VANUATU NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM

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.

Contents

World Cup record

Oceania Nations Cup record

Important Players

World Cup record

★ 1930 to 1990 - ''Did not enter''

★ 1994 to 2006 - ''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 - qualified

Important Players

Etienne Mermer and Jean Victor Melab were the leading goalscorers for Vanuatu in World Cup qualifying in 2006 with 4 goals each. With these goals they propelled there team to top the group 2 table and make it into the second round, were they came in 6th place on the bottom of the table, but they did manage 2 draws and one victory in the tough group contaning regional powerhouses Australia. 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.