New Caledonia national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
New Caledonia

Nickname(s)	Les Cagous (The Kagus)
Association	Fédération Calédonienne de Football
Confederation	OFC (Oceania)
Head coach	Johann Sidaner
Captain	César Zeoula
Most caps	César Zeoula (45)
Top scorer	Bertrand Kaï (23)
Home stadium	Stade Numa-Daly Magenta
FIFA code	NCL
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	154 (7 February 2019)
Highest	93 (August 2013)
Lowest	191 (April–May 2016)
Elo ranking
Current	153 7 (3 March 2019)
Highest	56 (5 September 1971)
Lowest	175 (July 2002)
First international
New Caledonia 2–0 New Zealand  (Nouméa, New Caledonia; 19 September 1951)
Biggest win
New Caledonia 18–0 Guam  (Lae, Papua New Guinea; 3 September 1991)  Micronesia 0–18 New Caledonia  (Suva, Fiji; 1 July 2003)
Biggest defeat
Australia 11–0 New Caledonia  (Auckland, New Zealand; 8 July 2002)
World Cup
Appearances	0
OFC Nations Cup
Appearances	6 (first in 1973)
Best result	Runners-up, (2008, 2012)
Coupe de l'Outre-Mer
Appearances	3 (first in 2008)
Best result	Seventh place (2012)
Melanesia Cup/MSG Prime Minister's Cup
Appearances	9 (first in 1988)
Best result	Melanesia Cup: Runners-up (1988, 1989, 1990, 1992) MSG Prime Minister's Cup: Runners-up (2023)

The New Caledonia men's national football team represents New Caledonia in football. The team is controlled by the Fédération Calédonienne de Football. They are nicknamed Les Cagous after the Kagu, a bird found only in New Caledonia.

Even though they joined FIFA in 2004, they have played in the OFC Nations Cup since it began. They are one of the strongest teams in their region. They finished second in 2008 and 2012, and third in 1973 and 1980. In September 2008, they were ranked 95th in the world by FIFA. This made them only the fourth team from their confederation to reach the top 100 globally.

Team History

The New Caledonian Football Federation started in 1928. However, it did not join FIFA or the OFC until 2004. New Caledonia became the 205th member of FIFA.

Before joining FIFA, the New Caledonian team could only play in friendly matches or regional events. These included the Pacific Games and the Oceania Football Cup. They played in these as a guest team.

The Cagous did very well in these competitions. They won the Pacific Games many times. They also finished third in the first two OFC Nations Cup tournaments.

After not qualifying for the 2004 OFC Nations Cup, Didier Chambaron became the new coach. In 2007, at the 2007 South Pacific Games, the Cagous played well. They beat their rivals Tahiti 1–0. This game was also a qualifier for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. They also won against Tuvalu and the Cook Islands. They drew 1–1 with Fiji. New Caledonia finished second in their group. They then beat the Solomon Islands 3–2. In the final, they won the trophy against Fiji 1–0.

The Pacific Games football tournament was the first step for the World Cup qualifiers. New Caledonia moved to the second round. There, New Zealand took first place. The Cagous finished second, ahead of Fiji and Vanuatu.

In May 2011, the team played against Reunion in Nouméa. These matches were practice for the Indian Ocean Island Games. New Caledonia lost both games. However, a few months later, at the 2011 Pacific Games, New Caledonia won the final. They beat the Solomon Islands 2–0. Before that, they had beaten Tahiti 3–1.

In June 2012, during the OFC Nations Cup, the Cagous beat New Zealand 2–0 in the semi-finals. Bertrand Kai and Georges Gope-Fenepej scored the goals. But they lost 1–0 to Tahiti in the final. This competition was also a qualifier for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. New Caledonia, Tahiti, New Zealand, and the Solomon Islands all qualified for the next round.

Team Rivalries

New Caledonia and Tahiti have a long-standing sports rivalry. Both are French territories in the Pacific. They often play against each other in regional and international competitions. As of 2012, Tahiti had won more titles. They had 1 OFC Nations Cup and 5 gold medals at the South Pacific Games. New Caledonia had 6 gold medals at the South Pacific Games. By their last match in 2018, New Caledonia had won 28 of the 62 games played since 1953. Tahiti had won 25, and 9 games were draws.

Team Uniforms

Macron has been the team's uniform supplier since 2025. The home uniform is a grey jersey with red shorts and red socks. The away uniform is a red jersey with red shorts and white socks.

Kit supplier	Period
Puma	2004–2006
Nike	2010–2012
Erreà	2013–2017
Kappa	2017–2019
Select	2020–2021
Givova	2022–2025
Macron	2025–

Recent Matches

Here are some of the recent match results for the New Caledonia team.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

Matches in 2024

• On June 15, 2024, New Caledonia was scheduled to play New Zealand in the 2024 OFC Nations Cup. The match was cancelled because New Caledonia withdrew from the tournament due to a serious situation in the country.
• On June 18, 2024, a match against Vanuatu was also cancelled for the same reason.
• On June 21, 2024, a match against Solomon Islands was cancelled for the same reason.
• On October 10, 2024, New Caledonia won 3–1 against Papua New Guinea in a World Cup qualifier.
• On November 14, 2024, New Caledonia won 3–2 against Solomon Islands in a World Cup qualifier.
• On November 17, 2024, New Caledonia drew 1–1 with Fiji in a World Cup qualifier.
• On December 9, 2024, a match against Vanuatu in the 2024 MSG Prime Minister's Cup was cancelled. New Caledonia withdrew from the tournament.
• On December 12, 2024, a match against Fiji was also cancelled due to New Caledonia's withdrawal.

Matches in 2025

• On March 21, 2025, New Caledonia won 3–0 against Tahiti in a World Cup qualifier.
• On March 24, 2025, New Caledonia lost 0–3 to New Zealand in a World Cup qualifier.

Matches in 2026

• In March 2026, New Caledonia is scheduled to play in the 2026 World Cup inter-confederation play-offs. The opponent is still to be decided.

Coaching History

Current Players

The players listed below were part of the team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches in March 2025.

Caps (games played) and goals are correct as of March 21, 2025, after the match against Tahiti.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Rocky Nyikeine	(1992-05-26) 26 May 1992 (age 33)	30	0	Gaïca
16	1GK	Mickaël Ulile	(1997-07-16) 16 July 1997 (age 28)	16	0	Magenta
21	1GK	Thomas Schmidt	(1996-06-04) 4 June 1996 (age 29)	5	0	Tiga Sport
2	2DF	Bernard Iwa	(2000-05-16) 16 May 2000 (age 25)	11	0	Lössi
3	2DF	Emile Béaruné	(1990-02-07) 7 February 1990 (age 35)	42	0	Horizon Patho
5	2DF	Fonzy Ranchain	(1994-07-22) 22 July 1994 (age 31)	11	0	Gaïca
8	2DF	Joris Kenon	(1998-01-29) 29 January 1998 (age 27)	5	0	Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu
18	2DF	Didier Simane	(1996-08-03) 3 August 1996 (age 29)	6	0	ASPTT Dijon
19	2DF	Joseph Athale	(1995-07-11) 11 July 1995 (age 30)	20	3	Olympique Saint-Quentin
4	3MF	Pierre Bako	(2001-08-09) 9 August 2001 (age 23)	4	0	Vertou
6	3MF	Morgan Mathelon	(1991-09-12) 12 September 1991 (age 33)	15	0	Tiga Sport
7	3MF	Jekob Jeno	(2000-06-22) 22 June 2000 (age 25)	5	0	Beitar Jerusalem
11	3MF	César Zeoula	(1989-08-29) 29 August 1989 (age 35)	44	13	Chauvigny
12	3MF	Shene Wélépane	(1997-12-09) 9 December 1997 (age 27)	21	6	Tiga Sport
17	3MF	Yoan Béaruné	(2002-03-22) 22 March 2002 (age 23)	1	0	Horizon Patho
23	3MF	Mickaël Partodikromo	(1996-02-02) 2 February 1996 (age 29)	1	0	Tiga Sport
9	4FW	Jean-Jacques Katrawa	(1999-08-02) 2 August 1999 (age 26)	11	4	Sud FC
10	4FW	Georges Gope-Fenepej	(1988-10-23) 23 October 1988 (age 36)	25	18	Saint-Pryvé Saint-Hilaire
13	4FW	Jaushua Sotirio	(1995-10-11) 11 October 1995 (age 29)	0	0	Sydney FC
14	4FW	Lues Waya	(2001-08-01) 1 August 2001 (age 24)	6	8	Vertou
15	4FW	Titouan Richard	(2000-12-04) 4 December 2000 (age 24)	6	0	Olympique Salaise Rhodia
20	4FW	Gérard Waia	(2004-12-22) 22 December 2004 (age 20)	8	2	Tiga Sport
22	4FW	Germain Haewegene	(1996-07-13) 13 July 1996 (age 29)	5	1	Magenta

Other Players Called Up Recently

These players were also called to the New Caledonia squad in the last year.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Warren Hlupa	(2004-04-16) 16 April 2004 (age 21)	1	0	Decize	v.  Fiji, 17 November 2024
DF	Djibril Tufele	(2003-01-25) 25 January 2003 (age 22)	2	0	Lössi	v.  Tahiti, 21 March 2025 PRE
DF	Florian Gope	(2004-03-25) 25 March 2004 (age 21)	0	0	Magenta	v.  Tahiti, 21 March 2025 PRE
DF	Cameron Wadenges	(2000-08-05) 5 August 2000 (age 24)	3	0	Racing Besançon	v.  Fiji, 17 November 2024
DF	Alexandre Deplanque	(2001-01-02) 2 January 2001 (age 24)	2	0	Vendée Fontenay	v.  Fiji, 17 November 2024
MF	Jules Omei	(2001-07-14) 14 July 2001 (age 24)	6	0	Mont-Dore	v.  Tahiti, 21 March 2025 PRE
MF	Ilhan Iekawe	(2002-07-28) 28 July 2002 (age 23)	0	0	Tiga Sport	v.  Tahiti, 21 March 2025 PRE
MF	Nathaël Ouka		0	0	Gaïca	v.  Tahiti, 21 March 2025 PRE
FW	Bryan Ausu	(1997-11-25) 25 November 1997 (age 27)	2	0	Sud FC	v.  Fiji, 17 November 2024
Player Records Players in bold are still active with New Caledonia. Most Games Played César Zeoula has played the most games for the national team. Rank Name Caps Goals Career 1 César Zeoula 45 13 2008–present 2 Bertrand Kaï 43 23 2008–2022 3 Emile Béaruné 42 0 2010–present 4 Pierre Wajoka 39 13 2003–2011 Joël Wakanumuné 39 1 2011–2022 6 Iamel Kabeu 34 20 2002–2013 7 Roy Kayara 31 8 2008–2019 Rocky Nyikeine 31 0 2011–present 9 Michel Hmaé 28 22 2003–2011 10 André Sinédo 27 1 2002–2011 Top Goal Scorers Rank Name Goals Caps Ratio Career 1 Bertrand Kaï 23 43 0.53 2008–2022 2 Michel Hmaé 22 28 0.79 2003–2011 3 Iamel Kabeu 20 34 0.59 2002–2013 4 Georges Gope-Fenepej 18 26 0.69 2011–present 5 Pierre Wajoka 13 39 0.33 2003–2011 César Zeoula 13 45 0.29 2008–present 7 Jean-Philippe Saïko 12 10 1.2 2016–2022 8 Joris Pibke 11 5 2.2 2000–2002 9 Paul Poatinda 10 10 1 2003–2004 10 Jacques Haeko 9 13 0.69 2011–2012 Tournament Records FIFA World Cup New Caledonia did not qualify for the FIFA World Cup between 1930 and 2002 because they were not a FIFA member. Since 2006, they have tried to qualify but have not yet made it to the main tournament. FIFA World Cup record FIFA World Cup qualification record Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA 1930 to 2002 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member 2006 Did not qualify 4 2 1 1 16 2 2010 12 7 3 2 22 13 2014 11 7 0 4 36 13 2018 8 2 4 2 13 8 2022 3 0 0 3 2 10 2026 To be determined 4 3 1 0 10 4 2030 To be determined 2034 Total 0/5 – – – – – – 42 21 9 12 99 50 OFC Nations Cup New Caledonia has done well in the OFC Nations Cup. They finished as runners-up twice and in third place twice. Oceania Cup / OFC Nations Cup record Qualification record Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA 1973 Third place 3rd 5 3 0 2 10 6 No qualification 1980 Third place 3rd 4 3 0 1 14 12 1996 Did not qualify 4 1 0 3 5 9 1998 4 0 0 4 4 10 2000 4 2 0 2 11 11 2002 Group stage 8th 3 0 0 3 1 14 4 3 0 1 25 4 2004 Did not qualify 4 2 1 1 16 2 2008 Runners-up 2nd 6 2 2 2 12 10 6 5 1 0 10 3 2012 Runners-up 2nd 5 3 0 2 19 7 Qualified automatically 2016 Semi-finals 3rd 4 1 2 1 9 3 2024 Qualified but withdrew Total Runners-up 6/11 27 12 4 11 65 52 26 13 2 11 71 39 Pacific Games New Caledonia has a very strong record in the Pacific Games, winning the gold medal seven times! Pacific Games record Year Host Round Pld W D* L GF GA 1963  Fiji Gold medal 2 2 0 0 10 3 1966  New Caledonia Silver medal 4 3 0 1 17 2 1969  Papua New Guinea Gold medal 5 4 1 0 20 3 1971  Tahiti Gold medal 4 3 1 0 12 2 1975  Guam Silver medal 5 4 0 1 16 4 1979  Fiji Fourth place 5 3 0 2 26 8 1983  Samoa Bronze medal 6 4 0 2 16 11 1987  New Caledonia Gold medal 6 5 0 1 26 4 1991  Papua New Guinea Bronze medal 5 3 0 2 13 8 1995  Tahiti Group stage 4 2 0 2 19 3 2003  Fiji Silver medal 6 4 1 1 29 3 2007  Samoa Gold medal 6 5 1 0 10 3 2011  New Caledonia Gold medal 7 6 0 1 36 3 2015  Papua New Guinea See New Caledonia national under-23 football team 2019  Samoa Silver medal 6 5 0 1 23 2 2023  Solomon Islands Gold medal 4 3 1 0 18 2 Total 8 titles 69 52 5 13 268 59 MSG Prime Minister's Cup The team has also been runners-up four times in the MSG Prime Minister's Cup. MSG Prime Minister's Cup record Year Host Position Pld W D* L GF GA 1988  Solomon Islands 4th 4 1 0 3 6 5 1989  Fiji Runners-up 4 3 0 1 9 5 1990  Vanuatu Runners-up 4 2 1 1 5 3 1992  Vanuatu Runners-up 3 2 1 0 4 2 1994  Solomon Islands 4th 4 1 0 3 5 9 1998  Vanuatu 5th 4 0 0 4 4 10 2000  Fiji 4th 4 2 0 2 11 11 2022  Vanuatu 6th 2 0 0 2 0 2 2023  New Caledonia Runners-up 3 2 0 1 7 2 2024  Solomon Islands Withdrew – Total Runners-up 32 13 2 17 51 49 Team Achievements Major Competitions OFC Nations Cup Runners-up (2): 2008, 2012 Third place (2): 1973, 1980 Regional Competitions Pacific Games Gold medal (7): 1963, 1969, 1971, 1987, 2007, 2011, 2023 Silver medal (4): 1966, 1987, 2003, 2019 Bronze medal (2): 1983, 1991 Melanesia Cup Runner-up (4): 1989, 1990, 1992, 2023 Awards OFC Nations Cup Fair Play Award: 2016 Summary of Medals Competition Total OFC Nations Cup 0 2 2 4 Total 0 2 2 4 Historical Uniforms 1987 Home 1998 Home 2002 Home 2003 Home 2003 Away 2004 Third 2006 Home 2006 Away 2007 Home 2007 Away 2008 Home 2010 Home 2011 2012 Home 2012 Away 2016 Home 2016 Away 2017 Home 2019 2019 2019 2019 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 See also In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Nueva Caledonia para niños