Defending champions New Zealand will be aiming for their 11th title as the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship kicks off on Sunday in Honiara.
Speaking during the pre-tournament press conference on Friday at the Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) headquarters, head coach Martin Bullock said, there will be more pressure on his young side due to their successful history in the competition.
“I think there is pressure since we have been successful in this age group, and it will be a learning experience for the players on how they’re going to deal with this pressure.
“They potentially have more pressure than the other nations just because of the history,” Bullock said.
“It will be interesting to see how the players deal with that. They have development programs back home with their clubs, but this is a different sort of pressure, and we are looking forward to it.”
Bullock also praised their recent participation in the FIFA Youth Series in May in Switzerland, saying it had given his players valuable experience ahead of next week’s tournament.
“Preparations have gone pretty well. We were very fortunate to get together back in May and go to the tournament in Switzerland, hosted by FIFA, so we had the great experience of playing against countries from all around the world,” he said.
During their time in the Solomon Islands, Bullock said they would be looking to embrace the experience and help his players in their journey toward wearing the famous All Whites jersey.
“We are looking to enjoy it, to embrace Solomon Islands since it is a new experience for all of us. Everyone in the group, coaches, players and staff, none of us have ever been to the Solomon Islands before, and it’s been great so far.
“We were really welcomed, and it’s a new experience and new conditions. It’s going to help the boys in their journey to becoming an All White,” he said.
With three qualifying spots available in this tournament for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar later this year, Bullock expressed the opportunity as huge for the region.
“I think that in our region, football is on the rise. I think having automatic qualification for the Men’s World Cup is huge for the region, obviously,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Junior All Whites will kick off their title defence against Samoa on Monday at 12pm at the National Stadium.
By TIMOTHY INIFIRI JNR
Solomon Star, Honiara
