OFC Activity Report 2023

ACTIVITY REPORT 2023

President’s Foreword

With football at the heart of all we do, the Oceania Football Confederation hit the ground running with the new OFC Strategy 2023 – 2026 in place.

2023 represented the first implementation phase of the strategy, with a focus on our Member Associations (MAs), football development, and professionalisation. During this new phase, we collectively remained committed to OFC’s values of Excellence, Passion, Integrity, Empowerment, and Diversity to ensure key milestones were met.

It was also the first year we returned completely to normal post-pandemic with a full year of competition. The OFC U-17 Championship and OFC U-19 Women’s Championship were hosted in Fiji, the OFC Champions League Qualifying Stage in Samoa, the OFC Champions League Final Stage in Vanuatu, the OFC U-16 Women’s Championship and Beach Soccer Nations Cup in Tahiti and the OFC Men’s Olympic Qualifier and OFC Futsal Nations Cup in New Zealand. The highlight of a full competition year was the launch of the Inaugural OFC Women’s Champions League, held in Papua New Guinea.

In March, I had the privilege of being re-elected as the OFC president for a new term, and I pledged to drive three priorities over the next four years. My first priority is Development and Education, with our MAs prioritised to improve and professionalise their respective management and administration. Secondly, my commitment to High Performance will be centred around the OFC Professional League to be launched by 2026. My third priority is Good Governance, which must be upheld at the core of all our MAs.

My congratulations again to New Zealand Football (NZF) President Johanna Wood and Fiji Football Association (FFA) President Rajesh Patel, who were unopposed in reelecting OFC’s two FIFA council representatives for a second team.

The 29th OFC Ordinary Congress was hosted on July 19th in Auckland, on the eve of the FIFA Women’s World Cup opening, which kicked off at Eden Park. We had the great privilege of hosting FIFA President Gianni Infantino, FIFA Council Members, and our confederation delegates.

History was made with the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ 2023, hosted for the first time ever in Oceania. The tournament took Australia and New Zealand by storm, attracting record crowds and television audiences. It proved that the women’s game had made momentous progress in bridging the gap that exists with the men’s game. I would like to commend NZF and congratulate them on a job well done as co-hosts.

During the Women’s World Cup, OFC and its Member Associations had the privilege of welcoming FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who visited all 11 MAs and discussed football development and leadership. FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura was hosted in Vanuatu and New Caledonia alongside her delegation, and the focus was tailored to women’s football and women in leadership.

OFC expanded its approach in international relations and signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF), which focuses on three pillars: Women’s Football, Futsal and Beach Soccer. The recent development of women’s football in Saudi Arabia with the launch of a women’s football league and the establishment of the women’s national team is truly commendable, and our approach will involve expanding this further with SAFF to share our expertise in this area.

Other areas explored between OFC and SAFF will include general management, football management, marketing and commercial activities, sports facilities, coach development, referees, and video assistant referees (VAR).

In August, a significant achievement was made in gender equity in football, as OFC joined forces with the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. This collaborative approach will accelerate gender equity in football through a sport-for-development approach and deliver a series of initiatives across the Pacific. Ultimately, to ensure the power of sport in the region is harnessed to advance gender justice by promoting women and girls’ leadership, raising female voices, and ending violence against women and girls.

The OFC Professional League project continued to be at the forefront in 2023. The proposal was approved by the OFC Executive Committee in November 2022 following FIFA’s support for the concept at the 28th OFC Ordinary Congress. The Professional League will lead change and inspire a new generation of professional footballers across Oceania.

I thank FIFA and all of OFC’s partners: the New Zealand and Australian Governments, UEFA Assist, UEFA Foundation for Children, UNICEF, UN Women, Laureus Sport for Good, Football Australia, and Score Sportswear Limited (Lotto)for their confidence and support.

OFC remains deeply committed to our football, people, culture, and communities across Oceania, and we are determined to qualify two teams at the FIFA World Cup™ 2026 and FIFA Women’s World Cup™ 2027, respectively.

Lambert Maltock OFC President

General Secretary’s Foreword

Our commitment to the strategic pillars of Development, Education and High Performance paved the way for key advancements in 2023.

Under the development pillar, OFC strives to increase and improve representation and performance in international competitions. In this area, we have achieved this goal by equalising funding dedicated to Women’s and Men’s football performance, elevating the women’s game to newer levels. Just as vital was the expansion of both the male and female national academies, providing full-time environments for youth footballers. This will play a key role in increasing representation at international academies.

The OFC administration continued to elevate the standards of the strategic pillar ‘Education’ to meet the needs of all football stakeholders.

The launch of the OFC Executive programme, designed to reinforce Member Association (MA) leaders during a time of tremendous organisational growth, has met clear deliverables in this pillar.

As a further commitment to Education, OFC Learn continues to expand. In November, OFC hosted the OFC Learn Coaches Conference, which featured the top coaches in the world sharing knowledge and expertise from grassroots to elite levels. This learning tool is playing a huge part in changing the capability-building landscape on and off the pitch.

Delivering the Pro Licence Coaching Diploma in Oceania, a significant first for OFC, was a fundamental milestone. This top-level coaching diploma was launched in partnership with New Zealand Football (NZF).

Within the high-performance pillar, growing the game and providing positive experiences for all involved is a top goal in our strategy. Important achievements were met on the international stage. 15 Senior national teams from across OFC MAs played at least three matches, a testament to the game’s continued growth.

A further evolution was made to enhance the game’s growth with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between OFC and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF). This will expand opportunities and grow the experiences in playing international teams in Women’s Football, Futsal, Beach Soccer, General and Football Management, VAR and other knowledge exchange categories.

With the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ 2023 co-hosted in Australia and New Zealand, the OFC Legacy Programme successfully leveraged opportunities to bring women’s football to the forefront in the Pacific and open pathways to grow the game from grassroots to the elite levels.

OFC’s partnership with Laureus Sport for Good was crucial to evolving the Pacific legacy to grow the game and increase positive experiences by working together to end gender-based violence. Working closely with Laureus, we aim to strengthen young women and girls’ self-confidence and build on existing training, mentoring, leadership, and coaching to build capacity and create opportunities for female coaches, leaders, and community role models.

Most significantly as a commitment to excellence is the OFC Professional League. The impact of a 2-year period of the COVID-19 pandemic led to our MAs being unable to compete which limited the impact of high performance in the areas of both football and corporate governance. There is an emergency to professionalise our football on and off the pitch to foster better performances and to grow the game on the international stage. The Professional League is the catalyst project to create this paradigm shift from amateur to professional football.

As always, we are thankful for the continued collaboration with our fellow confederations UEFA, AFC, CONCACAF, CAF and CONMEBOL.

A big thank you to FIFA and our partners: the New Zealand and Australian Governments, UEFA Assist, UEFA Foundation for Children, UNICEF, UN Women, Laureus Sport for Good, Football Australia and Score Sportswear Limited (Lotto) for their confidence and support.

Franck Castillo OFC General Secretary

Chief of Football’s Report

2023 focused on key deliverables for the football division to enhance professionalisation in football, involving as many people as possible in the game and working alongside the operations division to reach our confederation goals.

“This is How We Football” continued to expand across the region and was notably key in introducing fan festivals across Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu during the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ 2023. At the 2023 Global Awards, OFC was awarded the Gold award for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and a Silver for the OFC Growing Nui Pasifika Leaders Programme, a true indication of the efforts to continue elevating the women’s game to newer levels.

A first in the refereeing space, OFC delivered an Elite Women’s Refereeing course, which is the most significant refereeing workshop ever held in the history of the confederation. It adheres to the strategy’s pillars of Development and High Performance.

Breakthroughs continued to be made with VAR, and the MOU with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) will play a significant role in advancements in this space and will open many opportunities for practical experiences. Other opportunities will be explored and expanded within general Football Management, Sports Facilities and Coach Development.

A major advancement in accelerating the global standards for elite coaches saw OFC and New Zealand Football (NZF) join forces to deliver the first-ever Pro Licence coaching diploma in Oceania. Since the launch of OFC Learn, the introduction of Goalkeeping Licence courses, and the launch of the OFC Learn Coaches Conference in 2022, this

was the next step in providing positive learning experiences for all coaches.

OFC embarked on a new phase for the OFC Professional League by drafting the Club Application process. We continue to cement our commitment to the Professional League as it is a crucial milestone for professionalisation on the pitch. Concretely to OFC this means professional players, professional teams and professional football across Oceania.

2023 also marked a significant milestone for OFC in the football-for-good space with the launch of the Power of Football Strategy. This strategy is crucial in maximising football’s positive contributions to the well-being of individuals and communities across the Pacific.

I want to thank my division for an excellent 2023 and their continued efforts in driving towards high performance both on and off the pitch.

As we look forward to 2024, our strategic goals remain to increase and improve representation and performance in international competitions, foster capability building, and deliver positive experiences for all involved in the game.

Patrick Jacquemet OFC Chief of Football

Women’s Football

To foster community engagement and participation in football across the region, ‘This Is How We Football’ participation programmes were launched at the beginning of the year. Initiatives were implemented to support new and ongoing participation programs in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and the Solomon Islands.

The unfolding of significant events in women’s football across the Confederation included the successful inauguration of the OFC Women’s Champions League in Port Moresby and the ongoing OFC Women’s U-19 Championship in Fiji. Positive feedback from participants has highlighted the substantial potential for growth in women’s football.

The ongoing success of “This Is How We Football” has been instrumental in demonstrating the diverse ways the Pacific region engages with and supports the FIFA Women’s World Cup™. Additionally, collaborative efforts between FIFA and OFC facilitated the establishment of festival fan zones across 3 MAs during crucial stages of the tournament, reinforcing community engagement and celebration.

Recognition for OFC’s Women’s Football was underscored by their achievements at the 2023 Global Awards. OFC’s Women’s Football collaborative programs with the Capability Group earned prestigious accolades, notably the gold award for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

The multifaceted efforts and accomplishments detailed above reflect the ongoing commitment and success in fostering the growth and inclusivity of women’s football across the Oceania region.

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7

MAs have a Women’s National League with at least 10 games a season: COK, FIJ, NCL, NZL, PNG, SAM, SOL, TAH.

MAs have Youth Leagues for females in minimum of two classifications with at least 10 games per league per season: ASA, COK, FIJ, NCL, NZL, SAM, TAH.

5 teams competed at the inaugural OFC Women’s Champions League in Papua New Guinea.

Equal funding dedicated to Women’s Football and Men’s performance programmes.

Player Development

2023 saw several exciting and innovative initiatives, projects, and programs across the 11 Member Associations (MAs) to grow the game, recruit and retain playing memberships and increase the capability and capacity of coaches.

On the eve of the FIFA Women’s World Cup across New Zealand and Australia, New Zealand Football (NZF) took another bold and ambitious step forward in investigating bicultural and multiculturalism across their football landscape. Through an innovative approach utilising Māori origin stories and international migration, the Kotuitui | Connecting in-school program was launched nationally in April across 135 schools. The program includes academic learning and practical football lessons to reinforce the learning outcomes of key topics of Rights and Responsibilities, Community and Connections, Understanding Others, Understanding Immigration and Valuing Uniqueness. Underpinning the program is the desire to engage school-aged children that may not be actively participating in football in their communities in a way to grow the game and provide a positive experience for all involved.

In another exciting step forward, following the 2022 Totolo Futupolo National Football Curriculum launch in Fiji, 10 Regional Coordinators from across Fiji were tasked with trialling the Development League concept at the BA Football Academy with 30 teams and 168 players. The League across 3 districts consists of 160 teams, including players in the U-9, U-11, U-13, and U-15 age groups, with a target of 2,320 players.

The league’s official national launch was conducted at Albert Park in Suva the following weekend and endorsed by Fiji Football legend and national team captain, Roy Krishna. Complementing the league launch, the FFA Skills Challenge Awards was also launched and saw over 100 young players gain awards for Juggling, Shooting and Running with the Ball. The year in Fiji saw the introduction of the next level of the Development League with the All-Stars Weekend bringing together a further 150 young players to participate in a range of challenges, 1v1 competitions and small-sided games.

Further MA visitations introduced the OFC Player Development Model and PLAY methodology through a Player Development workshop series. The Player Development workshops were conducted in Vanuatu and Solomon Islands with the future view of developing a culturally and contextually relevant holistic player development curriculum.

Concluding the 2023 calendar year saw 9 out of 11 Player Development officers (Grassroots and Youth Football) come together in a 3-day OFC Player Development workshop with a clear theme underpinning the event. Play Like the Stars – Nurturing success on the field of Play and in the field of Life. Topics ranged from Social Responsibility, Goalkeeping, Futsal, Clubs and Leagues, Marketing and Women’s Football.

28,502

boys and girls attended and participated in 72 organised grassroots football festivals.

1ST OFC Player Development workshop since 2017 with 9 of the MA Player Development officers attending.

271 124

Development and Skills Centres across 11 MAs regularly involving 54,797 6–12-year-old players including 11,839 girls frequenting the programs.

Grassroots Football leagues for 6–12-year-olds facilitated involving 910 teams, totalling 7,252 players with 4,841 boys and 2,243 girls involved in weekly game days.

255

Youth Football Development and or Skills Centres across 11 MAs regularly involving 3,566 13-16-year-old players including 2,050 boys and 1,516 girls frequenting the programs weekly.

397

Youth boys and girls football teams competed in local, regional, or national competitions involving 27,029 players.

328

Grassroots and Youth coaching course attendees across 11 MAs, with 176 Grassroots and 152 Youth certifications gained.

88 National and regional Player Development Officers covering Grassroots and Youth Football active across 11 MAs.

31 Grassroots Football tournaments recorded with 2,691 boys and girls taking part across 11 MAs.

Goalkeeping

As a commitment to the OFC Strategic Pillar ‘Development’ and having all Member Association (MA) representatives improving their preparation to perform at OFC competitions, a focus area for Goalkeeping in 2023 was the Goalkeeping C License.

In March, OFC and New Zealand Football Federation (NZF) held a C Licence Coaching Course in Wellington where participants took part in online modules, practical and theoretical learning sessions over the span of four days.

An OFC Goalkeeping C Licence course was held in Ba in Fiji in July. All candidates delivered a Festival of Goalkeeping where more than 60 kids had an opportunity to experience and improve their goalkeeping skills.

OFC Goalkeeping visited New Caledonia in June 2023 with three key objectives. One was to assess and support the U-17 Goalkeepers and their training plans leading up to the FIFA U-17 World Cup™ in November and December. The second was to assess the state of Fédération Calédonienne de Football (FCF) Goalkeeping and the third to assess and support the Goalkeeping Centre for Perfection.

OFC Goalkeeping B Licence work continued with NZF to deliver part one early in 2024 with part two later in the same year. The course will involve a range of on-course learning, distance learning tasks plus final assessments.

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MAs have coaches with a minimum Goalkeeping C License working in performance environments: NCL, NZL, FTF, TGA, FFA.

A Goalkeeper Course conducted in Fiji with participants from PNG in attendance (one male, one female).

Futsal

For the first time since 2019, the OFC Futsal Nations Cup was contested with a place at the FIFA Futsal World Cup™ at stake. Hosted in Auckland, New Zealand and with 8 teams participating, the host nation Kiwis won their second successive Futsal Nations Cup, this time securing a berth at the FIFA Futsal World Cup™ 2024, to be played in Uzbekistan.

Following a dramatic victory over Futsal giants Solomon Islands in the semi-finals, New Zealand met the impressive Tahiti in the final, turning on the style to win 5-0 and take home the trophy.

The OFC Futsal Champions League – originally scheduled for December of 2023 – was rescheduled, to be held in April 2024 in New Caledonia.

Member Associations (MAs) from across the region enjoyed international futsal experience throughout the year. Solomon Islands travelled to Australia to play a three-match series in the PacificAus Sports International Futsal Series, registering a draw and two defeats against the hosts.

Later in the year, the Kurukuru were part of the 2023 Continental Futsal Championship in Thailand, finishing with defeat to Mozambique in the Play-off for 5th place.

New Zealand also faced international opponents when they played China, winning both encounters in their two-match series.

Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Solomon Islands contested the Melanesian Cup in Fiji in April, with the Solomon Islands proving too strong in the final against Vanuatu, winning 5-1.

coaches have acquired the OFC Futsal C License qualification as the development and passion for the game continues to grow across the region.

Men’s teams participating in OFC Futsal tournaments: FIJ, NCL, NZL, SAM, SOL TAH, TGA, VAN.

Beach Soccer

Beach Soccer continued to grow across Oceania in 2023, with the OFC Beach Soccer Nations Cup 2023 in Tahiti the highlight of the year.

Four nations took part in Papeete, with the hosts proving to be the outstanding side once again, securing the title with a comprehensive 7-0 victory over the Solomon Islands in the final. Fiji capped off an impressive week, taking third place with a win over Tonga.

Through the support of FIFA and Beach Soccer advisor Angelo Schirinzi, OFC held a development workshop during the Beach Soccer Nations Cup in Tahiti, with all Member Associations (MAs) invited to send a Beach Soccer representative to share knowledge and their vision for the sport in their respective territories.

Angelo Schirinzi also provided support to each participating side in the Beach Soccer Nations Cup, spending a week in each country, as well as time at OFC Home of Football in Auckland to work alongside the football division in identifying potential areas of growth for the game.

Beach Soccer facilities and infrastructure continue to grow in the Pacific, with the Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) completing construction of a new pitch, whilst Fiji Football Association (FFA) broke ground on their new facility in Ba.

Facilities are a key element in helping to develop Beach Soccer in Oceania, with more MAs accelerating their progress in facility development.

As a strategic commitment to increase and improve OFC representation and performance at international competitions, the focus on domestic competitions have resulted in significant growth, with Tonga approving both a men and women’s competition, whilst Solomon Islands, Fiji and Tahiti have their men’s tournaments established.

MAs are continuing to make use of the $30,000 made available to each member through OFC’s Development Programme.

4 teams at the OFC Beach Soccer Nations Cup: SOL, TGA, FIJ, TAH.

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MAs represented at the OFC Beach Soccer Development Workshop: FIJ, NCL, PNG, TAH, TGA, VAN.

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MAs have National Men’s Beach Soccer tournaments established: SOL, TGA, FIJ, TAH. MA national team training camps with Beach Soccer expert Angelo Schirinzi.

Clubs and Leagues

The continuation of the OFC Professional League Taskforce reaffirms OFC’s commitment to increasing and improving OFC representation and performance in international competitions.

The collaborative efforts of the Taskforce members have significantly contributed to the growth and exploration of the possibility of professional level, and we intend to launch as a platform for players, coaches, clubs, and club management personnel from across OFC in 2025.

A significant milestone was the establishment of the OFC Women’s Champions League, with the inaugural event taking place in Papua New Guinea. This ground-breaking initiative is a testament to OFC’s dedication to growing the game, creating positive experiences, and promoting gender equality in football.

By providing a platform specifically for women athletes to compete at the highest level of club football, OFC is empowering a new generation of female footballers. The inaugural tournament not only displayed exceptional skills but also highlighted the potential and talent that exists within the women’s football community.

Contributing to leaving a legacy in football through education, OFC Clubs and Leagues have successfully transitioned educational initiatives into the hub of education, OFC Learn.

OFC Clubs and Leagues hosted a series of interactive online workshops that brought together football managers, coaches, and club executives from diverse football leagues of the Pacific. These workshops, including the Gender Equality Playbook, served as platforms for sharing expertise, discussing emerging trends in club management, and fostering a sense of connection within the football community.

In 2023, OFC supported the delivery of FIFA League Development and FIFA Club Licensing events in New Caledonia and Fiji through content design, co-delivery, and postevent monitoring and support. These events not only provided a platform for the education of club staff but also fostered international collaboration and friendship among club managers and other officials, focusing on key areas to help develop national domestic football.

Looking ahead, OFC Clubs and Leagues will continue to contribute to high performance through Club Development and modules through the OFC Learn platform.

2 Extension Modules created using OFC Learn as the Platform.

1

Annual Club Licensing Seminar hosted.

1

Introduction to Club Management workshop hosted online for all 11 MAs.

Continuation of OFC Professional League Taskforce with a total of 26 meetings per year.

Education

OFC Learn—OFC’s online education platform—continues to grow, with a total of 3,312 registered participants, a 28% growth since 2022, and 20% of those being female.

In November, OFC hosted the OFC Learn Coaches Conference, with over 300 registering for the online conference, featuring some of the top coaches in the world, sharing their knowledge and expertise on everything from grassroots to youth to the professional game.

Headlined by FIFA High-Performance Specialist April Heinrich and Australia National Women’s team Assistant Coach Melissa Andreatta, the conference offered a range of topics for discussion, catering to both beginner coaches and experienced ones alike.

Ten Member Associations have been involved in the OFC Education Centre – all signing up to the OFC Coaching Convention – with 3,700 learners participating.

A new era dawned with the launch of the first-ever Pro Licence Coaching Diploma in Oceania. OFC and New Zealand Football (NZF) delivered the first-ever Pro Licence Diploma module between 6 and 10 March. As part of the first module, 16 coaches learned the role of a professional coach with support from real-life experiences and case studies. Subjects based on self-awareness and coach wellbeing were a huge part of the five-day event.

Case studies included observing a professional sporting environment from another code, with the participants spending time with the Crusaders Super Rugby side in May.

The group’s session in October was a workshop with the NZ Police focused on “leading culture,” including observing “Special Tactics Group” training on diffusing hostage situations. The objective was to build the capability of coaches to effectively communicate and make quick decisions in high performing environments with pressure.

Upon completion of the course, successful candidates demonstrated knowledge and competencies on topics related to leading self, others, and culture, the business of football, and the latest trends in world football.

Samoa played host to the OFC Coach Educator Programme, which has resulted in 20 new Coach Educators, allowing for more coaching courses to be delivered across the region in the future.

This marks the first course of its kind being held in the region, with the licence representing the pinnacle of the coaching pathway.

10 16 20 3,312

registered users on OFC Learn with a 28% growth since 2022.

MAs as part of the OFC Education Centre, with 70% of plans delivered (All MAs except FFAS).

coaches attended an OFC Pro Licence Course, with 100% of action plans completed.

Coach Educators took part in OFC Coach Educator Programme in Samoa.

High Performance

2023 saw five Technical Study Groups held – at the OFC U-17 Championship, OFC Beach Soccer Nations Cup, OFC U-16 Women’s Championship, OFC U-19 Women’s Championship and OFC Futsal Nations Cup – with 30 participants from across our Member Associations (MAs) taking part.

Nine nations across the region have benefitted from involvement in the FIFA Talent Development Scheme. As part of the scheme, MAs will receive base funding and additional project funding, in addition to support from a Talent Coach supporting their national team and high-performance coaches on a full-time basis.

OFC Home of Football, Te Kahu o Kiwa played host to the OFC U-15 Boys Development tournament, held in partnership with UEFA Assist. Seven teams participated, including Liechtenstein as a guest team from Europe.

The tournament provided young players with the experience of participating in an international tournament format, including the challenges of travel, competitive matches, and training. Young coaches and officials also benefited from the challenges associated with an international environment.

On the international front, OFC had 15 senior national teams from our MAs playing at least 3 matches, a sign of the continued growth of Oceania football beyond our region. New Zealand’s Football Ferns represented Oceania at the FIFA Women’s World Cup with New Zealand co-hosting the tournament alongside Australia. New Zealand and Fiji represented Oceania at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina while New Zealand and New Caledonia played at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Indonesia.

Five players – all Fijian-based - were given the opportunity to spend time in player scholarship placements at professional clubs, in New Zealand – Wellington Phoenix - and the United States of America – Orlando Pride.

Across the Tasman, there was an increased spotlight on Oceania football talent, with Vanuatu captain Brian Kaltak playing a pivotal role in the Central Coast Mariners’ impressive Men’s A-League Grand Final success over Melbourne City in June.

Elite youth development also showed continued growth in 2023, with seven national academies – New Zealand (2), Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Tahiti, Papua New Guinea - now providing full development environments for youth footballers.

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MAs with High Performance Plans for the cycle: VFF, FFA, FTF, FCF, TFA.

6 6 5

MAs used Video Analysis to support team, player, and coach development.

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MAs with written National Playing & Coaching Philosophy: NZF, TFA, FFA, FCF, FTF, SIFF, VFF.

Technical Study Groups held. senior national teams playing at least 3 matches

MAs with a contracted staff member with focus on High Performance: VFF, FFA, FCF, SIFF, NZF, FTF.

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Refereeing

2023 was another busy and productive year for refereeing across Oceania. Several courses and programmes were delivered to further develop and grow the capacity of officials in the region.

Refereeing schools’ programmes were rolled out in American Samoa, Cook Islands and Tonga. These programmes aim to encourage better knowledge of the game’s laws and to help grow participation levels from an early age.

Four online VAR courses were delivered in 2023 – two in October and two in November – offering both theory and practical sessions for participants as video technology continues to play an increasingly influential role in football across all confederations.

The recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) will allow for more opportunities in the future for practical experience for officials outside of Oceania, including increased use of VAR.

The OFC Futsal Nations Cup 2023 – hosted by New Zealand in October – saw several officials from outside the region invited to be part of the refereeing team. Officials from Saudi Arabia, Oman and Vietnam formed part of the OFC team, allowing for increased development and knowledge sharing between officials from within and outside our confederation.

The OFC U-15 Boys Development Tournament in Auckland in April provided an excellent opportunity for younger officials to gain valuable experience in refereeing in an international event. Referees who took part officiated in three further tournaments throughout 2023.

Eight officials who participated in the U-15 tournament were appointed roles at the OFC Women’s Champions League 2023 in Papua New Guinea and OFC U-16 Women’s Championship 2023 in Tahiti, respectively.

2023 also saw the first-time women officials take charge in a men’s tournament, with two appointments at the OFC Champions League 2023 in Vanuatu in May.

In November, OFC delivered a Pre-Elite Women’s Referee course and a Fitness Instructor course concurrently in Auckland. Ten officials from the OFC Refereeing Academy Programme were selected to participate in the three-day workshop, which included theory and practical sessions. The workshop also included hearing from OFC referee Anna-Marie Keighley on her experience of officiating in three FIFA Women’s World Cups.

As part of an increased focus on improving fitness instructor resources, OFC is working alongside Auckland University of Technology to develop a fitness instructor qualification that will help boost the number of qualified fitness instructors throughout the region.

1 MA established a Referee Academy: Tonga.

MA has created an Action Learning Group to start their own Academy programme: Vanuatu. OFC trio appointed at FWWC™ 2023: Anne-Maria Keighley, Sarah Jones & Maria Salamasina.

30% increase in the number of participants in the Futsal / Beach Soccer Referee Assessors / Instructors Course.

30%

30%

1 1 30%

increase in MA trio’s: FIJ, NCL, NZL, PNG, SAM, SOL.

increase in Women Officials in OFC Tier 1 Competitions: 3 to U-17M (FIJ), 3 to OFC Men’s Champions League (VAN) & 6 to the Pacific Games (SOL).

increase in the number of participants in the Introduction to Futsal / Beach Soccer Courses in MAs.

Social Responsibility

2023 saw the launch of OFC’s new Power of Football Strategy which builds from the foundation of over 10 years of football-for-good activity to ensure we maximise the positive contributions football makes to the wellbeing of individuals and communities across the Pacific. The strategy has been aligned with the United Nations Agenda 2030, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Pacific Framework for Resilient Development by prioritising activity under four pillars:

• An Inclusive Oceania: increased participation opportunities for women and girls and people with disabilities

• A Healthy Oceania: ensuring football leaves a lasting positive impact on the physical and mental health of all involved

• A Resilient Oceania: mitigating the climate impact of football and increasing community preparedness and resilience to natural disasters

• A Flourishing Oceania: support building skill, capability and enhancing the economic contributions of football in the Pacific.

An Inclusive Oceania

Safeguarding

A key priority for OFC has been the introduction of the OFC Safeguarding Programme to ensure football is delivered safely and that OFC and our Member Associations (MAs) are equipped to respond to incidents as they arise. A regional safeguarding working group was developed in 2023 with a safeguarding focal point in 10 MAs and 1 Associated Member.

In October 2023, OFC’s Social Responsibility represented the Oceania region at the Inaugural FIFA Safeguarding Summit in Zurich. This was an opportunity for discussion among Confederations, providing global exposure of OFC’s work in safeguarding. During this Summit OFC participated in a meeting with the five Confederations and FIFA to discuss current successes and challenges in the safeguarding space, agreeing to meet on an ongoing basis to share best practices and experiences.

Gender Equality

Gender Equality was a key focus for OFC’s Social Responsibility (SR) department in 2023, leveraging off the momentum of hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ 2023 (WWC) in Australia and New Zealand.

This included the launch of a best-practice resource on promoting gender equality in football in the Gender Equality Playbook (https://www.oceaniafootball.com/cms/wp-content/ uploads/2022/11/OFC_GenderEquality_Playbook_A4_FinalArt.pdf ), the launch of a new female participation programme This Is How We Football, and bringing new partners into our network including UN Women and Laureus Sport for Good who will support ongoing efforts to promote gender equality and eliminate violence against women and girls.

Inclusive Key Outcomes

people participated in the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ Legacy Programme.

78,028 18 5,394 414 24 315 16 315 500+

team officials trained in safeguarding at OFC Competitions.

people attended World Cup Fan Zones in the Pacific.

women trained in the Women in Media Programme.

people attended Gender Equality Playbook Workshops.

participants, including 8 youth leaders, attended the Legacy Activation and Capacity Building initiative, Festival 23.

players trained in safeguarding at two OFC Competitions (U-19W and U-16W).

football and support staff, coaches and athletes participated in Gender Equality playbook activations.

girls regularly participated in “This Is How We Football” programmes across FIJ, SAM, and TGA.

Launch of This Is How We Football in 12 communities across 3 countries: FIJ, SAM, TGA .

The Regional Safeguarding campaign reached 58,480 people on social media .

Social Responsibility

A Healthy Oceania

The Just Play Health and WASH curriculum focus area reached more than 90,000 people across the Pacific through delivery in 8 countries including the launch of the programme in Kiribati in 2023, and via digital campaigns and country festivals.

A Resilient Oceania

In 2022 the Just Play Emergency Response programme was delivered in Tonga by Tonga Football Federation (TFF) to support communities in their recovery from the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai eruption and Tsunami.

Following the programme’s success in Tonga, the Tonga Just Play Team led instruction and training on the emergency programme in Vanuatu in 2023 to support the recovery after twin cyclones hit within 72 hours in March. Vanuatu Football Federation (VFF) also engaged in emergency response delivery following a third cyclone in 2023.

In October 2023, OFC presented the work of the Just Play Emergency Programme to support wellbeing at the SPC Pacific Resilience Meeting 2023.

OFC is increasing its focus on this area as a key challenge facing our region with discussions with UNICEF Pacific around further support for emergency response and the launch of an emergency Preparedness Just Play Curriculum due in 2024.

A Flourishing Oceania

Enhancing capacity and capability is a key priority for our social responsibility initiatives. In 2023 over 700 volunteers and coaches were trained to deliver Just Play with over 53% of those being female. Further programmes also focussed on enhanced employability for women including the Women In Media Programme which was 24 women given training and experience in commentary and mobile journalism at the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ 2023.

Healthy Key Outcomes

12% 25% 16%

increase in children who attend the Just Play Programme eating fruits and vegetables every day.

increase in those participating in the Just Play Programme bringing water bottles to school.

increase in participants knowing the steps of Handwashing.

Resilient Key Outcomes

95% 78% 63% 65%

of participants reported being happy after the programme compared to 32% before.

of teachers reported children seemed to be happier after the programme.

increase in knowledge about food security after a natural disaster. reported knowing how to cope during an emergency.

Just Play Emergency Response Programme reached over 5,000 participants

Flourishing Key Outcomes

7

FIFA Women’s World Cup Pacific Legacy activations completed through “This Is How We Football” programmes, festivals, and capacity building workshops.

14

Fan Zones were activated in 3 countries with 5,394 people in attendance.

78,028

participated through legacy activations of Fan Zones, Festival23, Women in Media and social media campaigns.

11

MAs (FIJ, SAM, TGA, SOL, TAH, NCL, VAN, PNG, NZL, ASA) and Kiribati have a safeguarding focal point.

Operations

Chief Operating Officer’s Report Competitions

Member Association Services

Commercial and Communications

Finance and Services

Chief Operating Officer’s Report

Embracing and achieving key results and excellence was the mantra of the Operations Division in 2023. Off the back of the launch of the OFC Strategy in 2022, the division quickly shifted to make advancements within the strategic pillars of Development, Education and High Performance.

For the first time since 2019, OFC ran a full year of competitions delivering eight tournaments and ten events. The key to a successful delivery was working closely with our Host Member Associations (MAs) to elevate the professional standards across Competition Management, Marketing, Branding, Media, and TV Operations on the ground.

And at the same time ensuring equal standards for competition, marketing and branding and broadcast production was delivered for both Women’s and Men’s competitions as a commitment to the Development Pillar.

Part of the strategic pillar ‘education’ was the ambitious goal of expanding learning modules to deliver certificates in Football management, Competitions, Marketing and Financial Management. As a step to develop these certificates, a Need Analysis was conducted to establish the prototype for the Football Management Certificate and Diploma to be launched in 2024, which will be harmonised with the Competitions, Marketing and Financial Management certificates.

The OFC General Secretaries Executive Programme launched in February highlighted OFC’s goal of elevating professionalism in the region linked in with qualifying two teams to the FIFA World Cup™ in 2026 and 2027.

General Secretaries from across OFC MAs, who are leaders in Football across Oceania, gathered as a commitment to the growth of the game. The Programme focused on on five key priorities: Strategic development, Staff management and talent identification, Constructive and positive feedback, Organisational growth and the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) framework.

The second instalment of the Programme in October drove knowledge exchange and a continued importance in working collaboratively to achieve excellence in performance. Significantly, topics included identifying the skills and competencies crucial with an organisational structure, staff empowerment and effective delegation. A strong emphasis was also placed on problem solving, planning and preparation at OFC Competitions.

Under high performance, the Corporate Management Framework was developed and piloted in Fiji and Papua New Guinea and positive feedback was received from both these MAs. The results from the pilot achieved a tailored approach for each of the MAs to focus on one area of Corporate Management. The next phase will be centred around a mentoring approach to implement the Corporate Management Framework across all OFC MAs.

The division further increased its efforts in the broadcast space by expanding broadcast distribution from four regional TV broadcasters to 26, forever changing the media rights landscape within Oceania.

Our strategic approach to broadcast involves popularising the game across the world and as a testament to OFC’s successful promotional campaigns, an outstanding 41 countries outside the OFC MAs streamed our games in 2023. Some significant countries included the United Kingdom, Argentina, Brazil, Spain and the United States.

The OFC Professional League project remained the main focus for the Operations Division in 2023. The significance of this project would result in complete professionalisation off the pitch which would mean stellar corporate governance structures across clubs’ level. Having undertaken a business case and a commercial viability project of the OFC Professional League, the next stage of the project focused on a Brand Health Research which was launched in quarter three. The objective was to understand the perception of football in the market and how fans and sponsors will engage with this product.

As a continued commitment to high performance off the pitch, the Statement of Service Performance (SSP) reporting as mandated by the External Reporting Board (XRB) was successfully implemented for the first time, meeting the ever-growing reporting standards.

I would like to provide my sincere thanks to our MAs and colleagues, who are instrumental to our success. And thank you to my division for their continued commitment to excellence, Merci Beaucoup!

For 2024 and beyond, we as a division will continue to foster OFC’s values of Excellence, Passion, Integrity, Empowerment and Diversity on and off the pitch.

We will constantly push to improve and elevate OFC competitions, build capability in football management and operation, and grow the game providing positive experiences for all involved.

Frederic Guillemont OFC Chief Operating Officer

Competitions

Following on from the return of competitions in 2022, OFC was able to provide a full calendar of events in 2023.

The year began with the OFC U-17 Championship, hosted by Fiji. Nine nations competed throughout the month of January, held across venues in both Suva and Ba.

Early in 2023 also saw the return of OFC Champions League qualification, with qualifiers and national play-offs taking part throughout the region in February and March, in the build-up to the OFC Champions League in May.

Before the Champions League could kick-off however, OFC played host to the OFC U-15 Boys Development Tournament, in partnership with UEFA Assist – an excellent opportunity to develop not just the next generation of playing talent, but young coaches and officials as well.

The OFC Champions League was held across two venues in Vanuatu and reached a dramatic climax in Port Vila. New Zealand representative Auckland City FC mounted an incredible comeback in their semi-final against host nation side Ifira Black Bird FC, before going on to defeat Suva FC in the final.

History was made in June with the inaugural OFC Women’s Champions League, hosted by Papua New Guinea. Five sides competed in a single-group format in Port Moresby, with New Caledonia’s AS Academy Féminine taking the honour of first ever champion, in part thanks to a dramatic last-minute victory over Hekari United in their opening match.

OFC returned to Fiji in June and July for the OFC U-19 Women’s Championship, just before a break in proceedings as the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ 2023 kicked-off in Australia and New Zealand.

Tahiti played host to two tournaments in the space of a matter of weeks. First, the always exciting OFC Beach Soccer Nations Cup took Papeete by storm, before the OFC U-16 Women’s Championship took place in the same location.

The OFC Men’s Olympic Qualifier was sandwiched between those two tournaments, in Auckland, with seven teams vying for a place in next year’s Summer Olympics. New Zealand and Fiji met in the final, with the hosts securing victory and their place as Oceania’s representative in Paris.

The year ended in Auckland, with the OFC Futsal Nations Cup 2023. The Pulman Arena in Takanini hosted the eight-team tournament, with New Zealand overcoming a spirited Tahiti in the final to lift the trophy and book a place at the FIFA Futsal World Cup™ 2024, to be held in Uzbekistan.

2023 also saw the competitions department bid farewell to long-serving Competitions Director Chris Kemp following an impressive more than eight-year spell at the helm of OFC competitions. We welcome new Head of Competitions Amir Navon who joins OFC from the Israel Football Association.

8 Competitions delivered in 2023.

Delivered the first ever OFC Women’s Champions League.

Finalisation of the OFC Competitions Calendar 2024.

OFC U-17 Championship 2023 Competitions

Fiji, January 2023

Fiji welcomed OFC for the OFC U-17 Championship 2023 in January. Nine nations competed across three groups, with two places at the FIFA U-17 World Cup™ 2023 in Indonesia at stake.

Due to a Covid-19-enforced break, this year’s tournament was the first staging of its kind since 2018, with New Zealand crowned champions on that occasion.

The defending champions were favourites again and showed their strength throughout the group stage, registering three wins from three, including a tightly fought 3-2 victory over New Caledonia.

With a nine-team, three group format, only one side would be eliminated following the group stage and due to an inferior goal difference, it was American Samoa who bid an early farewell.

The competitiveness increased notably as the knockout stages got underway. New Zealand edging their way past Vanuatu with a 1-0 victory, whilst Fiji overcame the Cook Islands (3-0), Tahiti saw off Tonga (5-0) and New Caledonia proved too strong for Samoa (4-0).

The semi-final stage produced two classic encounters at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva, with New Caledonia coming out on top with a tense 3-2 victory over Tahiti, before New Zealand booked their place in the final with a 4-1 win against Fiji.

Tahiti and Fiji would have the consolation of a Play-off for 3rd place to contest, with the Tahitians proving too strong – securing a 3-0 win and taking home the bronze medal. Later, that same day, New Caledonia, and New Zealand met in the final – a repeat of the opening Group B fixture.

As was the case on that occasion, only one goal separated the sides, and it came courtesy of New Zealand’s Niko Bruce, whose 24th minute strike proved the difference between the two teams.

There was drama to the very end however, with Kiwi goalkeeper Matthew Foord producing a remarkable close-range save to deny New Caledonia’s Kyllian Wiako and ensure the trophy returned to Aotearoa.

Foord won the Golden Glove award with striker Luke Supyk sharing the Golden Boot with Tahiti’s Titouan Guillemant. New Caledonia’s Nolhann Alabete won the Golden Ball.

New Zealand and New Caledonia represented OFC in Indonesia later in the year.

The OFC Champions League 2023 Competitions

Qualifying tournament | Samoa, February 2023

Teams from Tonga, American Samoa and the Cook Islands descended on Apia to join Samoa champions Lupe Ole Soaga to determine which club would head to Vanuatu in May for the OFC Champions League.

Lupe Ole Soaga won all three matches comfortably to secure their spot at the eight-team showpiece.

National Playoffs | February – March 2023

The remaining seven qualifiers came through the testing National Play-offs around the Pacific in February and March. In Papua New Guinea, Hekari United prevailed on aggregate over Lae City. Tiga Sport defeated Heinghène Sport over two legs in New Caledonia. AS Pirae toppled AS Dragon in Tahiti while the Solomon Warriors were too strong for Kossa FC in the Solomon Islands.

Ifira Black Bird FC emerged victorious over two legs in Vanuatu while Suva FC got the better of Rewa FC in Fiji.

Wellington Olympic came close to upsetting Auckland City in New Zealand only to squander a 3-1 second leg lead to lose 5-3.

Vanuatu, May 2023

The desire to raise the standard of football across the Pacific was evident at a thrilling 2023 OFC Champions League which was held in Vanuatu for the first time in May. Eight teams were drawn in two groups with Group A matches held in Luganville on the island of Santo and Group B matches played in the nation’s capital of Port Vila.

Defending champions Auckland City FC, Suva FC, Solomon Warriors FC, and Lupe Ole Soaga SC were drawn in Group A with host club Ifira Black Bird FC, AS Pirae, Tiga Sport and Hekari United in Group B.

Both venues featured some thrilling matches with over 5,000 fans creating terrific match day atmospheres.

The defending champions conceded the opening goal of the tournament to the Solomon Warriors before fighting back to complete a 3-1 victory.

Auckland City achieved the same result against Suva FC to qualify for the semi-finals and with the Fijian and Solomon Islands sides both comfortably dispatching the Samoan champions, the final group A match between Suva FC and the Solomon Warriors FC would determine the second semi-finalist from the group. The Fijian champions emerged victorious 2-0 after a bruising encounter.

Group B looked to have four even teams and so it proved with plenty of drama in every match. Tahitian side AS Pirae made a brilliant start to the tournament against Tiga Sport, romping to a 3-0 win while Hekari United dampened local hopes with a 2-0 win over Ifira Black Bird FC. The second round of matches saw AS Pirae deny Ifira Black Bird victory with an injury time equaliser which put the Tahitian side on the cusp of the semis but Tiga Sport’s 1-0 win over Hekari left all four sides in with a chance to advance to the semis on the final group stage match day.

AS Pirae ensured they would advance as top qualifier following a tough 2-1 win over Hekari United before - roared

on by an electric home crowd - Ifira Black Bird won a tense battle 1-0 against Tiga Sport to secure second place in the group and a semi-final against Auckland City with AS Pirae and Suva FC to meet in the other semi.

Both matches in Port Vila were classics. Ifira Black Bird were a couple of minutes away from stunning 10-time OFC champions Auckland City, leading 2-1 into injury time before a goalkeeping error handed substitute Ryan de Vries the chance to level the scores. The match went to extra time and then penalties with Auckland City prevailing 5-4.

The second semi-final was equally dramatic with AS Pirae scoring a late equaliser to finish 2-2 against Suva FC before the Fijian side scored twice in extra time to advance to the final.

Beaten 3-1 in the group stage, Suva FC Head Coach Maxwell Thaggard yearned for another crack at the Navy Blues. He vowed his side would offer more and they did, fighting back from 2-0 down at half-time to take the match into extra time.

However Auckland City Captain Cam Howieson scored in the 108th minute and Ryan de Vries with second off the match in the final minute sealed Auckland City’s 11th OFC Champions League title, and a place at the FIFA Club World Cup™ in Saudi Arabia.

Howieson won the Golden Ball with De Vries winning the Golden Boot and Suva goalkeeper Akuila Mateisuva the Golden Glove.

Competitions

The OFC Women’s Champions League

Papua New Guinea, June 2023

The inaugural OFC Women’s Champions League held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea from June 1-10, 2023, proved to be a watershed moment for the sport in our Confederation.

OFC’s commitment to the growth and development of women’s football was displayed at the Sir Hubert Murray Stadium where five teams fought for the championship. The host nation was represented by Hekari United and were joined by Koloale FC from the Solomon Islands, Samoa’s Kiwi FC, New Caledonia’s AS Academy Féminine and Labasa Women FC from Fiji.

The tournament was played in a round robin format over four match days.

There was late drama to end match day one, when AS Academy Féminine - after withstanding attack after attack from local side Hekari United - broke down the flank and scored a stunning winner 10 minutes into injury time through substitute Ashley Gowet.

The New Caledonians celebrated as if they had won the tournament, underlying the importance of securing the three points against the pre-competition favourites. Earlier Labasa Women FC kicked off the tournament with an impressive 6-0 win over Kiwi FC. The second match day saw a debut for Koloale FC, and their star striker Ileen Pegi proved the difference, scoring a beautiful individual goal in the final minute to secure a 1-0 win over Labasa Women FC.

Hekari United. stung by their opening day disappointment, gave a vocal home crowd something to cheer about with a 9-0 demolition of Kiwi FC with star striker Marie Kaipu netting four goals.

Kiwi FC’s moment of the tournament came on match day three when the youngest player in the tournament Florencina Kalifa gave her side the lead against Koloale FC before the Solomon Islanders scored two late goals to secure a 2-1 victory.

AS Academy Féminine needed only a draw against Koloale on the final match day to claim the inaugural OFC Women’s Champions League title. After a nervy start they fell behind in the 38th minute when Ileen Pegi scored a brilliant individual goal. But the response was immediate, with Christelle Wahnawe levelling a minute later with a spectacular volley before three second half goals secured a comfortable victory for the New Caledonians. Hekari United finished second after seeing off Labasa Women FC in the final match of the competition.

The Golden Ball went to Edsy Matao from AS Academy Féminine while Hekari United’s Marie Kaipu won the Golden Boot and Koloale FC’s Sylvester Maenu’u won the Golden Glove.

The tournament was a tremendous success with the players embracing the significance of OFC’s first ever Women’s Champions League from the moment they touched down in Papua New Guinea.

A series of school visits from the teams highlighted the passion and love of football in the region and cultural performances from the players on the final match day ensured everyone left PNG with happy memories.

Competitions

OFC U-19 Women’s Championship 2023

Fiji, June & July 2023

OFC returned to Fiji to host the OFC U-19 Women’s Championship 2023 in June and July. The tournament was held across two venues – Lautoka and Suva – and brought together some of the top talent in the Oceania region at the U-19 level.

Ten nations competed across three groups – one group of 4 teams and two groups of 3 teams – with the best 8 sides advancing to the quarter-final stage.

Defending champions New Zealand faced off against Fiji in the Final, in what was a repeat of the sides’ opening group match. The Kiwis coming away victorious on both occasions, securing the trophy with a 7-0 victory at HFC Bank Stadium in the final.

There were memorable runs in the tournament also for both Samoa and Cook Islands, who met in the Play-off for 3rd place – Samoa coming out on top with a stoppage time penalty to secure the bronze medal.

Helena Errington took home the tournament’s Golden Ball award for best player, with her New Zealand teammate Ruby Nathan securing the Golden boot award as top goal scorer. Cook Islands’ Kimberly Uini was awarded the Golden Glove for her outstanding performances in goal for her side.

Competitions

OFC Beach Soccer Nations Cup 2023

Tahiti, August 2023

Papeete played host to the OFC Beach Soccer Nations Cup in August 2023.

Four nations competed in the week-long competition, with the winner qualifying for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup™ 2024, to be held in February in Dubai.

Hosts Tahiti were joined by Fiji, Tonga and Solomon Islands in a single group, round-robin format.

Teams finishing third and fourth competed in a Play-off for 3rd place, whilst the top two sides advanced to the final.

After a week of fast-paced and exciting action under the Tahitian sun, it was the host nation who claimed the ultimate glory – overcoming the Solomon Islands in the final, taking the trophy and their place in the World Cup next year.

Fiji took third place and the bronze medal, following a win over Tonga in their play-off match.

Tahiti also dominated on the competition awards front, taking home the Fair Play Award, as well as Golden Glove (Jonathan Torohia) and Golden Ball (Heirauarii Salem). Fiji’s Gabiriele Matanisiga won the Golden Boot as top goal-scorer.

Competitions

OFC Men’s Olympic Qualifier 2023

Auckland, August & September 2023

With the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris only months away, the OFC Men’s Olympic Qualifier was held in Auckland, New Zealand to determine who would represent the Oceania region in France.

Seven nations were split into two groups, played across three venues in Tamaki Makaurau, with the top two advancing to the semi-final stage. Hosts New Zealand and Fiji were the two victorious sides in the semi-final stage, setting up a final at North Harbour Stadium to determine who would be on the plane to Paris.

New Zealand overpowered Vanuatu in their semi-final whilst Fiji saw off a spirited Solomon Islands performance to join them.

Having already met in the group stage – New Zealand winning 3-1 - it was again the Kiwis that came out on top in the final, with an impressive performance to book their place at the Olympic Games.

Centre forward Riley Bidois was the hero for New Zealand, scoring an incredible five goals in the final as his side dominated, whilst Fiji’s efforts were made even more challenging due to a red card shown to Mohammed Raheem in the first-half.

Competitions

OFC U-16 Women’s Championship 2023

Tahiti, September 2023

OFC returned to French Polynesia in the spring of 2023 for the OFC U-16 Women’s Championship, held in Papeete on the island of Tahiti.

Eight nations took part, with two groups of four producing the semi-finalists. The sides finishing in 3rd and 4th place respectively would compete in Play-offs for 5th and 7th.

Tournament favourites New Zealand impressed in the group stages and overcame the challenge of Tonga to make their way to the final. On the other side of the draw, Fiji got the better of hosts Tahiti in a dramatic penalty shoot-out.

Solomon Islands took 7th place, with a strong showing against Vanuatu, whilst New Caledonia comfortably defeated Cook Islands to finish in 5th spot.

Losing semi-finalists Tonga and Tahiti faced-off in the Play-off for 3rd place, with Tahiti giving their home fans something to cheer with a 5-3 victory to end their campaign on a high.

In the final, Fiji put on an incredible display of bravery and defensive resilience to keep out New Zealand for over 90 minutes but were eventually undone thanks to a 94th minute winning goal from Katie Pugh to give the Kiwis victory and see them qualify for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup™ 2024.

Fiji’s Seruqaia Laulaba won Golden Ball and Rosalain Sarahphina Golden Glove while New Zealand’s Laura Bennett was the winner of the Golden Boot.

Competitions

OFC Futsal Nations Cup 2023

Auckland, October 2023

The Pulman Arena in Auckland played host to the OFC Futsal Nations Cup – the final tournament of the calendar year.

The 8-team competition was comprised of two, four-team groups, with a semi-final stage and Play-offs for 7th, 5th and 3rd place, respectively.

In addition to the trophy, the winners would qualify for the FIFA Futsal World Cup™ 2024, to be held in Uzbekistan.

New Zealand and Fiji advanced from Group A – the latter securing a vital 2-1 victory over Vanuatu in their last group stage match to advance.

In Group B, six-time champions Solomon Islands finished as runners-up to Tahiti – the two sides having contested an epic 5-5 draw in what was arguably the match of the tournament.

In the knockout stages, Samoa clinched 7th place with a back-and-forth win over Tonga, whilst 5th place went to New Caledonia following their victory against Vanuatu. Solomon Islands run of domination in the sport was ended at the semi-final stage by New Zealand, but they did bounce back to take 3rd place, defeating Fiji 5-3.

The impressive Tahiti – who had overcome Fiji in their semi-final - met New Zealand in the final. The host nation secured the championship – and World Cup qualification - with a 5-0 win.

New Zealand captain Dylan Manickum was awarded the Golden Ball, whilst his teammate Mike Antamanov took the Golden Glove award.

Solomon Islands’ Micah Lea’alafa was the winner of the Golden Boot, whilst Vanuatu took home the Fair Play award.

Member Association Services

Member Association Services (MA Services) Department is focused on supporting Member Associations (MAs) with achieving excellence in corporate governance and management structure. OFC have been instrumental in guiding MAs towards preparing a strong strategic framework with robust monitoring and review processes.

To foster and accelerate organisational growth, the General Secretaries Executive Programme was launched in February 2023 with a three-day session where General Secretaries worked on strategic development aligning with OFC’s 2023-2026 strategy, and one of OFC’s top goals to leave a legacy in football through education and capacity building.

Clarity, Connection and Cohesion were the buzz words for the Programme and the three Cs were important to consider when discussing strategy, especially at a time of tremendous organisational growth within the MAs.

The General Secretaries Executive Programme in February focused on five key priorities: Strategic development, Staff management and talent identification, Constructive and positive feedback, organisational growth and the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) (Objectives and Key Results) framework.

Entrepreneurial CEO Danny Menken was a highlight of this programme and resonated well with the CEOs across the MAs, as OFC’s guest speaker he focused on

the importance of having a clear business strategy and gaining the buy in from all involved.

Alongside the OFC Futsal Nations Cup, the second instalment of the Programme was hosted in October with the topics of focus involving Organisational structures and Competencies, Staff empowerment, Effective delegation strategies, Problem solving, Planning, and Preparing to participate in competitions. The significance of these topics will be a catalyst in driving professionalisation across all areas of football management.

The next phase will evolve to a hybrid approach featuring an integration of face-to-face workshops, webinars and discussion forums.

Other focus areas were centered around building and implementing a Football Management Certificate. The Needs Analysis was developed as a first step to introduce a prototype for the Football Management Certificate and Diploma. A test module will be deployed, and full version is to be launched in 2024 in alignment with competitions.

As a further step to priortise Corporate Governance within the OFC Strategy, the Corporate Management Framework was developed and finalised in 2023. Five significant categories (Strategy and Operations, Structure, Capacity and Competencies, Process and

Polices and Tools) were developed in three levels of Basic, Intermediate and Advanced. The framework was trialed by Fiji Football Association (FFA) and Papua New Guinea Football Association (PNGFA) and the results achieved permitted each of the MAs to focus on one area of need.

The next phase will encompass allocation of resources to support implementation and expansion of the framework to other MAs.

To further cement OFC’s commitment to professionalisation, MA Services worked with nine MAs on strategy and planning. Part of the successes included Fédération Calédonienne de Football (FCF) adapting their strategies to align with OFC’s OKR (Objectives and key results) framework.

As an additional mechanism of support to our MAs, two webinars were hosted on application and reporting of the OFC Development Programme funding.

Collaboration between OFC and the MAs with the ongoing OFC Development Programme applications on Corporate Governance has been instrumental in 2023. And further support was provided to MAs with funds reconciliation for 2020, 2021, 2022, culminating with the reports being presented to the Audit and Risk Committee.

Launch of the OFC General Secretaries Executive Programme with 82.8% satisfaction level of the Programme: initial target 70%.

Need analysis for the Football Management Certificate and Diploma developed.

9 Mas supported in Strategy Planning The Corporate Management Framework was finalised and tested.

Commercial and Communications

The new OFC Strategy was a key driver in 2023 for Commercial and Communications. Alongside eight OFC Competitions and many development, educational and social responsibility activities, the team focused on delivering media, marketing, and broadcasting operations to the highest possible international standards.

From elevated broadcasting of matches to integrated marketing strategies and digital advertising focused on communicating across multiple platforms, the team worked to ensure the promotion of football, people and communities remained at the forefront.

As a commitment to high performance, the commercialisation of media rights for OFC premium competitions continued to be the goal in 2023, and as a testament to OFC elevating the broadcast standards of the game, the OFC Women’s Champions League rights were successfully sold.

OFC’s livestreaming reach in 2023, expanded beyond 13 Member Nations to include 41 countries outside the region, some notable countries were the United States of America, France, the United Kingdom, Argentina, Spain, Japan, South Korea and Mexico.

The OFC Champions League was a huge a success as we witnessed an accumulated attendance of 75,000 fans, a record-breaking attendance in OFC history. This premium club competition also had the most livestreaming views for that year, with 450,000 fans viewing the matches LIVE.

An innovation within the department was the establishment of a traveling broadcasting crew for competitions to ensure high performance and excellent quality standards were consistent across all competitions. The team took on the role of capacity

building within the host broadcaster landscape to expand the growth of sports broadcasting in regions that have little to no experience. This was achieved during the production of the OFC Champions League, where OFC worked with Vanuatu Broadcast Corporation to train and guide their technical crew in Port Vila in the delivery of premium football matches.

Media Training for players and coaches was introduced at OFC tournaments for the first time, starting with the inaugural OFC Women’s Champions League in Papua New Guinea while we also introduced online Media Conferences for overseas Media to be able to have access to their teams competing at OFC competitions.

A Media and Marketing workshop was held in Auckland in October alongside the OFC Futsal Nations Cup with seven Member Associations represented. Focused on building knowledge and expertise for media management and content delivery, the workshop also provided opportunities for the teams involved across the region to exchange knowledge and brainstorm ways to better work alongside OFC to continue to drive the development of football within their respective countries.

The workshop covered social media, marketing, branding, social responsibility communications, broadcasting, and photography and videography at OFC Competitions. Attendees also benefited from a practical workshop session on video interview production – skills they were able to test out during the OFC Futsal Nations Cup.

The group heard from Sara Widera, Senior Communications Manager on the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ 2023 who shared some insights into delivering the tournament in Australia and New Zealand.

Other presentations included a number of external speakers, including NZ Herald Senior Sports Journalist, Michael Burgess on working with media and the challenges faced in maintaining those relationships, FIFA consultant Coen Lammers on the work that FIFA is doing to further support their members in the Oceania region and Mel Johnston, Senior Lecturer at Auckland University of Technology, who spoke on the importance of supporting the continuing growth of women’s football.

The next step in this capacity building programme will take place in 2024, with OFC’s buddy system and will provide a unique practical experience for MA Media Officers at OFC Competitions. The opportunity will involve media officers shadowing the OFC team to learn the ropes of media and communication operations on the ground at a regional Competition. This is vital in achieving the key results of creating a pathway for our Media Officers at OFC Competitions and FIFA World Cups.

Part of the departments’ dedication to professionalising football, a crucial step was taken in the OFC Professional League project with the launch of the Brand Health Project. Since the completion of the commercial viability of the Professional League, the focus has branched out to understanding the marketing landscape and the brand health of OFC across the region. This will evolve into the development of a full-blown Marketing and Commercial Strategy for the OFC Professional League.

In preparation for a full calendar year in 2024, a tiering system for Competitions Communications along with team travel plans and a tournament guide was developed in 2023 to ensure we remain committed to our strategic pillars of Development, Education and High Performance.

Media Training for players and coaches introduced at OFC tournaments.

Equal marketing, communication, coverage and broadcast standards at OFC women’s and men’s competitions.

13.4%

day Workshop series hosted with our MAs: Planning and strategic thinking, Photography & Videography, Social Media, and Marketing at competitions with guest speakers from around the region. growth across all digital platforms.

59.8MIL

1.1MIL CROSS NETWORK IMPRESSIONS (UP 377.5%)

YOUTUBE 1,006,789 MINUTES WATCHED

2023 DIGITAL

2,223,928 (UP 1MIL LIVESTREAMING

2.2MIL GROWTH

DIGITAL STATS

1MIL

LIVESTREAMING VIEWS 1,089,220

239K

GROWTH IN DIGITAL FOLLOWERS 239,339 (UP 2.4%)

2.2MIL

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Finance and Services

Strong financial governance highlighted a busy year for the Finance and Services team. The 2022 financial statements audit was completed with a clean bill of health, indicating robust financial practices. This demonstrates OFC’s commitment to transparency and compliance with international accounting standards.

For the first time, Finance and Services successfully adapted to the requirements for the Statement of Service Performance (SSP) reporting as mandated by the External Reporting Board (XRB), highlighting OFC’s ability to meet evolving reporting standards, and enhancing stakeholder confidence in OFC’s performance measures.

Finance and Services executed a flawless FIFA Central Review for the year 2022, with exceptional results: 0% of transactions lacking supporting documents, 0% with insufficient supporting documentation, and 0% of transactions conducted in cash. This exemplary performance shows OFC’s dedication to financial responsibility, rigorous financial oversight, and adherence to best practices in financial management.

Finance and Services developed an introductory learning content for Financial and Procurement Management contributing to the upskilling of OFC Member Associations (MAs) and stakeholders in financial literacy and procurement processes, thus aligning with the strategic focus of education and capability building.

Finance and Services advanced the procurement platform through persistent improvements, notably by implementing a comprehensive master supplier database for user access. This strategic enhancement has expedited the procurement process by minimising the need to engage new suppliers, ensuring adherence to policy, and achieving cost savings through more efficient operation.

The U-15 Development Tournament was successfully hosted at the OFC Home of Football facility in April with the Facilities team ensuring the venue was fully prepared and equipped to meet the specific requirements of the event. The team’s diligent work guaranteed that the facility provided an optimal environment for both participants and spectators.

Finance and Services collaborated with the Legal and Compliance department to comprehensively update the Procurement and Finance Policy to be effective from 1 January 2024, ensuring it mirrors the modernised structure and strategic objectives of the newer OFC. This coordinated effort will result in enhanced governance frameworks and updated procedures that underpin more effective and transparent financial and procurement operations.

Financial and Procurement management framework defined under the Corporate Management Framework.

FIFA Central Review Audit completed successfully.

Successful introduction and completion of the Statement of Service Performance Report in 2023.

The Executive Office

Good Governance

Good Governance

As part of OFC’s Strategic pillar ‘Education’, the OFC Legal and Compliance department finalised all three Match Integrity Modules for Member Associations (MAs) to access via OFC Learn.

The focus was to ensure MAs have an OFC Match Integrity Programme established within their structure that can be integrated into their Governance framework and ongoing professional development of officials, management, and players. OFC’s objective is to enhance integrity in OFC matches through this module and equip MAs to handle situations around integrity.

To continue to foster transparency and visibility of expenditure as part of the Good Governance Principles, an Internal review of OFC’s financial and procurement processes was conducted by BDO. Recommendations were then provided that established changes within the compliance framework that was endorsed by the Audit and Risk Committee.

These recommendations resulted in revisions to the Finance and Procurement Policy that was finalised in 2023 and will be set in place in the new year.

To further advance good governance principles, OFC and FIFA Governance collaborated to oversee three MA elections held in 2023 and commenced work on revising Statutes with Tonga, Solomon Islands and Cook Islands.

In February 2023 OFC was represented at the FIFA Football Tribunal Biennial Seminar in Rio de Janeiro and this was the first event of its kind for the FIFA Football Tribunal and was a two-day event organised in collaboration with the Brazilian Football Association (CBF) and with the support of CONMEBOL.

The seminar was aimed at presenting and discussing key topics under its authority. The event allowed the members of the Football Tribunal to meet in person and share their views on how to further modernise the FIFA dispute resolution system.

The OFC Extraordinary Congress held in Kigali saw the re-election of Lambert Maltock unopposed as President for a second four-year term. OFC’s two FIFA Council representatives Johanna Wood (NZF President) and Rajesh Patel (FFA President) have also been elected unopposed for a second term.

In July, the OFC 29th OFC Ordinary Congress was held in Auckland on the eve of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and was instrumental to the revisions of OFC Statutes.

Following the new Incorporated Societies Act 2022 coming into force, the New Zealand legislation prescribes the requirements for incorporated societies to comply with. This includes the requirement for incorporated societies to ensure they are being transparent about their operations and adequately reporting on financial matters.

To meet these requirements and cultivate transparency under the Good Governance Principles, the OFC Executive Committee proposed to change Article 51 of the OFC Statutes from ‘Annual Report and Financial Period’ to ‘Reporting on Annual Financial Period’. The proposed changes were approved by the Congress.

3 match integrity modules delivered on OFC Learn.

Elective Congress delivered in Kigali in March.

29th OFC Ordinary Congress held in Auckland on eve of FIFA Women’s World Cup™ 2023.

Revised Finance, Accounting, Procurement and Tender policies.

Introduced new OFC Compliance Review Framework.

Overview

The 2023 calendar year was both eventful and gratifying as the FIFA regional development office looked to build on the successes of the previous year.

The latest iteration of the FIFA Forward Development Programme commenced in 2023. This FIFA programme will see an approximate increase of 30% in global football development funding between 2023 – 2026.

Concretely, operational costs funding will increase per member association from up to USD 5 million per cycle. Similarly, USD 3 million is also now available per member association for the four-year cycle (2023-2026) which shall be granted for well-planned projects entailing the execution of a temporary initiative that would enable the member association to achieve a specific objective established in the relevant contract of agreed objectives and therefore have a long-term impact on football development.

The increase in funding will ensure greater impact through the achievement of football development objectives and continued oversight to ensure that all funds are used responsibly.

The FIFA Regional Development Office has continued to collaborate closely with other FIFA Divisions present in the region via numerous experts, and with the OFC, one of FIFA’s most critical developmental partners in the region.

FIFA Regional Development Office

The year began with a workshop in Paris alongside fellow colleagues from the MA Division and 10 other FIFA regional development offices from around the globe. The focus was on the outlay of the MA Division Gameplan, which is the new strategic framework of the division. Owen Eastwood spoke at the meeting highlighting the critical importance of team culture and a strong sense of belonging and how these impacts high-performance of a team.

Two FIFA Forward Workshops were conducted in 2023. The 11 FIFA Member Associations (MAs) of Oceania gathered in Auckland in February for a workshop focused on the FIFA Forward 3.0 Development Programme and was led by Hassan Khan, Senior Project Manager Member Associations Division. It focused on the finalisation of the contract of agreed objectives that would provide the framework for MAs strategic investments between 2023 - 2026.. A financial governance workshop was organised in May in Noumea and was led by Christoph Suppiger, Head of MA Finance Services, and MA Finance Services Manager, Leonard Gruter. They were supported by Elena Gallucio of Control Risk, who is one of FIFA’s external audit firms engaged as part of the FIFA Forward Programme’s central audit review process. The purpose of the seminar was to discuss the general issues identified as part of the audit and reporting process, as well as the specific cases relevant to the MAs of Oceania. The Financial Governance Guide was also introduced to the MAs. The document is a manual designed to support MAs in their operational capacity to best prepare them for the FIFA central review.

The regional office continues to support MAs in the preparation and oversight of specific projects. The Tonga Football Association (TFA) Stadium and Football Complex is nearing 40% completion in quarter 4; Samoa’s Apia Park Football Complex and Cook Island FA’s Mangaia Pitch and Facilities project are also nearing completion. The Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) acquired Forward funds for the required variations and improvements to their recently completed headquarters to ensure it was fully functional and ready for the Pacific Games 2023. With the dedicated support of OFC, PNG FA were able to secure Forward funds to cover the costs associated with preparing the women’s national team participating at the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ 2023 playoffs in February 2023. The FIFA Forward Development Programme also offers technical support and in 2023 a financial expert was engaged to support with strengthening the financial governance framework of selected member associations in the areas of the central audit review action plan implementation, review of structure and internal financial controls.

Visits by FIFA President and Secretary General

A key highlight for Oceania was hosting the FIFA President and FIFA Secretary General and their delegations during the period of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ 2023. FIFA Secretary General Mrs. Samoura was in Vanuatu and New Caledonia. In Vanuatu she witnessed the launch of the Freshwota Youth League. Alongside Johanna Wood (FIFA Council Member and NZF President) and Sarai Bareman (Chief Women’s Football Officer) Mrs. Samoura joined in a brainstorming encounter with influential women in Vanuatu football discussing important issues around women’s football, women in leadership and youth empowerment.

The FIFA President toured Oceania in July and August, visiting all MAs, and discussed football development at all levels of leadership. The President highlighted the need for further collaboration between FIFA, OFC, and the MA, as well as national and local governments on the need for new facilities, support with access to land, greater investment in women’s football at all levels, a focus on talent identification and player development pathways to give every talent a chance. The President also inaugurated several FIFA Forward-funded facilities across the region: In Fiji, the FIFA President inaugurated a new fitness centre, named after the late Brazilian legend Pelé, and a futsal pitch; In New Caledonia he inaugurated the new headquarters of the Fédération Calédonienne de Football (FCF); He inaugurated the newly revamped headquarters of the Papua New Guinea Football Association (PNGFA) as well as the brand new 6,500 capacity Freshwota Stadium in Vanuatu which has already hosted the OFC Champions League in 2023.

10 10 2 10 11 8 6

MAs applied for the Talent Development Scheme.

MAs created long-term talent development plans.

MAs selected for the FIFA Talent Coach pilot programme.

MAs progressing well with the FIFA Amateur Football Environment Analysis.

MAs attended the FIFA Talent Development Scheme Knowledge Exchange workshop.

MAs attended the FIFA MA Coach Educator Pathway (13 coach educators).

FIFA Women’s Football Development Programmes approved or finalised.

Acknowledgment

Thank you for all your support in 2023