OFC Activity Report 2020 by OFCFootball

ACTIVITY REPORT 2020

CONTENTS

Activity Report

2020

OFC

President's Foreword

General Secretary's Foreword

Football Women's Football Player Development Futsal Beach Soccer Goalkeeping Clubs and Leagues Education High Performance Refereeing Social Responsibility

8 11 15 19 24 28 31 36 39 41 46

Activity Report

Operations 52 Competitions 56 Commercial and Communications 60 Finance and Services 65 Member Associations Services Unit 67 The Executive Office

Good Governance

Home of Football

FIFA Forward 2.0

Acknowledgement

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2020

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PRESIDENT'S FOREWORD It has been a year unlike any other in recent history. The global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted on the population in almost every corner of the world. Yet while we often consider our relative isolation to be a hinderance to the development of football in the region, in a time of global disruption without precedent, our geographical remoteness has largely been a blessing. Our biggest challenge has been the cancellation or postponement of international competition. This has disrupted the World Cup qualifying programme for our senior men, while our youth competitions have also been adversely affected. While government responses have differed across the region, the swift reaction of most, and the vigilance they have maintained to curb the spread of the virus via speedily implemented border restrictions, has meant that most nations have been able to return to relative normality quickly. Being COVID-19 free, or without community transmission allowed football to swiftly restart across the majority of our 11 Member Associations. The Confederation-wide strategy is to see two competitive teams at the 2026 men’s and 2027 women’s World Cups.

Remaining focused on this objective has been at the forefront as we have redeveloped our approach to football development in this unfamiliar environment. With the on-going support of FIFA, OFC has played a significant role in keeping Member Associations focused on the big picture, quickly adapting its processes to maintain support and engagement. Courses building capacity, fitness workshops, coaching courses, and developmental activities have been adapted to suit the expanding online environment. A key priority during my term as OFC President, is to assist our Member Associations to build their knowledge and skills. This will be paramount to the success of our 2026 strategy and I am delighted that we have been able to maintain this during these difficult times. OFC continues to build the foundation for success across the region by setting the standard for good governance, accountability, and transparency, not only in its leadership but through its willingness to bring our Member Associations along with us. The newly launched OFC Development Programme has been designed to ensure that this is the case, providing the funding required to build the capacity across key areas of development, both on and away from the pitch.

The Confederation holds a deep responsibility for its people and its communities. Ensuring we build their capability is key to our collective longterm success. In the short-term, that has meant guaranteeing those people and communities are still active when we exit the worst of the pandemic. The OFC Solidarity Fund, with support from FIFA Forward 2.0, is one way we have maintained a high level of assistance to those most in need. I would like to congratulate Australia and New Zealand for the success of their As One bid to co-host the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. This is an incredibly exciting achievement for these two nations, but also for our wider Asia-Pacific region. It will be a tournament of many firsts. For Oceania, the additional half-spot is a first of particular interest. A second Oceania team has the opportunity, via the newly introduced qualifying tournament, to progress to the Women’s World Cup for the first time.

COVID-19 Relief Plan and Solidarity Fund were both available to Oceania. We are incredibly grateful to FIFA President Gianni Infantino and his staff for ensuring the swift and safe return of football. I also want to acknowledge the support we have received via UEFA Assist to develop and implement our E-Learning Platform and Education Programme. I’d like to welcome Lord Ve’ehala as the third Vice-President of the OFC Executive Committee and thank the entire committee for its forward thinking and proactive decision-making throughout this challenging year. Finally, I wish to end by thanking you all for your patience and for your continued support over the past 12 months. It has been a challenging year but your response and continued drive and passion to push Oceania football to new heights has been seen and is greatly appreciated. We are on the right track to achieve our collective vision to have two teams qualify for both the FIFA World Cup 2026 and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027.

The OFC Women’s Football Strategy is currently being developed for launch in 2021 and we can see that across the region, our Member Associations are taking this opportunity seriously. I wish to express, once again, my thanks to FIFA for its support in ensuring the

Lambert Maltock OFC President

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GENERAL SECRETARY'S FOREWORD The global COVID-19 pandemic forced OFC to work better, smarter, and more efficiently in 2020 in the pursuit of our ambitious goal to qualify two teams for both the FIFA World Cup 2026 and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027. It was a difficult time for staff, football, and our communities across the region as all competitions and face-to-face programmes were either suspended or postponed. OFC shifted its focus to online learning and workshops through video conferencing tools and concentrated on supporting Member Associations to implement strong management and governance systems. The OFC Development Programme was introduced, through the newly created Member Associations Services unit. It aims to enhance Member Associations’ development by linking OFC expertise, capacity building programmes, and funding with Member Associations’ strategic focus in the areas of, governance, management, football, and national team development. OFC used the opportunity of relative onfield inactivity presented by COVID-19 to delve into cross-confederation cooperation opportunities, working collaboratively with colleagues across the globe while sitting on both the FIFA COVID-19 Relief Taskforce and the FIFA International Match Protocol Working Group.

This allowed OFC to ensure Oceania had a voice at the table, while also benefiting enormously from the collaboration and support gained from UEFA, CONCACAF, CAF, CONMEBOL and AFC.

A consolidation of the Confederation’s corporate governance practices was undertaken in 2020 with each department introducing operation plans and Key Performance Indicator (KPIs) frameworks.

In addition to focusing on Member Association development and capacity building, the Confederation pressed forward with its vision to help create competitive teams at regional and global events, supported by the introduction of three new corporate strategies in 2020:

OFC alongside the Asian Football Confederation, Football Australia, and New Zealand Football, lobbied throughout 2020 to achieve a major success when New Zealand won the bid to co-host the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 alongside Australia.

I. The Social Responsibility Strategy 2020 – 2023 II. The Commercial and Communications Strategy 2020 – 2023 III. The Finance and Services Strategy 2020 – 2023

OFC will continue to strengthen its support for gender equality across the Pacific through the support and promotion of women’s football, developing the game at grassroots and elite level, building the foundation for future female footballers and administrators across the region.

The Member Association Services and Women’s Football Development Strategy will be introduced in 2021. Building on the support it already delivers across football development and high performance, OFC put particular focus on capacity building and governance in 2020. The E-Learning Project, supported by UEFA Assist, made progress and will provide a platform filled with educational opportunities backed by quality, expertise, and support.

I am proud of all we have achieved as an organisation in 2020. We would not have been successful without the full support, commitment, and hard work of the OFC staff. The vision ahead for 2021 and beyond is clear; we will reassess and realign the football strategy to ensure we are competition-ready once borders are open and restrictions on movement are lifted. We will continue to focus on the implementation of the OFC Development Programme and the needs of the OFC Member Associations, while looking forward to the launch of the OFC Women’s Football and Member Associations Services Strategies.

Welcoming the FIFA Women’s World Cup to our region offers a unique platform for OFC and the Pacific to leverage the biggest women’s sports event in the world. Plans are already being made to put in place a Legacy Programme to ensure the reach of this event is region wide. I would like to thank OFC’s partners, the New Zealand and Australian Governments, UEFA Assist, UEFA Foundation for Children, UNICEF and Football Australia, for the continued support and confidence shown to OFC during 2020.

Franck Castillo General Secretary

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FOOTBALL Football Development I. Women’s Football II. Player Development III. Futsal IV. Beach Soccer V. Goalkeeping Clubs and Leagues Education and High Performance Refereeing Social Responsibility

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2020

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CHIEF OF FOOTBALL MESSAGE The year was one of many firsts for the Football Division as the COVID-19 pandemic pushed us out of our comfort zone and forced the suspension of face-to-face activities. Our Football Development Strategy that was launched in 2019 specifically outlined strategic outcomes to be met year on year, which meant we had to adapt to deliver our goals for 2020. Despite the challenges, the team pushed on, to continue our mandate of providing development assistance to our Member Associations in the categories of Women’s Football, Player Development, Beach Soccer, Futsal, Goalkeeping, Education, High Performance and Refereeing. At the forefront of the Confederation’s objectives is high performance. Our aim is to be represented by two teams at the 2026 and 2027 FIFA World Cups. To try to achieve our goals we launched our activities, workshops, and courses for the year, online. The OFC Pro League taskforce received approval for continuation by the Executive Committee in December, the second phase of the project will take in the commercial landscape.

The taskforce is working in collaboration with the Operational Division, drawing in a wide set of skills from across the organisation. I would like to extend my thanks to all who have participated in such unique circumstances, given the challenges that have been created by the onset of the pandemic. This thanks extends to the Member Associations, General Secretaries, Technical Directors and their teams, who have worked hard and showed incredible resilience, in a landscape without parallel in the modern world. Raising the standards of football, and quality of players in our region, is at the heart of everything we do. We will continue to foster high performance on and off the pitch.

Patrick Jacquemet Chief of Football

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WOMEN'S FOOTBALL The foundations for the future of women’s football development in Oceania were laid in 2020 as the framework for the first-ever Women’s Football Strategy was established. What started with a brainstorming session on the current reality of women’s football in the region quickly developed into a more streamlined process of strategic development. The first regional Women in Football Survey drew responses from 119 women working in a variety of roles including full-time staff and volunteers, from across the Pacific. Consultation with OFC Heads of Department and their teams saw them contribute their understanding of women’s football and how women’s football integrated with their different departments. A similar process was conducted by women’s football development officers in their local environments, providing relevant regional information. This was all collated, themed, and finally integrated into the makeup of the draft strategy which was completed before year’s end. The final product will be unveiled with the release of the first OFC Women’s Football Strategy in 2021. As part of the OFC Football Development Strategy, the capacity building Train the Trainers workshop, was intended as a weeklong centralised course aimed at providing further leadership skills and confidence to support and grow capacity locally.

However, with a quick turnaround, the course was converted to an online delivery which ran for six weeks in July and August. The next step for graduates is the delivery of local workshops, with the goal of engaging women for capacity building and festival delivery. New Zealand Football was the first Member Association to deliver, launching the Women in Leadership workshop, with support from OFC and FIFA. Conducted over four days, the course was designed and delivered, focusing on developing the capacity of women working in a variety of football-related roles. In addition to the focus on developing a strategy and instilling strong governance principles in the women’s game, plenty was happening on the field at the same time. In the Solomon Islands the first Women’s Premier League was launched with eight participating teams. Neighbouring Papua New Guinea saw the National Women’s Soccer League launched, bringing competitive women’s football back to the nation for the first time in more than five years, with an incredible 14 participating teams.

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OFC WOMEN’S FOOTBALL CAPACITY BUILDING SESSIONS HELD IN 7 MA'S

2020

12 7 119 22

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Women’s Football Development Officers

Regional Women’s Football Survey Participants

Women's National Leagues (TGA, PNG, SOL, NZL, NCL, TAH, SAM)

Development Officers and Just Play staff participated in Capacity Building sessions

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2020

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT OFC’s commitment to player development continued in 2020. While the COVID-19 pandemic created obvious challenges in this space, the OFC Player Development unit was quick to adapt their strategy to connecting with Member Associations through digital technology. Throughout the year, more than 50 online workshops were conducted with OFC’s Member Associations. The online workshops provided guidance around the Football Festivals and Development Centre work that took place across OFC’s 11 Member Associations.

More than 1100 players took part in Development Centre activities in our Member Associations with 40 coaches passing on their knowledge. Development Centres focus on up to two training sessions with certified coaches. These are designed to foster a child’s growing passion to play football by inspiring continuous development through focusing on their relationship with the ball. Centres place an emphasis on fun, playfulness, and skill development. All participants get an equal opportunity to participate in the skill activity and in games.

During the year, OFC’s Member Associations operated 300 Football Festivals, with more than 21,000 participants and almost 300 coaches involved.

Programmes can run across a 12-week window to give players the opportunity to immerse themselves in a range of football activities.

A Football Festival may include more than 100 players and have multiple learning stations such as dribbling, passing, shooting and small-sided games.

Player development at the grassroots and youth phase is critical to ensuring OFC’s age- group and senior teams remain competitive on the international stage.

OFC measures the success of these events by gauging the contact with the ball for children and their opportunities to try new skills, while making their own decisions and learning through playing.

During the year, the OFC Skills Challenge, a learning tool designed for young players to improve their ball skills, was piloted in Fiji.

A Football Festival may include up to 40 players and have four learning stations such as dribbling, passing, shooting and a small game.

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56 27 26 1 Activity Report

Online workshops (Player development programmes for MA Development Officers)

2020

Development Officers in 6 MA's trained to activate OFC player development programmes

Development Centres: 1,113 players (boys & girls)

• Player development Guidelines - Completed for MA's

MA piloted: OFC Skills Challenge Awards

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300 GRASSROOT FESTIVALS: 21,905 PARTICIPANTS

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2020

FUTSAL Futsal development continued at a rapid rate on a domestic level in 2020 despite the problems posed by COVID-19. The impact of the pandemic meant international tournaments were not possible in the Pacific, but it gave many Member Associations the opportunity to put a greater focus on their own competitions. National competitions took place in Fiji, the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, and New Zealand. Suva won Fiji’s 2020 Inter-District Championship while Marist FC won the SIPA Futsal Championship in the Solomon Islands. In Noumea, the 2019 OFC Futsal Champions League runners-up ASPTT Noumea, completed the domestic double, by winning the 2020 Caledonia Futsal Cup following a thrilling 5-4 victory over AS Universite in New Caledonia in the first week of December. In New Zealand, Auckland City FC won the men’s Futsal Super League title. The national women’s competition will look to align with their male counterparts in 2021, which is an exciting development for the women’s game. Also in New Zealand, the Northern Region Football organisation operated a four-week tournament featuring teams that were formed from a player draft.

This exciting new concept was wellreceived by the players and the event was supported by OFC through our futsal leagues programme. In 2020, OFC sent more than $550,000 worth of equipment to our Member Associations and a large portion of that was futsal related. On the coaching side of the equation, there were three Futsal C Licence coaching courses, with the OFC / SIFF course supported remotely by Futsal Coach Educator Juliano Schmeling. Schmeling also commenced work supporting coaches from 2019 courses in Fiji, New Caledonia and Vanuatu to complete their licences. The courses took place in Fiji, New Zealand and the Solomon Islands which are countries where futsal continues to thrive. OFC Head of Football Development Paul Toohey said online education had been a must given as travel had not been possible due to the pandemic. As champions of Oceania, the Solomon Islands senior national team were meant to attend the FIFA Futsal World Cup in Lithuania in September-October, but the tournament was postponed to 2021 due to the pandemic.

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OFC FUTSAL C LICENCE COURSES

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2020

19 4 100 4 OFC

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Workshops: 4 MA's participated in OFC Futsal C Licence refresher courses

Certified coaches

Introduction to Futsal workshops conducted with Kiribati

National Men’s Leagues

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2020

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BEACH SOCCER Beach Soccer’s popularity in the Pacific continued to grow in 2020 and offers genuine opportunity for teams from the region to achieve notable success on the world stage.

The Solomon Islands is another of OFC’s beach soccer hotspots and they began 2020 with the third annual Sirubai Beach Soccer Tournament, which has become a key event in the local sporting calendar.

To help fast-track development in the region towards OFC’s strategic objective of winning the Beach Soccer World Cup in 2027, the organisation’s focus in 2020 was on assisting Member Associations in setting clear operational goals to foster improvements in high performance across the region.

Held at Kubolia Beach Soccer Stadium on South Vella Island in the Western Province from January 1-6, the competition hosted 18 teams showcasing the growing popularity of the code in their nation.

The sand-based game is well-suited to the landscape of many of OFC’s Member Associations and that has been reflected in Tahiti’s performances at the recent editions of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. Tahiti is one of the beach soccer strongholds in our region and their national club competitions still went ahead in 2020, despite COVID-19 causing a range of other disruptions. Tiki Tama were crowned champions of the ten-team 2020 OPT Elite Men’s Beach Soccer Cup tournament following a perfect season with nine wins from as many matches. In the women’s tournament, the Green Warriors claimed the title ahead of Tiki Tama and AS Mataiea.

Following six days of play, Mudskipper Orange, led by Bilikiki star Kiven Koipala defeated Kirirbiri 1 FC 2-0 to claim the title. While the pandemic drew football activities to a halt in the middle of the year, beach soccer made its triumphant return in the Solomon Islands in November. The National Invitational Beach Soccer Championship was held at Honiara’s DC Park. One of the main aims of the competition was to scout for new talent to represent the national team. To help with the talent identification and player selection, a Solomon Islands Football Federation technical study group was deployed. The highly competitive tournament culminated in a thrilling final where Malaita Kwikwi edged the Honiara Titans 6-5.

Activity Report

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BEACH SOCCER Former Bilikiki talisman James Naka finished the tournament as the top scorer with 15 goals, while Roy Mafane was named best player of the tournament. In October 2019, the Vanuatu Football Federation (VFF) announced the revival of Port Vila’s beach soccer league with business houses taking part. The competition at the Korman Beach Soccer Field was designed to lay the foundations for the start of an elite men’s beach soccer league in the nation’s capital in 2020. A total of 14 teams and 350 players registered to participate, including some former national players who have returned to the sand, including Seimata Chilia,

Koko Alick, Joe Pakoa and Simo Joseph. Their participation helped to raise the profile of the league. Tonga’s beach soccer programme has continually improved since the establishment of a beach soccer centre on the island of Ha’apai in 2019. Tonga Football Association Technical Director Kilifi Uele also operated a coaching course for beach soccer coaches, and the country held a women’s tournament in November. Ha’apai serves as Tonga’s beach soccer hub and OFC Head of Football Development Paul Toohey said it was encouraging to see the game grow for both men and women.

MA NATIONAL TOURNAMENTS

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GOALKEEPING Goalkeeping development continued to expand its reach throughout the Pacific in 2020. A range of our Member Associations now have Goalkeeping Development Officers in place to ensure this crucial aspect of the game will continue to get the support it needs. Lice Waqailiti (Fiji) and Ken Esiko (Vanuatu) started in their respective roles in 2020, joining Soane Faupula (Tonga), Phillip Mango (Solomon Islands), and Laurent Heinis (Tahiti) as part of OFC’s goalkeeping network. The focus for Oceania’s goalkeepers and goalkeeping coaches is understanding and identifying what the fundamentals are and how to deliver those on the field, while making it enjoyable to get involved in the process. The long-term goal for the department is to have a Goalkeeping Development Officer in each of our 11 Member Associations. Technology played a big part in OFC’s goalkeeping work in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic meant travel throughout the Pacific was not possible for majority of the year. Regular online meetings were conducted with the region’s Goalkeeping Development Officers to support capacity building and assist with their ability to deliver coach education courses.

Highlights included the coaching course conducted by Mango in Honiara that was attended by 21 goalkeeping coaches from the Solomon Islands in the middle of the year. In Fiji, Waqailiti continued her training sessions with goalkeepers at all levels and she also works closely with national team custodian Beniamino Mateinaqara. Faupula took things a step further in Tonga where he translated a range of coaching material into the Tongan language and presented coaching courses in Ha’apai, Vava’u and ‘Eua islands. In New Zealand, the first OFC/NZF Goalkeeping C Licence coaching courses was facilitated in Auckland and Christchurch in the latter stages of 2020. This work highlight’s OFC’s recognition of the importance the development of goalkeepers will play in the future success of representative teams from the region.

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GOALKEEPING SCHOOLS

2020

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10 6 11 Activity Report

Development centres with 25% girl participation

MA Goalkeeping certificate courses

Sessions: 5 Development Officers trained to implement local goalkeeper development programmes including Goalkeeping schools

Goalkeeping introduction courses

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2020

CLUBS AND LEAGUES With the increased opportunities that 1.5 spots at the FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women’s World Cup offers, prioritising strong competitions remains a key strategic objective for OFC.

As Clubs and Leagues Officer, Dillon has also been sitting on the internal project team which is guiding the Oceania Professional League Taskforce from an OFC perspective.

In 2020, the commitment to creating pathways was solidified with the appointment of a full- time Clubs and Leagues Officer, Steven Dillon.

The Oceania Professional League Taskforce is made up of appointed individuals, led by the Papua New Guinea Football Federation President, John Kapi Natto, as chairman, and including a variety of professionals from Oceania and Asia with experience setting up professional leagues.

Dillon has an extensive background in capacity building and education having worked at grassroots, regional and national federation levels. His most recent role was with Australian professional club Melbourne Victory as a pre-Academy Coordinator, following on from a number of roles at New Zealand Football. Previously Club Licensing has sat under the Competitions department, however in his new role Dillon sits within the Football division providing the connection between football development and competitions. The shift sees Club Licensing transition from a strictly regulatory activity to a tool for club development, assisting Member Associations to build programmes which would in turn assist and strengthen their local clubs. The emphasis is on capacity and capability building and lifting the standard of football across the region through education and development.

The taskforce has been established to determine the viability of a professional league in the Oceania region, an elite football competition in which wellorganised clubs with the highest standards of player, coaches, referees, administrators, even management and facilities would participate. Although the findings remain largely confidential at this time, two formats have been identified as having viability in the region. As such, the Taskforce has been mandated by the OFC Executive Committee to continue investigating into 2021, with the commercial feasibility of a professional league among the aspects to be further explored.

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ONLINE TASKFORCE MEETINGS

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APPOINTMENT OF OFC CLUBS AND LEAGUES OFFICER – 1 OCTOBER COMPLETION OF OFC CLUBS AND LEAGUES OPERATIONAL PLAN 2021 IDENTIFICATION AND CONNECTION WITH KEY CLUB LICENSING CONTACTS IN EACH MA

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EDUCATION 2020 saw a continuation in the development of coaches within the region, with Member Associations being flexible and creative in their design and delivery of courses. More than 2000 coaches took part in OFC educational courses, providing a comprehensive insight into the provision of positive football and futsal experiences for players of all ages. The OFC licence coaching courses mixed a blended approach of online, face-to-face and distance education, to engage coaches in learning that was relevant to their own environment. More than 400 coaches from across the region travelled to take part in OFC licence courses in the early stages of 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic made international travel hard to navigate. When international travel became restricted, OFC and our Member Associations adapted and used technology to ensure our coaching courses ran smoothly. Vanuatu, Tahiti, and Fiji held various licence coaching courses and at the top end of the spectrum, New Zealand Football operated an OFC/NZF A Licence course and two B Licence courses throughout the year. Learning opportunities were also provided in two key areas: Goalkeeping and Coach education.

The introduction of the OFC Goalkeeping C Licence coaching course provided a positive step for the development of this important position. This course was conducted in New Zealand in the final quarter of the year in Auckland and Christchurch attracting strong turnouts in both locations. The creation of an online course for Coach Educators will enable Member Associations to grow the capability of their coach development workforce. There are exciting times are ahead for education in the region as OFC managed to achieve funding from the UEFA Assist programme for the creation of an E-Learning platform. This aims to provide an engaging and accessible approach to education to help football officials, volunteers, administrators, and coaches become the best versions of themselves. It will complement the existing face-toface courses and workshops, allowing participants to access information and educate themselves in a variety of different ways. On the personnel side, Owain Prosser joined OFC as the Head of Education and High Performance in March of 2020 following seven years at New Zealand Football.

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NEWLY TRAINED COACH EDUCATORS

1,471 13 1 424 OFC

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Coaches attending MA Certificates

Techinical Director Seminar

• Created Coaching Advisory WGroup

OFC accredited A Licence coaches

Coaches attended OFC Licence Courses

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2020

HIGH PERFORMANCE Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the only national team to take part in international fixtures during 2020 was New Zealand’s senior women’s team. The Football Ferns travelled to Portugal to take part in the Algarve Cup in March. The side performed well, with the highlight being a win over Belgium, who are 17th in the FIFA world rankings, on their way to finishing fourth in the competition. 2020 was meant to see the premier men’s event in Pacific football, the OFC Nations Cup, played in New Zealand in June but that tournament was one of many notable cancellations in our region. The inability to play international fixtures provided an opportunity for Member Associations, with OFC support, to focus on raising the standards of their domestic programmes. Member Association Technical Departments are designing and delivering ways to further improve their player development programmes, competitions and coaching development structures. This will help high performance thrive and produce more competitive teams playing at a higher standard across the region.

2020 OUTCOME: CREATION OF MEDICAL ADVISORY GROUP

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REFEREEING Shifting its delivery model from inperson to online enabled the OFC Referee Department to remain on-track to achieve its strategic objectives in 2020. The postponement of the FUTURO III Referee Instructor Seminar in March was the instigator for OFC Head of Refereeing, Kevin Stoltenkamp to start exploring different avenues to ensure match officials across the region could continue their development. FUTURO III was hosted online over three days in August, covering football technical instruction, and in particular the latest changes to the Laws of the Game. 10 Member Associations were represented across the 36 participants who engaged in group discussions, presentations, and video tests. “It allowed the instructors to focus on the methodology to ensure their referees are consistent in their application and understanding of the concepts, considerations and processes regarding their decision making,” Stoltenkamp said. In addition to the annual instructor seminar, the department facilitated over 70 online courses, including fitness sessions led by Fitness Consultants Alejo Perez Leguizamon and Kader Touati. The Futsal Refereeing Courses were facilitated by FIFA Instructor Perry Gautier from his base in Europe, with New Zealand, the Solomon Islands and Fiji benefitting from his immense expertise.

In a first for the region, the OFC Futsal Instructors Course was initiated for coaches across the Pacific. The varied and engaging content included an update on new laws and interpretations. It was deemed a success by facilitators and participants alike. Another first for Oceania refereeing was the introduction of Women-only Courses. Previously, courses have been delivered from an all-male perspective. Not only were women given the opportunity to speak and be heard in a more comfortable environment, but the content recognised the distinct differences between the male and female physiology. The reduction in regional competition meant Stoltenkamp and Referee Development Officer Neil Poloso, were able to focus on further developing the OFC Referee Development strategy. The pair worked closely with colleagues in the Football Division to identify the current state of play, while working with Referee Development Officers to help plan activities and define budgets in accordance with their respective strategies. Looking ahead the focus will be on ensuring every Member Association has the Instructor capacity to move their development plans forward. Referee Development Officers are active across the region, with their focus on incountry development allowing OFC to put a greater emphasis on high performance.

LAWS OF THE GAME The COVID-19 pandemic had a farreaching impact on daily life, including sport, around the world and the Laws of the Game were no exception. With competitions across the globe expected to be played in a condensed period to reduce the impact on future competitions, and in different weather conditions, both of which could have an impact on player welfare, the IFAB approved a proposal to introduce an amendment to Law 3 – The Players. The temporary amendment related to the maximum number of permitted substitutions for competitions to be completed in 2020, with competition organisers given the discretion over its application.

TEMPORARY AMENDMENT TO LAW 3 – THE PLAYERS: NUMBER OF SUBSTITUTIONS Competition organisers have the option of applying either or both of the following: • During the match, each team: » May use a maximum of five substitutes » Has a maximum of three substitution opportunities* » May additionally make substitutions at half-time • Where extra time is played, each team: » May use an additional substitute (whether or not the team has used its maximum number of substitutes)

» Has one additional substitution opportunity* (whether or not the team has used its maximum number of substitution opportunities) » May additionally make substitutions: − In the period before the start of extra time − At half-time in extra time If a team has not used its maximum number of substitutes or substitution opportunities, the unused substitutions and opportunities may be used in extra time. *where both teams make a substitution at the same time, this will count as a used substitution opportunity for each team. Additionally, a range of amendments were made to five different Laws of the Game, with the most significant changes coming to Law 12 – Fouls and Misconduct. The law changes were covered extensively during the FUTURO III seminar, as well as in the football referee courses conducted during 2020, with particular focus placed on understanding the changes to handball.

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PARTICIPANTS INTRODUCED TO REFEREEING

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2020

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50 62 Certified referees in Futsal/Beach Soccer

OFC-accredited referee instructors and assessors

185 30 4 OFC-accredited referees

Instructors from 10 MA's (90%)

Referee Schools

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SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Responding to the OFC Football Development Strategy 2019-2026, the Social Responsibility department had big plans for 2020. With an all-encompassing programming model, Social Responsibility effectively integrates key social components throughout all aspects of football – helping OFC to achieve its vision of building stronger and healthier individuals, communities, and nations.

Following the onset and spread of COVID-19 in early 2020, OFC was no longer able to guarantee that safe space. Instead, Social Responsibility moved into a period of inward-looking capacity development to ensure business continued and plans would be in place when the crisis passes. The scaling back and/or postponement of programming activities was based on guidance from governments around the Pacific.

One of the first activities to be completed in 2020 was finalising the content of the Just Play 6-12-year programme, readying the curriculum for integration in 2020.

As a result, the Business Continuity Plan for Social Responsibility (BCP-SR) was developed and implemented from midMarch.

There were also plans to expand Just Play into new territory, with the groundwork laid in 2019 to prepare for an introduction of the programme in Kiribati.

The key activities impacted by the pandemic were training, session delivery, festivals and events, and the monitoring of activities.

In the Solomon Islands, the 13-18-year programme was launched in Temata Province with the provincial premier noting that the Just Play Programme is: “Engaging children in activities that will benefit them and is vital…Just Play has played an important role in filling this gap by engaging children in our schools and communities.”

This was largely due to the closure of schools and restrictions on public gatherings in most Pacific Island countries.

Since its inception 11 years ago, the Social Responsibility department, through its award-winning Just Play Programme, has always ensured children have a “safe place to play”.

What was not impacted was the ability to continue resource and materials development, and capacity building. The BCP-SR focused on maintaining morale and wellbeing, improving, and completing resources, and maintaining structure so the programme could return to full capacity when possible.

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Country teams translated the new Just Play 6-12 year Programme, Health and WASH resources into local languages, including French, Tongan and Pidgin, in preparation for the relaunch of the programme in 2021. Fiji Football Association Just Play Programme Manager, Lavinia Yalovi, participated in the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation’s Zoom series – sharing community calls and how Just Play has taken lessons learnt from past emergency programmes delivered in Fiji, Vanuatu, and India, and applied them to the unique situation created by the pandemic, by adapting activities and delivery models. The OFC Social Responsibility department put an early focus on strengthening and broadening its strategic plan to cover 20202024, while aiding Member Associations with the development of their own strategic plans for the same period. A series of toolkits were created to support strategic planning development for 2020-2024 and to strengthen Member Associations’ approach to partnerships and the facilitation of long-term strategic partnerships. Each toolkit contained a series of 10 activities for country teams to work through, helping to build national capacity and strengthen their overall approach to programming. An update of new guides and supporting resources covering Health and WASH, Safeguarding and Emergency Preparedness, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion, along with Wellness and Life Skills, was begun. This included an expansion of the programme’s social focus from four to eight-separate pillars, increasing the key areas and social emphasis relevant to Pacific communities.

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Leveraging the experience and capacity of the Just Play team in Fiji, a two-day workshop was facilitated in June to expand emergency programming resources to better prepare, respond and support the recovery of future emergency programmes.

The recommendations that come out of the study will inform the development of programming and monitoring components and an advocacy campaign focusing on WASH which will be designed and delivered throughout the region.

As different nations lifted restrictions on gatherings, more traditional Just Play activities started increasing with Fiji, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu all initiating festivals.

The region-wide travel ban had a considerable influence over the approach to the KAP study which was re-designed to leverage national Just Play teams, providing them with training and support to facilitate the collection of data, in place of an externally-based team.

The Solomon Islands focused on COVID-19 Awareness and handwashing while Fiji launched the Tour of Fiji taking Just Play Festivals across the nation. In Tonga, a collaboration with the local Government and Ministry of Education led to eight-weeks of activities in primary schools across Tongatapu, Ha’apai, Vava’u and ‘Eua. Vanuatu became the first Member Association to restructure and combine the technical and social components of football development. The Just Play Programme now forms the foundation of football in Vanuatu with technical mentors appointed to support the coordination of an integrated approach to activities. The first steps were put in place for the planned Knowledge Attitudes and Practices (KAP) study in late 2020 with the search for a consultancy to run the programme. Eight countries: Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, New Caledonia, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu will be included in the study to determine a baseline against which programme outcomes can be measured and evaluated.

SAFEGUARDING FUTURE GENERATIONS In 2020, OFC made further moves to cement its commitment to child protection. Having helped facilitate the development of safeguarding standards for football through

their support of the development of the FIFA Guardians Toolkit, which was launched in 2019, the regional Just Play Programme Mangers continued to develop content and policy to support safeguarding in football, such as the Just Play Child Protection Policy and Code of Conduct. The teams from Tonga and the Solomon Islands are taking part in the ChildFund Safeguarding in Sport: Development Support pilot. OFC is one of six sport organisations in the region participating, and although just two Member Associations have taken part, the results of the pilot will be shared across the region to support the development of a dedicated set of safeguarding training resources for all Member Associations in the Pacific.

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23,480

(45% GIRLS) CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN ACTIVITIES ACROSS THE REGION

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109 3,208 36 5 Teachers and Community Volunteers trained and active

Just Play Awareness festivals

Children participating in the 6-12 year Programme

Just Play Cups

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OPERATIONS Competitions Commercial and Communications Finance and Services Member Associations Services Unit

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CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER MESSAGE 2020 was an interesting year. We faced many operational challenges and embraced change while maintaining our commitment to implementing a high performing corporate and operational environment. This was paramount to ensuring we keep on track to achieve our organisational vision of qualifying two teams at the 2026 and 2027 FIFA World Cups. The Competitions department experienced the biggest impact as all competitions were either suspended or cancelled.

from our internal and external audits consolidated our strategic approach to implementing solid financial and operational frameworks. For the Member Associations unit, the focus on strategy led to the introduction of the OFC Solidarity Fund and OFC Development Programme, which accelerated the support to the Member Associations during a year that presented multiple challenges courtesy of firstly Cyclone Harold, which was followed shortly after by the global pandemic.

The department had to continuously change its strategy to suit the everchanging environment and circumstances while focusing on supporting our Member Associations in their uncertain environment.

We thank our Member Associations, General Secretaries, Technical Directors and their teams, for their resilience and commitment to the organisational goals, despite the difficulties the year presented both individually, and for the region.

The Commercial and Communications team went through a transformational phase and their overall strategy was revamped.

I would like to thank our team members for their dedication and commitment in such challenging environments.

The department was restructured in late 2020 with personnel and resources dedicated to the Football Division, Member Association Services unit, and the Executive Office.

We remain committed to developing Oceania football across the region and promoting the game at the highest levels, fostering collective high performance – on and away from the field - towards achieving the organisational vision for 2026 and 2027.

Major milestones occurred within the Finance and Services department with the delivery of their strategy and operations for the Finance, Procurement and Facilities units. A new paperless environment and various process automations in finance, procurement was implemented. Outcomes

Frederic Guillemont Chief Operating Officer

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COMPETITIONS OFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2020 The OFC Champions League 2020 was only partially completed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament faced challenges from the outset as the Qualifying Stage was moved from Samoa to New Zealand due to the measles epidemic in Samoa. This uncertainty in the Pacific also saw the American Samoan club Pago Youth, withdraw from the Qualifying Stage tournament. With two spots up for grabs in the main draw, Samoa’s Lupe Ole Soaga SC and Tupapa Maraerenga FC from the Cook Islands qualified from the three-team tournament in Auckland in January, which also included Tongan club Veitongo FC.

Auckland City FC won three from three to claim the honours in Group D in Tahiti but the most memorable result from that pool was Lupe Ole Soaga’s 4-3 upset of Fijian powerhouse Ba FC. Their win marked the first victory for a Samoan club in the group stages of the OFC Champions League and coach Paul Ualesi said it was a great boost for Samoan football. “It’s a proud moment for us, this is history for a club in Samoa, just winning a game,” he said after the match. “I’m so proud of my boys.” While Groups C and D were taking place, the COVID-19 pandemic was starting to spread further around the globe.

Group A was held in Papua New Guinea and was topped by New Zealand’s Eastern Suburbs AFC who won two of their pool matches, drawing the other.

The final pool matches took place on March 7 and only two days later OFC placed all football activities on hold due to safety concerns associated with the virus.

Group B took place in Vanuatu and the hometown Malampa Revivors thrilled the crowds in Luganville as they took out a tightly contested pool due to a superior goal difference over the Henderson Eels following a win and two draws.

As the year wore on, it became increasingly challenging to schedule any football in the Pacific due to border closures. In September, OFC’s Executive Committee agreed to cancel the remaining matches in the Champions League.

Home advantage also proved valuable in Group C for AS Magenta as the New Caledonian club made the most of playing on familiar turf to go through pool play unbeaten.

Auckland City was nominated as OFC's representative at the FIFA Club World Cup 2020, but could not participate due to travel restrictions caused by COVID-19.

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COMPETITIONS DEPARTMENT UPDATE OFC’s Competitions department experienced constant change during 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic caused countless schedule changes with competitions cancelled or postponed, affecting nearly 200 matches. The Competitions team had never encountered that level of disruption to their calendar. Only the Qualifying Stage and pool play of the OFC Champions League took place in 2020 before the pandemic forced international football to be placed on hold in the Pacific. With no competitions to organise in the short term, OFC Competitions Director Chris Kemp and his team quickly pivoted to other projects. They set about ensuring the COMET system was given extra attention and began adding historical data to the system, dating as far back as the first official OFC competition in 1973. This will prove a valuable resource for all of OFC’s 11 Member Associations when they wish to research historical events, tournaments, and player data. One other key project was ensuring Member Associations were upskilled in the use of COMET from a basic level through to advanced techniques.

COMET – which serves as OFC’s electronic player registration system, and tournament database – is a crucial tool for data storage. The Competitions team conducted workshops with staff from our Member Associations to ensure they are up to speed and comfortable using all its’ features. Capacity building is a vital aspect of the Competitions team’s work. Most Member Associations were able to operate their own national leagues in 2020, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. One of the milestones in 2020 was working with FIFA as they introduced FIFA’s International Match Protocol to ensure the safe return of international football. In one of the most challenging years sport has faced, a refreshed national women’s league in Papua New Guinea was launched, among many other domestic highlights. Bubbling away in the background was the ongoing need to maintain contact with FIFA and our Member Associations around how OFC’s football calendar would look in the future. Every Executive Committee meeting brought more change and the Competitions team engaged regularly with clubs and Member Associations to ensure they knew the status of their upcoming events.

One of the key challenges we faced was how to meet the need to provide young players from the region with further opportunities to play in development tournaments that were missed out on in 2020.

The Competitions team also created multiple scenarios for how future tournaments may look in the Pacific, taking into account the ongoing challenges of COVID-19.

The future competitions calendar may deliver more events as the organisation remains committed to its long-term strategy of qualifying two teams for the men’s and women’s FIFA World Cups in 2026 and 2027. Operationally, the department also worked on improving internal processes, while fine tuning competition regulations.

TRAINED MA COMPETITION MANAGERS • OFC 4-year competitions calendar published. • OFC Champions League Group stages only

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COMMERCIAL AND COMMUNICATIONS Reviewing and realigning the way we worked helped the Commercial and Communications department stay on track to meet its strategic objectives for 2020. The Commercial and Communications Strategy was reshaped in 2020 and adapted to the change in market landscape after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective was to continue to promote football at the highest level. The previous strategy and operations were heavily dependent on competitions. Their postponement or cancellation created two major challenges: OFC was losing the interest of current and potential new fans on our digital platforms and losing opportunities to monetise. The unique circumstances exposed by the pandemic highlighted the need for the communications strategy to change and expand to incorporate all keys areas of the organisation.

In October 2020, the Commercial and Communications Strategy 2020–2023 was approved by the Executive Committee. The vision moving forward remains the same: to effectively promote football, people, culture, and communities across the Pacific, while being a credible partner to work with, and to create revenue earning opportunities. To achieve this, appropriate resourcing levels needed to be in place to support the delivery of OFC’s future operations. As a result, the Commercial and Communications department underwent a restructure in November 2020. With less football events and activities to cover, the Media and TV units’ focus moved to strategy and capacity building. An asset register was established, and all video footage digitalised to preserve and archive the Confederation’s historical records.

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COMMERCIAL AND COMMUNICATIONS The team joined forces with the Competitions department to drive innovation, strategies, and capacity building, aimed towards improving media operations when tournaments resume. As part of the content development and branding strategy, the marketing unit collected and analysed MyCujoo data and statistics from competitions, including the OFC Champions League from 2018 to 2020. An interactive OFC Quiz and Team of the Week was launched on social media as part of the strategy and extensive digital content was produced when New Zealand won the bid to co-host the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 alongside Australia. Due to these efforts, OFC saw an increase of followers across all Social Media platforms in 2020. With the introduction of the OFC Development Programme, ongoing support and collaboration with Member Associations was vital to assist in the development and delivery of their media and marketing operational plans for 2021.

The objective of the Commercial and Communications department is to ensure all football is covered at the highest levels. We are striving to provide continuous support to our Member Associations to build their capacity in the Media, TV and Marketing space. This will foster public interest, and help to grow playing numbers, thereby aiding high performance to meet OFC’s vision of qualifying two teams for the men’s and women’s FIFA World Cups in 2026 and 2027, respectively.

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2020 DIGITAL STATS

500K MyCujoo Views 503,688 (76% down from 2019)

22MIL Impressions 22,142,249 (37% down from 2019)

160K

Post Link Clicks 160,293 (18% down from 2019)

1MIL YouTube 1,005,789 minutes watched (76% down from 2019)

890K Engagement 890,363 (60.3% down from 2019)

120K

Followers 120,830 (9.8% growth from 2019)

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FINANCE AND SERVICES OFC’s Finance and Services department achieved some important milestones during 2020.

In November, Chin Ma joined as Finance Manager marking another vital appointment in a senior position.

Finance and Services is comprised of the Finance, Procurement and Facilities teams and new staff were hired to key positions in all three units during the year.

The Finance team was busy throughout 2020 as they combined working from home and the office, while still performing their duties.

Chris Bishop joined in January as the Procurement Manager and he was closely followed by Prem Paul, who arrived a month later to begin his role as the Facilities Manager.

There were continual improvements in processes to ensure OFC works towards a paperless office environment, notably the implementation of new automated payroll software.

Both were thrust into a challenging environment as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in March.

Financial governance and operations have been consolidated as witnessed from positive outcomes from the various audits conducted in 2020, including the FIFA Central Review 2019.

The stringent lockdown measures implemented by the New Zealand Government meant staff were forced to work from home during March and April. This created logistical hurdles for the Facilities team, but they moved quickly to monitor equipment that was taken home, while ensuring OFC’s sanitation framework was in place. Following the Level Four lockdown, the Facilities team developed streamlined plans to maximise space and equipment at OFC’s headquarters to ensure staff could mix comfortably between working in the office and from home, while maintaining good hygiene standards.

As part of OFC’s Finance Strategic Plan 2019-2022, the Finance team want OFC to be viewed as the leading organisation in world football for financial governance. Some key markers were achieved in 2020 as we work towards that goal.

2020 OUTCOMES FINANCE • The Statutory Audit for 2019 was completed successfully • The Internal Audit on finance and accounting policy completed, which led to some key minor process improvements • The Global budget for 2021 was completed with cashflow projection through until 2022 • Successful implementation of the new payroll software, Payhero • The FIFA Central Review for 2019 was completed successfully.

FACILITIES • Improved internal processes support to working remotely • Development of the Grounds Maintenance Plan and Programme • Development of the Academy/ Accommodation Management Plan • Building Warrant of Fitness obtained • Development of Asset Management Programme.

PROCUREMENT • The tender to confirm the construction company for the Home of Football project was completed • Development of supplier market and information analysis • Development of a suppliers transition plan • The Evaluation framework for suppliers was completed • In late 2020, a new procurement platform was introduced for testing • The internal audit on procurement and the tender policy was completed which led to key process improvements.

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MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS SERVICES UNIT The Member Association Services unit combines multiple aspects of the support OFC provides its 11 Member Associations. Supriya Kulkarni-Padhye was appointed Member Association Services Manager as OFC launched several new projects in 2020. Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the main goal of the unit had been to strengthen its support of the Member Associations, which began with a review of the OFC Grant, which was transformed to the OFC Development Programme. The programme assisted with the growth of individual expertise, increasing the capability levels at the Member Associations, while providing support with strategic and operational planning and funding, in line with current OFC strategies. This included financial support in the areas of corporate governance, football development and national team programming.

The next phase of the unit’s development will focus on consolidation, aligning structure and launching an overall strategy for the Member Associations’ Service unit.

OFC SOLIDARITY FUND The OFC Executive Committee unanimously approved the development and implementation of the OFC Solidarity Fund in April 2020. The fund was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to aid the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and Tonga, the countries directly affected by the Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Harold. Financed through OFC FIFA Forward funding, the grant of up to NZD$50,000 has been designed to cover four key areas: food and hygiene packets, loss of income, medical allowances, and self-isolation costs. In addition, it covered rebuilding costs for countries affected by the cyclone.

The OFC management platform was also reshaped to provide an all-in-one solution to support Member Associations in their management of all financial applications and reporting.

The OFC Solidarity Fund was managed by the OFC Member Association Services unit with hands-on support from the OFC Social Responsibility department and regional Just Play Programme Managers.

In response to COVID-19 as well as Tropical Cyclone Harold, which struck in April, the OFC Solidarity Fund was developed.

In Tonga, where the national league was suspended for three months, support was provided to those whose primary source of income was impacted by the lack of football activities.

The Fiji Football Association’s Social Responsibility team, together with the Board of Control members, handed out grocery parcels to 400 players, officials and their families affected by the pandemic across the country. In French Polynesia, the islands of Tahiti and Moorea were most affected by COVID-19. A total of 386 coaches, referees, players, and volunteers, benefited from the Solidarity Fund through the supply of food vouchers to buy food and hygiene baskets for their families.

OFC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME As part of the long-term strategy to see two competitive teams at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, OFC has developed a new model for funding: the OFC Development Programme. The OFC Executive Committee mandated the administration with reshaping its support to Member Associations by providing tailor-made expertise, capacity building, support with strategic and operational plans, and funding in line with those strategies. In July, that led to the update of the OFC Development Programme (formerly the OFC Financial Assistance Programme) to create a dynamic programme through a targeted funding model.

The objective of the new programme is to enable Member Associations to strengthen football in all its forms, including futsal and beach soccer, from grassroots to the elite, for girls, boys, women, and men. Of equal importance is the strengthening of Member Association systems in the areas of corporate governance, management, and administration. Through the new Development Programme, Member Associations will be entitled to up to $350,000 per year over a two-year period. Up to $100,000 is earmarked for the development of national teams, including preparation and participation in international completions and friendly matches, with a minimum of 25 per cent to be invested in women’s teams. Up to $150,000 per year must be spent on football development, with 25 per cent of that total for investment in women’s football. A further $100,000 is available to strengthen capacity in corporate governance and administration. Associate Members were also considered in the redesign of the programme, with $60,000 available to support capacity building, national team development or equipment over a two-year period.

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KEY PRINCIPLESOF THE OFC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME • Tailor-made approach built around and an Annual Development plan for each Member Association. • Unused funds at end of each year, with the exception of the $100,000 allocation for national teams, are integrated in overall grant funding to Member Associations for the following year. • In addition to the funding, OFC will provide expertise and organise capacity building activities.

OPERATIONAL PLANS • All Member Associations submitted draft operational plans for corporate governance, football development and national teams in November-December 2020 • These plans were reviewed by the respective OFC Head of Department for the Operations and Football divisions • Feedback was provided to each Member Association via zoom calls or email.

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OFC MANAGEMENT PLATFORM The OFC Management platform is a new unified platform enabling users to access the following through one URL: • Social Responsibility • Education Centres and Football Programmes • The OFC Development Programme Advantages of the OFC Management Platform: • Real time access to all programmes, eliminating paper-based applications. • Greater collaboration between senior staff and operations teams • One place for different Member Association programmes and activity and financial reporting • Secure and accessible information • Cloud based – accessible anywhere in the world. • Transparency and accountability • Project management tool Member Associations received training on the platform in late 2020 and it was set to be tested in early 2021.

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THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE

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Good Governance Home of Football

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GOOD GOVERNANCE The OFC Statutes were revised and adopted in the 2020 OFC Congress and vacancies were filled on the Independent Audit and Risk Committee. The committee held its first meeting in November 2020. The main changes implemented to reform OFC’s governance are: • The introduction of term limits on OFC Executive Committee members. » The Ordinary Member’s president is still allowed to sit on the OFC Executive Committee, provided they meet the Eligibility Criteria. They can have a maximum of three terms (a maximum of 12 years) starting from the first election as a Member Association President after the 2020 OFC Congress. • The OFC President and FIFA Council members nominations must get the support of three Member Associations to be valid. • OFC no longer has a provisional membership category, but ordinary members and associate members. • Appeal rights were introduced for Eligibility Committee decisions. These will be made to the Appeal Committee.

• A mechanism for the replacement of a member of the Executive Committee was introduced. • The Executive Committee of a Member Association can appoint one of their members to replace their president, until a new president is elected if a member of the OFC Executive Committee: » is permanently prevented from performing their official function as determined by the Executive Committee » is no longer the president of an ordinary member » is absent from four consecutive Executive Committee meetings without a legitimate reason » does not meet the eligibility criteria » resigns or dies • For transparency, a requirement for annual reporting has been introduced detailing: » any business in which OFC has an interest, whether as a shareholder of another company or otherwise » financial statements for the financial period

» state particulars of entries of Executive Committee and Standing Committee members in the interests register made during the financial year » the individual compensation of the President, the members of the Executive Committee and the remuneration of the OFC General Secretary » state the names of the members of the Executive Committee » state the amounts payable by OFC to the Auditor as audit fees and fees payable by OFC for other services provided by that firm Additionally, in 2020, the Legal and Compliance department oversaw the first online Congress, under COVID-19 New Zealand legislation.

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HOME OF FOOTBALL The Home of Football took shape in 2020. At the start of the year, the project advanced to Stage Two at the Ngahue Reserve in Auckland. Resource consents were filed with the Auckland City Council and aspects of the project were put out for mandatory tender as per the OFC procurement policy. Stage Two involved the construction of the new office building and conference facilities. As part of this process we have appointed a new management company, RCP, to support us in delivering this project. The complex has two artificial football fields, which are already in use. Once the new office has been completed, OFC will relocate from its existing headquarters. The current office at Mt Smart Stadium in Penrose will serve as a high-performance academy for the region. During the middle of the year, tenders were finalized, and construction company Southbase was selected to complete the building project.

As the year progressed, notable strides were made on the building with staff set to move in during 2021. General Secretary Franck Castillo said the Home of Football project would be used for all levels of the game from community programmes to senior football. Receiving the resource consents and watching this project come to life was one of the highlights for OFC in 2020. This site will prove to be a valuable resource for football in our region for many years to come In January, the ground hosted the OFC Champions League Qualifying Stage where clubs from Samoa, Tonga and the Cook Islands took part. OFC thanks the Auckland City Council and the Orakei Community Board for their support of The Home of Football project which is funded by FIFA Forward and UEFA Assist.

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FIFA FORWARD 2.0 The Auckland-based Oceania FIFA Development Office has overseen the overlap and transition from FIFA Forward 1.0 to FIFA Forward 2.0 throughout 2020. Ronan Hershco, who had served as development officer to the region for several years, departed, with David Firisua Jnr taking on his role in an interim capacity. During his tenure, Hershco worked closely with all OFC Member Associations, initiating the focus on infrastructure development for the improvement in the delivery of the football programme within the region. The team also expanded to include New Zealander Melanie Giles as project coordinator.

created Women’s Development Programme offerings. There are 26 infrastructure projects ongoing across Oceania, with the FIFA Development Office working closely to guide Member Associations through all aspects of project management. In Fiji, the Labasa Technical Academy project will see a modern technical centre open on Fiji’s second largest island, Vanua Levu, catering for the ever-increasing participation and demand for facilities in the district.

Among the highlights for the office in 2020 was the strengthening of the relationship between FIFA and OFC, and the aligned approach to regional football development.

The project is currently at 80-90 per cent completion and has been expertly progressed by the project manager along with the Fiji Football Association despite periods of inclement weather and several devastating tropical cyclones during the construction period.

The two bodies collaborated closely to support the strategic and operational plan development of Member Associations, ensuring correlation between projects supported by FIFA and OFC.

Tahiti is another Member Association which has capitalised on FIFA Forward to upgrade its facilities, with the field at the existing technical centre receiving an overhaul in 2020.

Of note was the consolidated approach to women’s football, and the understanding of the opportunity to promote and develop women’s football in the region which the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 provides. This saw the FIFA Development Office supporting the OFC Women’s Football Strategy Workshop and guiding Member Associations through the newly

The installation of an artificial turf at the Pirae headquarters caters for the need for all-weather surfaces in the country and will help meet the high demand of usage by football stakeholders. This infrastructure project is nearing the finish line with practical completion expected in early 2021.

Vanuatu has also capitalised on the opportunities being offered by FIFA Forward to progress several infrastructure projects.

designs, tender management, and selection of contractors for the main construction phase of the projects.

The Vanuatu Football Federation Freswota Stadium project will see the construction of a new stadium in Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu.

Project managers have been approved in 2020 for developments in Tonga, Cook Islands and the Solomon Islands.

With 1,500 covered seats, a natural grass turf pitch and floodlights, the new stadium has also been designed to offer an accessible environment for all, including those with limited mobility. Additionally, the design includes environmental impact considerations, in particular water usage and reticulation, and energy consumption. The project is nearing the 40 per cent completion mark.

In the Cook Islands, the Tupapa Maraerenga Sports Association Football Complex will be upgraded and improved to include a boutique stadium with 600-800 covered seats and a floodlit natural pitch, with improved access for disability users at the forefront of designs. In Tonga, the Tonga Football Association headquarters will be upgraded to include a stadium while the outdoor futsal court, which is prone to damage during tropical cyclones, will be covered.

With support from the FIFA Foundation, repairs to infrastructure on Santo, in the Sanma Province, were approved in 2020.

In the Solomon Islands, the Lawson Tama Stadium will become the country’s first modern football stadium and will cater for FIFA sanctioned international matches and regional competitions.

Luganville Soccer City Stadium, which has hosted several regional qualifying tournaments and is the base for the Northern Football Academy, suffered damage from Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Harold.

It will have 1,500-2,000 covered seats with a new pitch and floodlights.

In 2020, FIFA also approved several Member Association infrastructure projects with the engagement of project managers, who would be responsible for preliminary site assessments/surveys, developing detailed

The stadium will include offices for the federation’s headquarters. It will have technical spaces for coaches and players, spaces for media, events and logistics staff and improved public amenities.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT IN 2020

THANK YOU

OFC Activity Report 2020

Articles inside

General Secretary's Foreword

President's Foreword