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The Vahirua family is one of the most successful when it comes to Football in Oceania’s history. Marama Vahirua achieved success in French football and played for Tahiti national team – especially at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. Pascal Vahirua, Marama’s cousin, who was also born in French Polynesia played 22 games for the French senior national team.
Now his sons follow in his footsteps, Hirinai Vahirua plays for Gazelec Ajaccio and his daughter Hereiti Vahirua has been playing for OGC Nice since 2020. She has now received a call-up to be in the training camp of the Tahitian U-19 women’s national team that will take place between February 18th and 24th, which will serve as preparation for the OFC U-19 Women’s Championship that will take place in April – as released by the FTF.
Tahiti’s list also features four players who were at the OFC Nations Cup: the goalkeeper Gelimma El Hadj Kaddour who has already played the tournament in 2019 when he was a starter at just 14 years old, the midfielders Kohai Mais, Krystal Vivish and the striker Hinavainui Malfatti – with the latter being along with Hereiti Vahirua the only two who currently plays in France. Malfatti was one of Tahiti’s best players in the OFC Women’s Nations Cup when she was the second youngest player in the tournament at just 15 years old. In a friendly against New Caledonia after the tournament she scored a hat-trick in Tahiti’s 4-1 win on that occasion.
The big loss for Tahiti will not be being able to count on the presence of Stéphanie Spielmann who has stepped down as coach position of the national team and youth teams after 5 years. She is now working with the Oceania Football Confederation to develop women’s football in the South Pacific.
Oceania Football Center 