The 2011 Pacific Games soccer competition will no longer be part of the qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

It was originally planned that the Pacific Games in New Caledonia will be used as part of the qualification process, as had been the case in Samoa four years earlier.

But with Guam, a member of the Asian Football Confederation taking part in the Pacific Games it has left the Oceania Football Confederation Executive Committee with no other option.

OFC General Secretary Tai Nicholas said that FIFA has been very clear that they cannot approve a FIFA qualifying event where non OFC members are participating.

The qualifying round will now mean a revival of the OFC Nations Cup where eight countries - namely Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tahiti and Vanuatu will take part in a tournament based on a league system with semi finals and a final.

The tournament is scheduled for the 1st and 12th of June next year and the winner of the final will go on to represent OFC in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.


Story by: Dreu Vukaialgi