Samoa eyes World Cup spot
The Samoa men's football team will depart Samoa for Fiji for a few friendly matches on Thursday as they prepare for the Oceania World Cup qualifiers.
Coach Jess Ibrom said his team was ready for the challenge. He said their preparation was running smoothly.
"It's going very very well, we've been training now for a few weeks. We have had our pre-selection trials here in Apia Samoa," he said.
"We are playing friendlies against Fiji behind closed doors on Saturday. That will give us great preparations that would prepare us well. Then we play a club team next Tuesday in Lautoka."
Samoa play Vanuatu in Port Vila (October 12), Tahiti in Hamilton (November 15), and New Zealand in Auckland (November 18), with the top two teams from Group B advancing to the semi-finals which will be hosted in New Zealand in March next year.
Ibrom said September’s qualifiers against American Samoa and Tonga in Apia was all about the result.
“There are no easy games in World Cup qualifying, in international football anymore. You see that throughout the world.
“There’s been upsets in the last month or so. We knew it was going to be tough and certainly we had the added pressure of playing on home soil. But yeah, we got over the line and we are very excited for the next phase,” Ibrom said.
Samoa’s upcoming match against Vanuatu poses a unique challenge, especially considering the vibrant and passionate football culture in Port Vila. The atmosphere is expected to be electric, with a crowd that will feel much bigger than the 5000 expected to pack VFF Freshwater Stadium.
“The pressure is on Vanuatu,” Ibrom said. “For us, it’s about enjoying the experience and competing with everything we’ve got. I was there with the Cook Islands U-19s. I know what an environment is like. I know it can be hostile towards the away team.”
“It’s a different level of competition. But a lot of the players that are involved played at the Pacific Games (in Honiara) and played Solomon Islands in the opening game, only lost 1-0. So, they’ve had several games this year, against Fiji, Tahiti, PNG.
“We’ll be match ready. But, like I say, the pressure’s not on us. The pressure’s on Vanuatu. They’re the home team.”
While Vanuatu poses the immediate challenge, Ibrom and his team have also started preparations for the November matches against Tahiti and New Zealand.
“Vanuatu is going to be an incredible experience, Tahiti in Hamilton and we want to tap into that Samoan community, in Auckland. It culminates with the All Whites. So, there’s no bigger fixture in this region, you’re playing against professional players.
“These guys play top-level elite football. Chris Wood, I mean, the list goes on and on, but what an experience for our players to showcase themselves against that level of elite talent. We’re under no illusions. There’s a massive gulf between New Zealand and the rest of the countries in this region, and there has been for several years,” Ibrom remarked.
For the first time Oceania has direct entry to the FIFA World Cup™ with the addition of a place in the FIFA Intercontinental Playoff for the team finishing as runners-up.
Ibrom believes it’s not unrealistic for his side to strive for that spot.
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