Kiribati national football team
Association | Kiribati Islands Football Association | ||
---|---|---|---|
Confederation | ConIFA & OFC | ||
Head coach | Kevin McGreskin | ||
Most caps | Nabaruru Batiri (8) | ||
Top scorer | Lawrence Nemeia (2) | ||
Home stadium | Bairiki National Stadium | ||
| |||
First international | |||
Papua New Guinea 13–0 Kiribati (Suva, Fiji; 22 August 1979) | |||
Biggest win | |||
None | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
Fiji 24–0 Kiribati (Suva, Fiji; 24 August 1979) |
The Kiribati national football team is the national football team of Kiribati and is controlled by the Kiribati Islands Football Association. Kiribati is not a member of FIFA but is an associate member of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC),[1] and is therefore not eligible to enter the FIFA World Cup but may enter the OFC Nations Cup.[2] It became a provisional member of the N.F.-Board on 10 December 2005.
As of April 2012, Kiribati has played only ten games in its history, all at the South Pacific Games, two in 1979, four in 2003, and four in 2011. The biggest win for Fiji was against Kiribati, 24–0. Kiribati have yet to win an international match, and have never played at home, not least because there is no adequate playing ground suitable for an international match. Bairiki National Stadium is a sand pitch rather than a grass field. In ten games, Kiribati has scored four goals and conceded 122.[3]
In 2012, Scotsman Kevin McGreskin became the team's coach, with the aim of improving its results and obtaining recognition from FIFA.[3]
Background
Kiribati have only ever played 10 International matches up to 28 June 2012. Kiribati's first match took place in Fiji on 22 August 1979 when they played Papua New Guinea, losing 13–0 in a South Pacific Games match. The side have never won a match but came very close when they lost 3–2 to fellow minnows Tuvalu on 30 June 2003 in Pool A of the South Pacific Games in Fiji. Kiribati's only 2 goals in the 2011 Pacific games were scored by Karotu Bakaane versus Papua New Guinea and Erene Bakineti versus Tahiti; but in the 2003 competition both goals against Tuvalu came from Lawrence Nemeia on 26 minutes and 46 minutes.
Complete International Results
(Accurate as of 28 June 2012)
Date | Opponents | Score | Competition | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
22 August 1979 | Papua New Guinea | 0–13 | South Pacific Games | |
24 August 1979 | Fiji | 0–24 | South Pacific Games | |
5 September 1979 | Tuvalu | 3–3 (2:4) | South Pacific Games | |
30 June 2003 | Tuvalu | 2–3 | South Pacific Games – Pool A | |
3 July 2003 | Solomon Islands | 0–7 | South Pacific Games – Pool A | |
5 July 2003 | Fiji | 0–12 | South Pacific Games – Pool A | 4,000est. |
7 July 2003 | Vanuatu | 0–18 | South Pacific Games – Pool A | 2,000est |
30 August 2011 | Fiji | 0–9 | Pacific Games – Pool B | |
1 September 2011 | Cook Islands | 0–3 | Pacific Games – Pool B | |
3 September 2011 | Papua New Guinea | 1–17 | Pacific Games – Pool B | |
5 September 2011 | Tahiti | 1–17 | Pacific Games – Pool B |
South Pacific / Pacific Games record
Brief Record
- 1963 to 1975 – Did not enter
- 1979 – Round 1(1)
- 1983 to 1995 – Did not enter
- 2003 – Round 1
- 2007 – Did not enter
- 2011 – Round 1
(1) Represented by a club team.
Performances
Group One – 1979 | Pl | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Fiji | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 3 |
2 | Papua New Guinea | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 3 |
3 | Kiribati | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 0 |
Group A – 2003 | Pl | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Fiji | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 10 |
2 | Vanuatu | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 2 | 8 |
3 | Solomon Islands | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 4 | 7 |
4 | Tuvalu | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 3 |
5 | Kiribati | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 40 | 0 |
Group B – 2011 | Pl | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Fiji | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 12 |
2 | Tahiti | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 5 | 7 |
3 | Papua New Guinea | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 4 | 7 |
4 | Cook Islands | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 3 |
5 | Kiribati | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 46 | 0 |
Current squad
- Squad selected for the 2011 Pacific Games.[4]
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | GK | Tarariki Tarotu | 27 July 1974 | 6 | 0 | |||
21 | GK | Tiaon Miika | 3 | 0 | ||||
3 | DF | Kaake Kamta | 28 August 1980 | 3 | 0 | |||
4 | DF | Kaben Ioteba | 24 February 1992 | 4 | 0 | |||
5 | DF | Enri Tenukai | 4 | 0 | ||||
6 | DF | Nabaruru Batiri | 1 December 1984 | 8 | 0 | |||
12 | DF | Beniamina Kaintikuaba | 3 December 1993 | 2 | 0 | |||
16 | DF | Barurunteiti Kaiorake | 1 April 1980 | 1 | 0 | |||
7 | MF | Atanuea Eritara | 4 | 0 | ||||
9 | MF | Atino Baraniko | 1 | 0 | ||||
10 | MF | Jeff Jong | 3 | 0 | ||||
15 | MF | Martin Miriata | 4 | 0 | ||||
17 | MF | Biitamatang Keakea | 26 March 1989 | 4 | 0 | |||
18 | MF | Tongarua Akori | 30 June 1983 | 2 | 0 | |||
19 | MF | Lawrence Nemeia | 12 November 1977 | 8 | 2 | |||
14 | FW | Karotu Bakaane | 3 | 1 | ||||
13 | FW | Erene Bwakineti | 2 July 1982 | 3 | 1 | |||
8 | FW | Antin Nanotaake | 4 | 0 | ||||
11 | FW | Joseph Yan | 25 January 1993 | 3 | 0 |
See also
References
- ^ "Kiribati enjoying new adventure". OFC. Archived from the original on 6 September 2008. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
- ^ "OFC Statutes, Article 10, Section 2b" (PDF). OFC. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
- ^ a b "The hardest job in football?", BBC Sport, 20 April 2012
- ^ "Kiribati Official Team List". oceaniafootball.com. Oceania Football Confederation. Retrieved 25 May 2013.