Vanuatu’s national beach soccer team paid a touching tribute to the late Tahiti international Eddy Kaspard during their visit to French Polynesia for the 2026 OFC Beach Soccer Men’s Nations Cup, visiting his family in Papara to honour a footballer whose life connected both Pacific nations.
The visit was confirmed by the Oceania Football Confederation, which highlighted the special relationship between Kaspard and the two countries through his Vanuatu and Tahitian heritage.
Kaspard passed away on 14 August 2025 at the age of 24 following a road accident in Paea, Tahiti. His sudden death deeply affected the local football community, where he had established himself as one of the country’s most promising attacking players.
The former AS Vénus forward had enjoyed an outstanding 2024/25 season, finishing as the leading goalscorer in Tahiti’s Ligue 1 with 37 goals. He was also a member of the Tahiti national team, representing the Toa Aito in international competitions, including the 2024 OFC Nations Cup.
However, Kaspard’s connection to Vanuatu extended well beyond football.
His father, Abet Kaspard Tahi, was a former international footballer from Laone village on Pentecost Island, while his mother was Tahitian. Growing up in French Polynesia, Eddy followed his father’s footsteps into football, eventually becoming a senior international for Tahiti.
During the 2024 OFC Nations Cup in Vanuatu, Kaspard experienced a memorable reunion with relatives from his father’s homeland.
The visit marked his return to Vanuatu as a young adult, having previously travelled there as a baby. His arrival was celebrated by family members and former teammates of his father, including Nato Taiwia, who had played alongside Abet during the country’s earlier football history.
That moment demonstrated how football could connect generations and communities across the Pacific, with Kaspard representing Tahiti while maintaining strong family ties to Vanuatu.
More than two years later, members of Vanuatu’s beach soccer national team have paid their respects to his family during another OFC competition.
The players visited Papara, where Kaspard was laid to rest in August 2025, in a gesture of solidarity and remembrance for a footballer who was respected on both sides of the Pacific.
The tribute comes as Vanuatu prepare to compete against Tahiti, Solomon Islands and New Caledonia at the OFC Beach Soccer Men’s Nations Cup, being held in French Polynesia.
Although the tournament brings the four nations together as sporting rivals, the visit demonstrated the personal and cultural connections that extend beyond their encounters on the pitch.
For Kaspard’s family, the gesture serves as another reminder that his legacy continues to be remembered outside Tahiti.
His career was cut short at a time when he was emerging as one of French Polynesia’s outstanding attacking talents, but his story remains closely connected to the football histories of two Pacific countries.
The Vanuatu team’s visit offers another chapter in that relationship, honouring not only the player Kaspard became but also the family heritage and friendships that connected him to both nations.
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