Tahiti, the champion of Oceania, is set to participate in the Confederations Cup in Brazil from June 15 to 30. The team, known as “Tao Aito” or iron warriors, is determined to make an impact in the competition and is currently in Chile for a preparation course.
The Tahiti team expressed a desire to play a friendly match against France, which will also be in South America facing Uruguay on June 5 and Brazil on June 9. Eddy Etaeta, the coach of Tahiti, revealed to L’Équipe that he had hoped for a friendly encounter with France before the start of the Confederations Cup.
Etaeta mentioned that Tahiti arrives in Brazil on June 6 and only begins the competition on June 17 against Nigeria in Porto Alegre. Despite the busy schedule for the French national team, Etaeta believed there was room to organize a match, even if only against the French team’s substitutes. He expressed disappointment at not receiving a response to the federation’s request and hoped for at least a message of encouragement from Didier Deschamps, the coach of the French national team.
Tahiti’s participation in the Confederations Cup represents a unique opportunity for the team, and a friendly match against a top-level team like France would have been a valuable experience for the players.
