The Australian Government and Football Australia are partnering to support Pacific football with a historic three-match series to take place in Vanuatu in September.
The Australian U23 team will travel to Vanuatu to meet two of Oceania’s strongest senior national teams – Vanuatu and New Caledonia – in a three-match series to be held in Port Vila, Vanuatu.
The series will commence with a match featuring Vanuatu and New Caledonia on 31 August 2024. Australia faces New Caledonia on Thursday 5 September, before taking on Vanuatu on Sunday 8 September, with all matches to be held at Freshwater Stadium.
The visit is the latest in a growing suite of events connecting Australia and the Pacific through football, supported by the Australian Government through PacificAus Sports.
The series is Australia’s first step on the road to the AFC U23 Asian Cup™ in 2026. The fixtures take place during a key period for both New Caledonia and Vanuatu, who begin their respective bids to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ in October.
Quotes attributable to James Johnson, Chief Executive Officer, Football Australia:
“We’re thankful for the opportunity that PacificAus Sports has provided this group of players, this tour will give valuable exposure to both a national team environment and matches against older opposition – an extremely beneficial exercise as they move along our development pathway.
“Our relationship with our neighbours in the Pacific is extremely important to us and we can’t thank them enough for the hospitality they’ve shown to our various touring teams in recent months, it’s a wonderful experience for our players both on and off the pitch.”
Quotes attributable to Lambert Maltock, President, Vanuatu Football Federation
“Vanuatu Football Federation wishes to express its gratitude to Football Australia for this collaboration, as we anticipate that these friendly matches will significantly enhance the performance of our national team, marking the beginning of our partnership with Football Australia.
“We would also like to thank Football Australia and the Australian Government for their support in this new endeavour for football in Vanuatu. We eagerly anticipate further opportunities for collaboration in the future.”
