Dear Editor

Yes our national pride was put down due to results from the recent concluded OFC Olympic qualifiers. New Zealand has again won the right to represent us at the London Olympics, Congratulations to them.

If we take the time look at the preparations of the 4 teams that have qualified for the finals, we will see why they have reached that level. New Zealand have played several international matches prior to this tournament include 2 matches against Saudi Arabia in Melbourne prior to the tournament, they invested time and money to get quality preparation, core of their team have been playing as a team for last few years. Fiji,Vanuatu and PNG have their teams playing week in week out as a team in their national Leagues, and this has paid well for them. PNG and Vanuatu spent 2 weeks in Queensland-Australia prior to the tournament, giving them match fitness against well organized sides, they have done well.

What about our Under 23 side? What sort of preparation do they have, playing a couple of matches against a put together side made up of Bilikiki and Kurukuru players, this is not a coersive team to give our boys a quality opponent, yes they might have quality players, but they have to blend together to play together as a team.

This team have quality players but we have not the money to invest in their preparation that is our downfall. We used to do what others have done, and we have stopped Why?

That is the question for us football mad nation to consider.

Kenton Sade
Darwin