Vanuatu national football team

Vanuatu
	Shirt badge/Association crest
Association	Vanuatu Football Federation
Confederation	OFC (Oceania)
Head coach	Aad de Mos
Captain	Etienne Mermer
Home stadium	Korman Stadium
FIFA code	VAN
First colours	Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	150
Highest	131 (October 2007)
Lowest	188 (April 2000)
First international
	New Zealand 9 - 0 New Hebrides ; (Nouméa, New Caledonia; September 19, 1951)
Biggest win
	Vanuatu 18 - 0 Kiribati ; (Lautoka, Fiji; July 7, 2003)
Biggest defeat
	New Zealand 9 - 0 New Hebrides ; (Nouméa, New Caledonia; September 19, 1951)
OFC Nations Cup
Appearances	7 (first in 1973)
Best result	Fourth place, 1973, 2000, 2002

The Vanuatu national football team is the national team of Vanuatu and is controlled by the Vanuatu Football Federation. It was known as the New Hebrides national football team until the New Hebrides became Republic of Vanuatu in 1980. It finished fourth in the OFC Nations Cup in 1973, 2000, and 2002. In the 2004 Oceania Nations Cup, Vanuatu stunned New Zealand 4-2, preventing the regional powerhouse from making the final and, consequently, the running for the 2006 World Cup.

Vanuatu caused another shock in the 2007 South Pacific Games by knocking out the Solomon Islands (the lucky benefactors of Vanuatu's previous giant-killing) for bronze medal and also enable to enter the second stage of qualification for the OFC nation Cup and consequently a chance with a playoff for the FIFA world cup in South Africa 2010. The last time they had won against Solomon Islands was back in 1998 and had since been on the receiving side of many losses save for one draw against them. In July 2008, Vanuatu faced two national teams from the Solomon Islands during the inaugural edition of the Wantok Cup. Vanuatu lost 1-2 to the Solomons' team A, but defeated their team B by two goals to one.

On March 10, 2008, the Vanuatu Football Association surprised the world by declaring that Dutch Vitesse manager Aad de Mos will become their new head coach during their campaign for World Cup qualification.

World Cup record

1930 to 1990 - Did not enter
1994 to 2010 - Did not qualify

Oceania Nations Cup record

1973 - Fourth place
1980 - Round 1
1996 - Did not qualify
1998 - Round 1
2000 - Fourth place
2002 - Fourth place
2004 - Sixth place
2008 - TBD (Third or Fourth place)

South Pacific Games record

1963 - Round 1
1966 - Third place
1969 - Fifth place
1971 - Second place
1975 - Round 1
1979 - Quarter-final
1983 - Round 1
1987 - Fourth place
1991 - Fourth place
1995 - Fourth place
2003 - Third place
2007 - Third place

Wantok Cup record

2008 (July, 1st edition) - Second place

Important Players

Etienne Mermer and Jean Victor Maleb were the leading goalscorers for Vanuatu in 2004 Oceania Nations Cup (which doubles as a 2006 World Cup qualification tournament) with 4 goals each. Gavin McCarthy also scored a further 3 goals. With these goals they propelled there team to top the group 2 table and make the second stage of the qualification.

Etienne Mermer plays striker for the Vanuatu National Team and scored a hatrick in the game against American Samoa played on May 12th 2004, on May 15th 2004 he scored his last goal in world cup qualifying against Samoa.

Jean Victor Melab plays striker for the National team and he also scored 2 goals against American Samoa on May 12th 2004, he scored another goal on May 15th 2004 against Samoa, his last goal of world cup quailfying came against New Zealand on June 2nd 2004.

David Von Wheatsenberg of Ballinode, goalkeeper has gone on to play regularly with Dutch side AZ Alkmaar.

Important Solitary Upset Win in OFC History

At the second stage of the qualification tournament, Vanuatu came 6th place at the bottom of the table, but manage an important solitary win against regional powerhouses New Zealand which denied them an important group point needed to reach the third and final stages of OFC Nation Cup and an expected chance for a place in both the 2005 Confederation Cup and Continental & Intercontinental playoffs for the 2006 World Cup Finals. This allowed Solomon Islands to play Australia in the 2004 OFC Nations Cup Finals and the World Cup Continental Playoffs in 2005 when Solomon Islands manage a 2-2 draw with Australia in the last round of the second stage. Vanuatu's win created the first time opportunity for one of the Island Nations to contest at the Third Stage. This was previously contested only by Australia and New Zealand up to this point.

Current squad

The following players were selected for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification against Fiji on September 10 2008. Players are sorted by shirt number.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Club
1	1GK	Presley John Garae	5 April 1983	Tafea FC
2	2DF	Samson Obed		Tafea FC
3	2DF	Ken Masauvakalo	20 November 1984	Erakor Golden Star
5	2DF	Roger Joe	21 January 1986	Yatel F.C.
6	2DF	Rexley Tarivuti	1 December 1985	Yatel F.C.
7	3MF	Moise Poida	2 April 1978	Tafea FC
8	2DF	Pita David Maki	12 October 1982	Tafea FC
9	4FW	Jean Nako Naprapol		Tafea FC
10	3MF	Seimata Chilia	2 August 1978	Tupuji Imere F.C.
11	3MF	Hubert Nake		Tafea FC
12	4FW	Joseph Namaraiu
13	3MF	François Sakama		Tafea FC
14	3MF	Jeffry Nimanian
15	4FW	Michael Kaltack		Erakor Golden Star
17	2DF	Geoffrey Gete	3 August 1986	Tafea FC
18	2DF	Robert Tom		Tafea FC
19	2DF	Derek Malas		Erakor Golden Star
20	1GK	David Chilia	10 June 1978	Tafea FC

Recent call-ups

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Club
4	2DF	Peter Toa (WCQ v. Fiji, 6 September)
6	3MF	Fedy Vava (WCQ v. Fiji, 6 September)	25 November 1982	Tafea FC
11	3MF	Jean Robert Yelou (WCQ v. Fiji, 6 September)	25 September 1983	Amical F.C.
20	1GK	Chikau Mansale (WCQ v. Fiji, 6 September)		Logan United
16	3MF	Alphonse Qorig (WCQ v. New Caledonia, 21 June)	7 July 1981

Template:Fb start

Template:Fb end

External links

Vanuatu at the FIFA website.
Vanuatu at the OFC website.
VFF

vanuatu

v t e International association football
FIFA Federations Teams Competitions World Rankings The Best FIFA Football Awards Timeline
World (FIFA)	FIFA World Cup U-20 U-17 FIFA Confederations Cup FIFA Gold Cup Olympic Games Youth Olympic Games
Asia (AFC)	AFC Asian Cup U-23 U-20 U-17 AFC Challenge Cup AFC Solidarity Cup Asian Games Regional ASEAN CAFA EAFF SAFF WAFF Arabian Gulf Cup East Asian Games Far Eastern Games South Asian Games Southeast Asian Games West Asian Games
Africa (CAF)	CAF Africa Cup of Nations U-23 U-20 U-17 CAF African Nations Championship African Games Regional CECAFA COSAFA UNIFFAC WAFU Central African Games Indian Ocean Island Games
North America (CONCACAF)	CONCACAF Gold Cup U-23 U-20 U-17 U-15 CONCACAF Championship CONCACAF Nations League CONCACAF Cup NAFC Championship CCCF Championship Central America and Caribbean Games Regional North American Nations Cup Copa Centroamericana CFU Championship Caribbean Cup LIFA Cup WIFA Cup Central America Games
South America (CONMEBOL)	CONMEBOL Copa América U-23 U-20 U-17 U-15 South American Games Regional Bolivarian Games
Oceania (OFC)	OFC Nations Cup U-23 U-19 U-17 Regional Melanesia Cup Polynesia Cup Pacific Games Pacific Mini Games
Europe (UEFA)	UEFA European Championship U-21 U-19 U-17 UEFA Nations League Regional Central European Cup Balkan Cup Baltic Cup British Home Championship Nordic Championship
Inter-Continental	CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions CPF Panamerican Championship CAF-AFC Afro-Asian Cup of Nations AFC–OFC Challenge Cup FIFA Arab Cup Palestine Cup Kuneitra Cup Overseas Cup Afro-Asian Games Arab Games Francophone Games GANEFO Goodwill Games Islamic Games Islamic Solidarity Games Lusofonia Games Mediterranean Cup Mediterranean Games Pan American Games
Non-FIFA	CONIFA World Football Cup CONIFA European Football Cup CONIFA South America Football Cup CONIFA Africa Football Cup FIFI Wild Cup UIAFA Great European Tournament Island Games Micronesian Games Universiade World Unity Football Alliance
See also Geography Codes Player/Club of the Century Women's football

v t e National football teams of Oceania (OFC)
OFC Nations Cup
Active	American Samoa Cook Islands FS Micronesia² Fiji Kiribati¹ New Caledonia New Zealand Niue² Palau² Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands Tahiti Tonga Tuvalu¹ Vanuatu
Former	Australia (moved to AFC in 2006) Northern Mariana Islands³ (moved to AFC in 2009) Chinese Taipei (Taiwan)⁴ (returned to AFC in 1989)
¹ Associate member of OFC - Not a member of FIFA ² Not a member of OFC and consequently not a member of FIFA ³ Northern Mariana Islands was only an associate member of OFC between 1998 and 2009 - Not a member of FIFA ⁴ Although not geographically in Oceania, Chinese Taipei was a member of the OFC between 1976–1978 and 1982–1989 Although not geographically in Oceania Israel entered OFC World Cup qualification in 1986 and 1990 due to political reasons, though it never became a formal OFC member.