island nation desired to become a member of FIFA and the OFC wanted to accept them as a member but there were challenges preventing them from joining both bodies.[6] Around this time, the Nauru Soccer Federation had reportedly applied for membership in both the OFC and FIFA but was denied, presumably because of a lack of infrastructure and league system.[7]

When the OFC met in 2011 to discuss and plan the 2013 Pacific Youth and Sports Conference, the Nauru delegation attended along with representatives from thirteen other Pacific football associations.[8] In a December 2014 issue of The Blizzard-The Football Quarterly it was reported that the association existed and the then-president indicated that a Nauruan team practiced on the island's golf course.[9]

When Vanuatan Lambert Maltock was elected president of the OFC in 2019, the confederation indicated that funds were available to Nauru once the association has firm plans for developing the sport on the island.[10] The Nauru Soccer Association was formally created in 2018. By 2020, the association was beginning to organize soccer tournaments and other development activities on the island once again but progressed was slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic later that year.[2][11] In March 2021 it was announced that the Government of Australia was financing a number of sports programs in Nauru, including the OFC's Just Play Programme.[12]

The federation was relaunched as the Nauru Soccer Federation in 2023 under the auspices of the Nauru Olympic Committee with the goal of creating a grassroots soccer culture, fielding its first-ever national team, and eventually joining the Oceania Football Confederation and FIFA.[2] In December 2023, Charlie Pomroy was announced as the national team manager while Gareth Johnson, Director of Football for Cambodian League 2 club Angkor City FC, joined as Head of Federation. Also joining the project was Paul Watson. Nauru native Kaz Cain served as President.[1][13]

On 14 March 2024, former Premier League striker Dave Kitson was announced as Nauru's national team manager and international ambassador.[14][15][16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Nauru Soccer Federation Relaunched". Young Pioneers. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "About the Nauro Soccer Federation". Nauru Soccer Federation. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  3. ^ Schöggl, Hans. "Electronic Reachability of Football Associations". RSSSF. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Countries in Europe Without an Official FIFA Football Team – Part 1". Young Pioneers Tours. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  5. ^ Ewart, Richard. "Fake soccer league website turns spotlight on what is really happening on Nauru". ABC News. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  6. ^ Menary, Steve. "Micronesia is struggling to keep the game afloat". World Soccer. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  7. ^ Düerkop, Sascha. "The Associate Members of OFC – 0:3 for football". Football in Oceania. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  8. ^ "Heads meet to plot next PYASC". Oceania Football Confederation. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  9. ^ Watson, Paul (10 December 2014). "Nauru and the Marshall Islands: Football's Final Frontier". The Blizzard-The Football Quarterly (15). Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  10. ^ Ewart, Richard. "OFC spending plans give renewed hope to Kiribati and Tuvalu as they look to secure FIFA membership at last". ABC News. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  11. ^ Bjerkevoll, Ola. "This is the real state of soccer in Nauru". Football in Oceania. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  12. ^ "Team Up launches across the Pacific". Oceania Football Confederation. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  13. ^ Johnson, Gareth. "Football in Nauru 2024". Young Pioneer Tours. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  14. ^ "Nauru appoint former Premier League player". FOOTBALL IN OCEANIA. 14 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  15. ^ "Dave Kitson: Former Reading forward set to manage Nauru in first international match". BBC. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  16. ^ "Dave Kitson to coach Nauru football team - a team that doesn't exist yet". NZ Herald. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
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