OFC Nations Cup
Encyclopedia
The OFC Nations Cup is an international association football tournament held among the Oceania Football Confederation
(OFC
) member nations. It was held every two years from 1996 to 2004; before 1996 there were two other tournaments held at irregular intervals, under the name Oceania Nations Cup. No competition was held in 2006, but in the 2008 edition, which also acts as a qualification tournament for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
and for a play-off for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
, the New Zealand All Whites emerged as winners.
Historically, a very large gulf separated Australia and New Zealand from the smaller island competitors, and little attention was paid to the tournament by the rest of the football world. In fact, after eight editions the trophy has been won only by two teams: Australia and New Zealand.
Australia ceased to be a member of the OFC
on January 1, 2006, having elected to join the Asian Football Confederation
(AFC), and hence will no longer be involved in this tournament.
against Tahiti, with the result of 2-0, and was characterized by the absence of the Australian team and the presence of some teams not members of FIFA, such as New Hebrides
, which became Vanuatu
after gaining independence in 1980.
A second edition of the Oceania Cup took place in 1980 in New Caledonia, at that time not a FIFA member, and was won by Australia in the final match played in Nouméa
against Tahiti, with the result of 4-2, and was characterized by a poor result for New Zealand: out in the Group Stage losing against Tahiti (3-1) and Fiji (4-0), however two years after they qualified for the 1982 FIFA World Cup
. These two editions were the only without qualifying rounds. After this edition the tournament was discontinued. So Australia maintained the Oceania Champion title for 16 years without play any tournament. Between the years of absence (1981–1995) the most important Oceanian tournament was the Trans-Tasman Cup
played only between Australia and New Zealand.
, and the second semifinal match between Tahiti as Polynesia Cup
holders and Solomon Islands as Melanesia Cup
holders. The Cup was won for the second time by the Australian side winning easily in the final match, on two legs, against Tahiti (6-0 and 5-0). The topscorer of this tournament, Kris Trajanovski
, scored all his seven goals in the final match: four on the first leg in Papeete
(Tahiti) and three on the second leg in Canberra
(Australia). Thanks to this result, this Australian team, managed by the English Terry Venables
and not by the Scottish Oceania Champion Eddie Thomson
, took part to the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup
in Saudi Arabia, finishind second losing the final match against Brazil.
In the 1998 edition, played in Australia, six teams took part, dominated by giants Australia and New Zealand: in the final match, played in Brisbane
, New Zealand beat the host Australia 1-0 with a goal by Mark Burton
. In this edition the Australian player Damian Mori
scored 10 goals, a record still alive today. He is also the overall Oceania Nations Cup top scorer with 14 goals, scored in three editions: one in 1996, ten in 1998 and three in 2002.
The fifth edition, played in Tahiti in 2000, the tournament structure was confirmed and yet again the tournament was dominated by Australia and New Zealand who reached the final match in Papeete
. Australia won their third title by a score of 2-0, qualifying for the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup. Fiji, who qualified for this edition, was forced to withdraw due to civil war and was replaced by Vanuatu, who impressed in the semifinal against Australia: the Socceroos, managed by Frank Farina
, won 1-0 thanks only to a penalty kick by Kevin Muscat
. Two years later the Australian team finished third in the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup
in South Korea and Japan.
For the 2002 edition, played for the second time in New Zealand, eight teams participated, divided into two groups easily won by Australia and New Zealand. This set up their third consecutive final match. The Australian side won the semifinal against a brave Tahiti only after extra time. Soccer Australia was involved in financial problems: the non-existent financial contribution meant that the Australian players had to pay their own way to get to New Zealand, so Scott Chipperfield
became the only one of Australia's large European contingent to answer the call and perform for his country in their time of need, resulting in a weak team for the tournament. So the final was won for the third time by the All Whites beating their historical rivals 1-0 in Auckland
with a late Ryan Nelsen
goal.
In the 2004 edition, which served also as the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
and was played in Australia, six nations took part playing each other in a unique group, with the first two playing a final match in two legs. During the group stage Vanuatu surprisingly beat New Zealand 4-2, but lost all their remaining matches. This and a draw with Australia (2-2) allowed Solomon Islands to claim second place and a berth in the final match against Australia. In the final, the Solomon Islands were beaten 5-1 on their home ground Honiara
and 6-0 in Sydney
. Moreover, this was the first, and until today the only time that a coach, Frank Farina
, has won the Oceania Nations Cup trophy twice. Two years later, managed by Dutchman Guus Hiddink
and composed of many 2004 Oceania Nations Cup scorers such as Tim Cahill
, Harry Kewell
, Mark Bresciano
, Brett Emerton
, John Aloisi
, Australia reached the Second Round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup
in Germany. However, this was the fourth and last OFC title for Australia: in 2006 they decided to join AFC
, changing considerably the Oceania football scene.
on 1 January 2006, ceasing to be a member of OFC
, leaving only New Zealand as big power in the OFC. The new edition of the tournament was played in 2008, without a host nation and with four teams playing each other at home and away in one group. The tournament also served as part of the OFC's qualifying competition
for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
. The 2007 South Pacific Games, won by New Caledonia, served as qualifying round for three teams and New Zealand qualified automatically. New Zealand emerged easily as winners for the fourth time ahead of New Caledonia winning five matches on six. Surprisingly, Fiji won the last match against New Zealand in Lautoka
(Fiji) for 2-0 with two goals of Roy Krishna
. The topscorer Shane Smeltz
(New Zealand) scored eight goals: four against the runners up New Caledonia beaten 3-1 away and 3-0 at home.
A proposal to revive the OFC Nations Cup for 2012, which involved the All Whites and five of the Pacific Island nations, was deferred to 2015.
and Melanesian
Cups, each played between five nations grouped on a geographical basis, served as qualifications via a round-robin tournament
, with the highest ranked two teams in each competition qualifying for the actual OFC Nations Cup.
With the postponement and then cancellation of the Melanesian Cup, and a similar fate befalling its Polynesian equivalent, the format of the tournament changed in 2002. FIFA rankings determined the seedings of all twelve teams, and the lower six teams played a group stage for two qualifier positions into the main tournament. The 2002 Cup tournament proper was played with two groups of four teams (again in round-robin style), which led into a 4-way knockout stage, playing for the top four positions.
In 2004
, the format changed once again, returning to a format similar to that of the 1996
-2000
tournaments, with five teams each playing in two qualifying groups and Australia and New Zealand seeded to the actual tournament, played as a group stage of six, with a home and away Final played between the two highest-placed teams. This tournament doubled also as qualifying round for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
.
For the 2008 tournament
, the format altered again. The 2007 South Pacific Games football tournament
served as a qualification tournament, with the gold, silver and bronze winning nations progressing to the main, round-robin
format, tournament, for which New Zealand qualified automatically. New Zealand emerged as winners of the 2008 OFC Nations Cup, ahead of New Caledonia, and thus qualified for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
and a playoff with the fifth placed team from the AFC
for a place in the 2010 FIFA World Cup
.
2004 tournament was held as a round-robin tournament in Australia followed by the final by two teams of home and away.
^ This 1973 fourth place was achieved by Vanuatu under its former name New Hebrides.
Legend
Notes
Oceania Football Confederation
The Oceania Football Confederation is one of the six continental confederations of international association football, consisting of Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and island nations such as Tonga, Fiji and other Pacific Island countries...
(OFC
OFC
OFC may refer to:* Corporate Office Properties Trust * Oceania Football Confederation* Offshore Financial Centre* Online Film Critics Society* Open fiber control* Open Financial Connectivity* Optical fiber cable* Optical Fiber Conference...
) member nations. It was held every two years from 1996 to 2004; before 1996 there were two other tournaments held at irregular intervals, under the name Oceania Nations Cup. No competition was held in 2006, but in the 2008 edition, which also acts as a qualification tournament for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009 as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park...
and for a play-off for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, the New Zealand All Whites emerged as winners.
Historically, a very large gulf separated Australia and New Zealand from the smaller island competitors, and little attention was paid to the tournament by the rest of the football world. In fact, after eight editions the trophy has been won only by two teams: Australia and New Zealand.
Australia ceased to be a member of the OFC
OFC
OFC may refer to:* Corporate Office Properties Trust * Oceania Football Confederation* Offshore Financial Centre* Online Film Critics Society* Open fiber control* Open Financial Connectivity* Optical fiber cable* Optical Fiber Conference...
on January 1, 2006, having elected to join the Asian Football Confederation
Asian Football Confederation
The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...
(AFC), and hence will no longer be involved in this tournament.
Early Times (1973-1980)
This tournament began in 1973 as the "Oceania Cup". This first edition, played in New Zealand, without qualifying round, was won by the host in the final match played in AucklandAuckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
against Tahiti, with the result of 2-0, and was characterized by the absence of the Australian team and the presence of some teams not members of FIFA, such as New Hebrides
New Hebrides
New Hebrides was the colonial name for an island group in the South Pacific that now forms the nation of Vanuatu. The New Hebrides were colonized by both the British and French in the 18th century shortly after Captain James Cook visited the islands...
, which became Vanuatu
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
after gaining independence in 1980.
A second edition of the Oceania Cup took place in 1980 in New Caledonia, at that time not a FIFA member, and was won by Australia in the final match played in Nouméa
Nouméa
Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian , Indonesian, and Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians,...
against Tahiti, with the result of 4-2, and was characterized by a poor result for New Zealand: out in the Group Stage losing against Tahiti (3-1) and Fiji (4-0), however two years after they qualified for the 1982 FIFA World Cup
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
. These two editions were the only without qualifying rounds. After this edition the tournament was discontinued. So Australia maintained the Oceania Champion title for 16 years without play any tournament. Between the years of absence (1981–1995) the most important Oceanian tournament was the Trans-Tasman Cup
Trans-Tasman Cup
The Trans-Tasman Cup was a football competition played between the national teams of Australia and New Zealand. Six editions were played between 1983 and 1995 and a seventh was played in 2001 as a school match...
played only between Australia and New Zealand.
Return Every Two Years (1996-2004)
In 1996, when OFC reached the official status of Confederation for FIFA, the tournament reappeared as the "Oceania Nations Cup" and served as a qualifier for the Confederations Cup. The 1996 edition, without an host nation but for the first time with a qualifying round, was contested with only four teams playing semifinals and final match on two legs both: Australia and New Zealand, who played the semifinal also for the Trans-Tasman CupTrans-Tasman Cup
The Trans-Tasman Cup was a football competition played between the national teams of Australia and New Zealand. Six editions were played between 1983 and 1995 and a seventh was played in 2001 as a school match...
, and the second semifinal match between Tahiti as Polynesia Cup
Polynesia Cup
The Polynesia Cup was a football tournament for Polynesian nations within the Oceania Football Confederation. It acted along with the Melanesia Cup as a qualifying tournament for the Oceania Nations Cup. The last edition was played in 2000....
holders and Solomon Islands as Melanesia Cup
Melanesia Cup
The Melanesia Cup is a football championship played between the Melanesian countries, it was used for qualification to the Oceania Nations Cup. The last edition of the cup was in 2001...
holders. The Cup was won for the second time by the Australian side winning easily in the final match, on two legs, against Tahiti (6-0 and 5-0). The topscorer of this tournament, Kris Trajanovski
Kris Trajanovski
Kris Trajanovski is an Australian association football player and coach.-Club career:After playing with Altona Magic in the Victorian State League Trajanovski attended the Australian Institute of Sport in 1989. In 1991 he joined National Soccer League team Preston Makedonia...
, scored all his seven goals in the final match: four on the first leg in Papeete
Papeete
-Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront esplanade*Bougainville Park -Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront...
(Tahiti) and three on the second leg in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
(Australia). Thanks to this result, this Australian team, managed by the English Terry Venables
Terry Venables
Terence Frederick "Terry" Venables , often referred to as "El Tel", is a former football player and manager, as well as being a media pundit. During the 1960s and 70s, he played for various clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers, and gained two caps for England...
and not by the Scottish Oceania Champion Eddie Thomson
Eddie Thomson
Eddie Thomson was a Scottish football player and coach.-Career:Born in Rosewell, Scotland, he played 162 games for Heart of Midlothian F.C. from 1966 to 1973, before moving to Aberdeen F.C. and playing a further 91 games with them...
, took part to the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup
1997 FIFA Confederations Cup
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:7 goals Romário5 goals Vladimír Šmicer4 goals Ronaldo-References:...
in Saudi Arabia, finishind second losing the final match against Brazil.
In the 1998 edition, played in Australia, six teams took part, dominated by giants Australia and New Zealand: in the final match, played in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, New Zealand beat the host Australia 1-0 with a goal by Mark Burton
Mark Burton (footballer)
Mark Burton is a retired association football player who represented New Zealand at international level. He plays as an attacking midfielder.- Career :...
. In this edition the Australian player Damian Mori
Damian Mori
Damian Mori is an Australian football player who is the top scorer for the Socceroos...
scored 10 goals, a record still alive today. He is also the overall Oceania Nations Cup top scorer with 14 goals, scored in three editions: one in 1996, ten in 1998 and three in 2002.
The fifth edition, played in Tahiti in 2000, the tournament structure was confirmed and yet again the tournament was dominated by Australia and New Zealand who reached the final match in Papeete
Papeete
-Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront esplanade*Bougainville Park -Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront...
. Australia won their third title by a score of 2-0, qualifying for the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup. Fiji, who qualified for this edition, was forced to withdraw due to civil war and was replaced by Vanuatu, who impressed in the semifinal against Australia: the Socceroos, managed by Frank Farina
Frank Farina
Frank Farina OAM is a retired Australian football player. He most currently coaches the Papua New Guinea national football team....
, won 1-0 thanks only to a penalty kick by Kevin Muscat
Kevin Muscat
Kevin Muscat is an Australian football player who currently plays for Victorian State League Division 1 side Sunshine George Cross and is assistant coach of Melbourne Victory...
. Two years later the Australian team finished third in the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup
2001 FIFA Confederations Cup
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong...
in South Korea and Japan.
For the 2002 edition, played for the second time in New Zealand, eight teams participated, divided into two groups easily won by Australia and New Zealand. This set up their third consecutive final match. The Australian side won the semifinal against a brave Tahiti only after extra time. Soccer Australia was involved in financial problems: the non-existent financial contribution meant that the Australian players had to pay their own way to get to New Zealand, so Scott Chipperfield
Scott Chipperfield
Scott Kenneth Chipperfield is an Australian international football player who currently plays as a midfielder for FC Basel in the Swiss Super League.-Personal life:...
became the only one of Australia's large European contingent to answer the call and perform for his country in their time of need, resulting in a weak team for the tournament. So the final was won for the third time by the All Whites beating their historical rivals 1-0 in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
with a late Ryan Nelsen
Ryan Nelsen
Ryan William Nelsen, ONZM is a New Zealand footballer who plays as a defender, and is captain of Premier League club Blackburn Rovers. Nelsen captains the New Zealand national team, the All Whites. He joined Blackburn back in 2005 on a free transfer from D.C. United...
goal.
In the 2004 edition, which served also as the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
A total of 197 teams entered the qualification process for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, competing for a total of 32 spots in the final tournament. Germany, as the host, qualified automatically, leaving 31 spots open for competition...
and was played in Australia, six nations took part playing each other in a unique group, with the first two playing a final match in two legs. During the group stage Vanuatu surprisingly beat New Zealand 4-2, but lost all their remaining matches. This and a draw with Australia (2-2) allowed Solomon Islands to claim second place and a berth in the final match against Australia. In the final, the Solomon Islands were beaten 5-1 on their home ground Honiara
Honiara
Honiara, population 49,107 , 78,190 , is the capital of the Solomon Islands and of Guadalcanal Province, although it is a separately administered town...
and 6-0 in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. Moreover, this was the first, and until today the only time that a coach, Frank Farina
Frank Farina
Frank Farina OAM is a retired Australian football player. He most currently coaches the Papua New Guinea national football team....
, has won the Oceania Nations Cup trophy twice. Two years later, managed by Dutchman Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink is a Dutch football manager and former player. He was the most recently manager of the Turkish national football team. He is considered to be one of the best managers of his generation and was the best-paid coach in international football in 2009...
and composed of many 2004 Oceania Nations Cup scorers such as Tim Cahill
Tim Cahill
Timothy Filiga "Tim" Cahill is an football player of Australian nationality who plays for Everton and the Australian national football team...
, Harry Kewell
Harry Kewell
Harold "Harry" Kewell is an Australian professional football midfielder who plays for Melbourne Victory in the A-League. Internationally he has received 55 caps, and scored 16 goals, while playing for the Australian national team...
, Mark Bresciano
Mark Bresciano
Mark "Marco" Bresciano is an Australian football player who is currently playing for UAE Pro-League side Al Nasr SC as a midfielder. He represented Australia at all youth levels, including appearances at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship and 2000 Olympic Games...
, Brett Emerton
Brett Emerton
Brett Michael Emerton is an Australian football player who plays for Sydney FC and the Australia national team...
, John Aloisi
John Aloisi
John Aloisi is a retired Australian football player who played as a striker, and the current youth team manager at Melbourne Heart....
, Australia reached the Second Round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
in Germany. However, this was the fourth and last OFC title for Australia: in 2006 they decided to join AFC
Asian Football Confederation
The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...
, changing considerably the Oceania football scene.
A New Era (2006-Today)
Australia joined the Asian Football ConfederationAsian Football Confederation
The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...
on 1 January 2006, ceasing to be a member of OFC
OFC
OFC may refer to:* Corporate Office Properties Trust * Oceania Football Confederation* Offshore Financial Centre* Online Film Critics Society* Open fiber control* Open Financial Connectivity* Optical fiber cable* Optical Fiber Conference...
, leaving only New Zealand as big power in the OFC. The new edition of the tournament was played in 2008, without a host nation and with four teams playing each other at home and away in one group. The tournament also served as part of the OFC's qualifying competition
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC)
The 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification for the Oceania Football Confederation selected New Zealand to compete in a two-legged home-and-away playoff against Bahrain, the fifth-place team from the Asian Football Confederation for a spot in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa...
for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. The 2007 South Pacific Games, won by New Caledonia, served as qualifying round for three teams and New Zealand qualified automatically. New Zealand emerged easily as winners for the fourth time ahead of New Caledonia winning five matches on six. Surprisingly, Fiji won the last match against New Zealand in Lautoka
Lautoka
Lautoka is the second largest city of Fiji and the second largest in the South Pacific. It is in the west of the island of Viti Levu, 24 kilometres north of Nadi, and is the second port of entry in Fiji, after Suva. Lying in the heart of Fiji's sugar cane growing region, it is known as the Sugar...
(Fiji) for 2-0 with two goals of Roy Krishna
Roy Krishna
Roy Krishna is a Fijian association football player, who currently plays as a striker for Waitakere United in the New Zealand Football Championship.-Club career:...
. The topscorer Shane Smeltz
Shane Smeltz
Shane Edward Smeltz is a New Zealand professional association football player. He plays as a striker for Perth Glory FC.-Club career:...
(New Zealand) scored eight goals: four against the runners up New Caledonia beaten 3-1 away and 3-0 at home.
A proposal to revive the OFC Nations Cup for 2012, which involved the All Whites and five of the Pacific Island nations, was deferred to 2015.
Format
The first two editions were played without any qualifying round. For the successive three tournaments, Australia and New Zealand were seeded into the tournament automatically, while the remaining ten nations played to qualify. The PolynesianPolynesia Cup
The Polynesia Cup was a football tournament for Polynesian nations within the Oceania Football Confederation. It acted along with the Melanesia Cup as a qualifying tournament for the Oceania Nations Cup. The last edition was played in 2000....
and Melanesian
Melanesia Cup
The Melanesia Cup is a football championship played between the Melanesian countries, it was used for qualification to the Oceania Nations Cup. The last edition of the cup was in 2001...
Cups, each played between five nations grouped on a geographical basis, served as qualifications via a round-robin tournament
Round-robin tournament
A round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...
, with the highest ranked two teams in each competition qualifying for the actual OFC Nations Cup.
With the postponement and then cancellation of the Melanesian Cup, and a similar fate befalling its Polynesian equivalent, the format of the tournament changed in 2002. FIFA rankings determined the seedings of all twelve teams, and the lower six teams played a group stage for two qualifier positions into the main tournament. The 2002 Cup tournament proper was played with two groups of four teams (again in round-robin style), which led into a 4-way knockout stage, playing for the top four positions.
In 2004
2004 OFC Nations Cup
The 2004 OFC Nations Cup doubled as the qualification tournament to the 2006 FIFA World Cup, except the two-legged final ....
, the format changed once again, returning to a format similar to that of the 1996
1996 OFC Nations Cup
The 1996 OFC Nations Cup was not held as a cohesive tournament, but consisted of semi-finals and a final played on a two-legged basis, stretched out between November 1995 and November 1996....
-2000
2000 OFC Nations Cup
Solomon Islands and Vanuatu* qualified for Oceania Nations Cup 2000* Fiji were replaced by Vanuatu .-Polynesia Cup 2000:--------------------------------------------...
tournaments, with five teams each playing in two qualifying groups and Australia and New Zealand seeded to the actual tournament, played as a group stage of six, with a home and away Final played between the two highest-placed teams. This tournament doubled also as qualifying round for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
.
For the 2008 tournament
2008 OFC Nations Cup
The 2008 OFC Nations Cup was the eighth edition of the OFC Nations Cup, and the first under a new format that was introduced. It took place as a series of as a home-and-away round-robin tournament on FIFA match dates in 2007 and 2008...
, the format altered again. The 2007 South Pacific Games football tournament
Football at the 2007 South Pacific Games
The 2007 South Pacific Games Football was held at the Toleafoa J.S. Blatter Complex in Apia, Samoa in from 25 August to 7 September 2007.The Men's tournament formed the first stage of the Oceania Football Confederation's qualification tournament for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the qualification...
served as a qualification tournament, with the gold, silver and bronze winning nations progressing to the main, round-robin
Round-robin
The term round-robin was originally used to describe a document signed by multiple parties in a circle to make it more difficult to determine the order in which it was signed, thus preventing a ringleader from being identified...
format, tournament, for which New Zealand qualified automatically. New Zealand emerged as winners of the 2008 OFC Nations Cup, ahead of New Caledonia, and thus qualified for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009 as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park...
and a playoff with the fifth placed team from the AFC
Asian Football Confederation
The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...
for a place in the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
.
Summaries
| Year | Host | Final | Third Place Match | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | Score | Runner-up | 3rd Place | Score | 4th Place | ||
| 1973 Details 1973 OFC Nations Cup The 1973 OFC Nations Cup was the first Oceania-wide tournament ever held. It took place in New Zealand from 17 February 1973–24 February 1973... |
 New Zealand |
2–0 | 2–1 | ||||
| 1980 Details 1980 OFC Nations Cup -Group B:-Third Place:-Final:-External links:* http://www.oceaniafootball.com/index.cgi?sID=43&intArticleID=433&det=1* . Accessed 21 February 2010.... |
 New Caledonia |
4–2 | 2–1 | ||||
| 1996 Details 1996 OFC Nations Cup The 1996 OFC Nations Cup was not held as a cohesive tournament, but consisted of semi-finals and a final played on a two-legged basis, stretched out between November 1995 and November 1996.... |
no fixed venue | 6–0 5–0 |
(shared) | ||||
| 1998 Details 1998 OFC Nations Cup -Results:-Match schedule:---------Knockout rounds:-Semifinals:-----Third place:-Final:-External links:* http://www.oceaniafootball.com/index.cgi?sID=43&intArticleID=431&det=1* . Accessed 21 February 2010.... |
 Australia |
1–0 | 4–2 | ||||
| 2000 Details 2000 OFC Nations Cup Solomon Islands and Vanuatu* qualified for Oceania Nations Cup 2000* Fiji were replaced by Vanuatu .-Polynesia Cup 2000:--------------------------------------------... |
 French Polynesia |
2–0 | 2–1 | ||||
| 2002 Details 2002 OFC Nations Cup -Results:-Match Schedule:-------------------- and progress to the knockout tournament.-Results:-Match Schedule:-------------------- and progress to the knockout tournament.-Knockout Rounds:-Semi-Finals:----... |
New Zealand |
1–0 | 1–0 | ||||
| 2004 Details 2004 OFC Nations Cup The 2004 OFC Nations Cup doubled as the qualification tournament to the 2006 FIFA World Cup, except the two-legged final .... |
Australia |
5–1 6–0 |
(by table) | ||||
| 2008 Details 2008 OFC Nations Cup The 2008 OFC Nations Cup was the eighth edition of the OFC Nations Cup, and the first under a new format that was introduced. It took place as a series of as a home-and-away round-robin tournament on FIFA match dates in 2007 and 2008... |
no fixed venue | (by table) | (by table) | ||||
| 2012 Details 2012 OFC Nations Cup ---------Group B:---------Knockout stage:The group winners and runner-ups will compete in a single elimination knockout stage. The winner of this knockout stage earns a place in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. These same four teams compete in a separate event for the OFC third round of qualifying... |
 Fiji |
TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
2004 tournament was held as a round-robin tournament in Australia followed by the final by two teams of home and away.
Successful national teams
| Team | Champions | Runners-up | Third-place | Fourth-place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (1980, 1996, 2000, 2004) | 2 (1998, 2002) | - | - | |
| 4 (1973, 1998, 2002, 2008) | 1 (2000) | 2 (1996, 2004) | - | |
| - | 3 (1973, 1980, 1996) | 1 (2002) | 1 (1998) | |
| - | 1 (2008) | 2 (1973, 1980) | - | |
| - | 1 (2004) | 2 (1996, 2000) | ||
| - | - | 2 (1998, 2008) | 2 (1980, 2004) | |
| - | - | - | 4 (1973^, 2000, 2002, 2008) |
^ This 1973 fourth place was achieved by Vanuatu under its former name New Hebrides.
Total hosts
| Time(s) | Nation | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1998, 2004 | |
| 2 | 1973, 2002 | |
| 1 | 2000 | |
| 1 | 1980 | |
| 1 | 2012 | |
| 2 | No Host | 1996, 2008 |
Performances by host nations
| Year | Host nation | Finish |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Champions | |
| 1980 | Third Place | |
| 1996 | No Host | |
| 1998 | Second Place | |
| 2000 | Group Stage | |
| 2002 | Champions | |
| 2004 | Champions | |
| 2008 | No Host | |
| 2012 | ||
OFC Nations Cup winning managers
| Year | Head coach | Champions |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | New Zealand Barrie Truman Barrie Truman Barrie Truman is a football coach who managed the New Zealand national team. Truman first took charge of the New Zealand side in June 1970. New Zealand won 20, drew 13 and lost 16 of his 49 games in charge.-External links:... |
|
| 1980 |  West Germany Rudi GutendorfRudi Gutendorf Rudolf "Rudi" Gutendorf is a German football manager, renowned for managing the highest number of national teams – to date a total of 18 teams.- Career :... |
|
| 1996 |  Scotland Eddie ThomsonEddie Thomson Eddie Thomson was a Scottish football player and coach.-Career:Born in Rosewell, Scotland, he played 162 games for Heart of Midlothian F.C. from 1966 to 1973, before moving to Aberdeen F.C. and playing a further 91 games with them... |
|
| 1998 | New Zealand Ken Dugdale |
|
| 2000 | Australia Frank Farina Frank Farina Frank Farina OAM is a retired Australian football player. He most currently coaches the Papua New Guinea national football team.... |
|
| 2002 |  England Mick WaittMick Waitt Mick Waitt is an association football coach who managed the New Zealand national football team. Waitt first took charge of the New Zealand side June 2002. New Zealand won eleven, drew two and lost ten of his 23 games in charge. He now works for New Zealand police.-New Zealand:In 1990, while... |
|
| 2004 | Australia Frank Farina Frank Farina Frank Farina OAM is a retired Australian football player. He most currently coaches the Papua New Guinea national football team.... |
|
| 2008 | New Zealand Ricki Herbert Ricki Herbert Ricki Lloyd Herbert, CNZM is a New Zealand former association football player who represented his country at the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain... |
|
Participation details
| Team | New Zealand 1973 1973 OFC Nations Cup The 1973 OFC Nations Cup was the first Oceania-wide tournament ever held. It took place in New Zealand from 17 February 1973–24 February 1973... | New Caledonia 1980 1980 OFC Nations Cup -Group B:-Third Place:-Final:-External links:* http://www.oceaniafootball.com/index.cgi?sID=43&intArticleID=433&det=1* . Accessed 21 February 2010.... | 1996 1996 OFC Nations Cup The 1996 OFC Nations Cup was not held as a cohesive tournament, but consisted of semi-finals and a final played on a two-legged basis, stretched out between November 1995 and November 1996.... | Australia 1998 1998 OFC Nations Cup -Results:-Match schedule:---------Knockout rounds:-Semifinals:-----Third place:-Final:-External links:* http://www.oceaniafootball.com/index.cgi?sID=43&intArticleID=431&det=1* . Accessed 21 February 2010.... | French Polynesia 2000 2000 OFC Nations Cup Solomon Islands and Vanuatu* qualified for Oceania Nations Cup 2000* Fiji were replaced by Vanuatu .-Polynesia Cup 2000:--------------------------------------------... | New Zealand 2002 2002 OFC Nations Cup -Results:-Match Schedule:-------------------- and progress to the knockout tournament.-Results:-Match Schedule:-------------------- and progress to the knockout tournament.-Knockout Rounds:-Semi-Finals:----... | Australia 2004 2004 OFC Nations Cup The 2004 OFC Nations Cup doubled as the qualification tournament to the 2006 FIFA World Cup, except the two-legged final .... | 2008 2008 OFC Nations Cup The 2008 OFC Nations Cup was the eighth edition of the OFC Nations Cup, and the first under a new format that was introduced. It took place as a series of as a home-and-away round-robin tournament on FIFA match dates in 2007 and 2008... | Fiji 2012 2012 OFC Nations Cup ---------Group B:---------Knockout stage:The group winners and runner-ups will compete in a single elimination knockout stage. The winner of this knockout stage earns a place in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. These same four teams compete in a separate event for the OFC third round of qualifying... | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1R | SF | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 3rd | 1st | Q | 9 | |
| 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 4th | 1R | 3rd | 5th | DNQ | Q | 8 | |
| 1 | 4th | 1R | DNQ | 1R | 4th | 4th | 6th | 4th | Q | 8 |
| - | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | 1st | - | - | 6 | |
| 5th | 4th | DNQ | 3rd | QW | 1R | 4th | 3rd | Q | 7 | |
| - | 1R | SF | DNQ | 3rd | 1R | 2nd | DNQ | Q | 6 | |
| 3rd | 3rd | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 1R | DNQ | 2nd | Q | 5 | |
| - | 1R | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 1R | DNQ | DSQ | Q | 3 | |
| - | - | - | 1R | 1R | - | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 2 | |
| 2 | - | - | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | Q | 1 |
| - | - | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 0 | |
| - | - | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 0 |
Legend
- 1st – Champions
- 2nd – Runners-up
- 3rd – Third place
- 4th – Fourth place
- 5th – Fifth Place
- 6th – Sixth Place
- SF – Semifinals
- 1R – First Round
- Q – Qualified for an upcoming tournament
- DNQ – Did not qualify
- DSQ - Disqualified
- QW – Qualified but then withdrew
Notes
- 1: Includes results as New Hebrides.
- 2: Includes results as Western Samoa.
General statistics
| Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GDif | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 34 | 25 | 2 | 7 | 92 | 31 | ||
| 2 | 28 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 142 | 13 | ||
| 3 | 29 | 12 | 3 | 14 | 54 | 73 | ||
| 4 | 18 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 37 | 42 | ||
| 5 | 26 | 8 | 2 | 16 | 34 | 59 | ||
| 6 | 30 | 6 | 2 | 22 | 30 | 69 | ||
| 7 | 19 | 5 | 2 | 12 | 24 | 60 | ||
| 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 34 | ||
Top scorers
| Year | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | New Caledonia Segin Wayewol New Zealand Alan Marley Alan Marley Alan Marley is a former association football player who represented New Zealand.Marley made his full All Whites debut in a 4-1 win over New Caledonia on 17 September 1972 and ended his international playing career with 12 A-international caps and 3 goals to his credit, his final cap a substitute... French Polynesia Erroll BennettErroll Bennett Erroll Bennett was a Tahitian footballer, who spent most of his career with AS Central Sport. Bennett placed fifteenth in a 1999 poll by International Federation of Football History & Statistics to find the Player of the Century for Oceania.... |
3 |
| 1980 | Australia Ian Hunter Ian Hunter (footballer) -Club career:Hunter made his National Soccer League debut for Blacktown City in 1980. In 1981 he transferred to Marconi before a stint at Penrith City... Australia Eddie KrnčevićEddie Krncevic Edward "Eddie" Krnčević is a retired Australian footballer who played as a striker, and a current manager.The son of Croatian immigrants, he played most of his professional career in Belgium.-Football career:... |
5 |
| 1996 | Australia Kris Trajanovski Kris Trajanovski Kris Trajanovski is an Australian association football player and coach.-Club career:After playing with Altona Magic in the Victorian State League Trajanovski attended the Australian Institute of Sport in 1989. In 1991 he joined National Soccer League team Preston Makedonia... |
7 |
| 1998 | Australia Damian Mori Damian Mori Damian Mori is an Australian football player who is the top scorer for the Socceroos... |
10 |
| 2000 | Australia Craig Foster Craig Foster (footballer) Craig Foster is an Australian former association football player. He is currently a sports commentator for the Special Broadcasting Service in Australia... Australia Clayton ZaneClayton Zane Clayton Zane is a retired Australian international football player. His last club was R.S.C. Anderlecht, but he ended his career in late 2005 after being injured for two years.-Club career:... |
5 |
| 2002 | Australia Joel Porter Joel Porter Joel William Porter is an Australian football player who plays as a striker for the Hyundai A-League team Gold Coast United... |
6 |
| 2004 | Australia Tim Cahill Tim Cahill Timothy Filiga "Tim" Cahill is an football player of Australian nationality who plays for Everton and the Australian national football team... New Zealand Vaughan CovenyVaughan Coveny Vaughan Coveny is a former football player, who frequently represented New Zealand from 1992 onwards. Coveny's senior club career spanned 20 years, with his most notable stint being at South Melbourne during their National Soccer League era. He was primarily a striker although he also played as a... |
6 |
| 2008 | New Zealand Shane Smeltz Shane Smeltz Shane Edward Smeltz is a New Zealand professional association football player. He plays as a striker for Perth Glory FC.-Club career:... |
8 |
Teams that failed to qualify
| Year | Teams eliminated in the qualifying tournament | Number of teams progressing from qualifying tournament | Total teams in final tournament |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | no qualifying tournament | ||
| 1980 | |||
| 1996 | , , , , , , | 2 | 4 |
| 1998 | , , , , , | 4 | 6 |
| 2000 | , , , , , ^ | 4 | 6 |
| 2002 | , , | 2 | 8 |
| 2004 | , , , , , | 4 | 6 |
| 2008 | , , , , , , ^^ | 3 | 4 |
| 2012 | , , | 1 | 8 |
- ^ Qualified but then withdrew.
- ^^ OFC associate member.