AUCKLAND - New Zealand, Auckland City FC were delighted to host a senior, retired football delegation from New Caledonia in our Kiwitea club rooms this week.
18 November 2023
AUCKLAND – New Zealand, Auckland City FC were delighted to host a senior, retired football delegation from New Caledonia in our Kiwitea club rooms this week.
Club general manager Gordon Watson has handed over them a kit donation from the club, packed with love and care by our good friends at Hawaii Football.
First team player and Vanuatu international Tom Boulet was also at hand to share the moment, strengthening the pacific feel of the occasion. Boulet played in the OFC Champions League for Ifira Black Bird in a dramatic semi-final clash with City back in May.
Watson said: “It’s an honour for our club to host peoples of the Pacific at Kiwitea Street. This year we’ve welcomed Hawaii Football and now guests from New Caledonia.
“New Caledonia has achieved some amazing milestones in world football terms including one of its greatest ever players Christian Karembeu winning the FIFA World Cup in 1998 and Euro 2000.
“He, of course, also won the UEFA Champions League twice with Real Madrid, but he isn’t alone – Marc Kanyan, Guy Elmour, Antoine Kambouare, Frederic Piquionne and Pierre Wajoka have all made an impact in international and domestic football.
“Football is not just about the elite, its about community and as we are very much an Oceania club with strong connections with Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu, it is nice to connect with our French speaking friends from New Caledonia on their football and cultural exchange tour of New Zealand.”
As part of the visitation to Kiwitea Street, Auckland City FC handed over several sets of Dynasty strips, boots, shin pads and training gear, all destined for redistribution in New Caledonia.
“What is special about this is that Hawaii Football helped pack this gear when they came to Kiwitea Street and they wrote special messages for the people who received these gifts.
“We have three bags of gear – one went to help the Cyclone Gabrielle rebuild last month, our second contribution to that cause – the other is set aside exclusively for the Chapuis Community in Luganville, Vanuatu, while this set is now destined for New Caledonia.
“You can see from the composition of this football gear that we have formed a many points of light approach to this that connects Hawaii Football, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington Olympic – who inspired the Bay project in March of this year – with Vanuatu, Auckland City FC and now New Caledonia.
“It’s also important to acknowledged the contribution of Maori Football Aotearoa, for their inspiration, generosity and powerful example of kindness, cultural connection and nuanced grasp of what community means within football’s culture.”
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