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Vanuatu national football team facts for kids

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This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Vanuatu women's national football team.
Quick facts for kids
Vanuatu
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) The Men in Black and Gold
Association Vanuatu Football Federation
Confederation OFC (Oceania)
Head coach Vacant
Captain Brian Kaltak
Most caps Kensi Tangis (39)
Top scorer Richard Iwai (20)
Home stadium Port Vila Municipal Stadium
FIFA code VAN
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 163 Steady (7 February 2019)
Highest 131 (October 2007)
Lowest 201 (October–November 2015)
Elo ranking
Current 158 Decrease 3 (3 March 2019)
Highest 129 (2 June 2004)
Lowest 191 (July 1994)
First international
 New Zealand 9–0 New Hebrides 
(Nouméa, New Caledonia; 4 October 1951)
Biggest win
 Kiribati 0–18 Vanuatu 
(Lautoka, Fiji; 7 July 2003)
Biggest defeat
 New Zealand 9–0 New Hebrides 
(Nouméa, New Caledonia; 4 October 1951)
OFC Nations Cup
Appearances 10 (first in 1973)
Best result Runners-up (2024)
Pacific Games
Appearances 15 (first in 1963)
Best result Runners-up (1971)
Melanesia Cup/MSG Prime Minister's Cup
Appearances 9 (first in 1988)
Best result Melanesia Cup: Champions
(1990)
MSG Prime Minister's Cup: Third place
(2023)

The Vanuatu men's national football team represents Vanuatu in international football games. The team is managed by the Vanuatu Football Federation. This group is a member of FIFA and the OFC.

History of Vanuatu Football

Early Years (1951–2022)

The team was first known as the New Hebrides. This was before the New Hebrides became the Republic of Vanuatu in 1980. They finished fourth in the OFC Nations Cup in 1973, 2000, and 2002.

In the 2004 Oceania Nations Cup, Vanuatu had a big win. They beat New Zealand 4–2. This win stopped New Zealand from reaching the final. It also meant New Zealand couldn't compete for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Vanuatu surprised everyone again in the 2007 South Pacific Games. They beat the Solomon Islands to win a bronze medal. This win also helped them move forward in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Before this, they had not beaten the Solomon Islands since 1998.

In July 2008, Vanuatu played two teams from the Solomon Islands. This was during the first Wantok Cup. Vanuatu lost 1–2 to the Solomon Islands' main team. However, they won against their second team by two goals to one.

Recent Achievements (2023–Present)

In 2023, Vanuatu was invited to the 2023 Intercontinental Cup in India. This was their first tournament outside Oceania. On June 9, 2023, they played Lebanon and lost 3–1. In their next game, they lost narrowly to host India by 1–0.

On June 15, 2023, Vanuatu celebrated a 1–0 win against Mongolia. This victory earned them three points. They finished the tournament in third place.

FIFA Series Tournament

In 2024, FIFA invited Vanuatu to the 2024 FIFA Series. This tournament took place from March 21 to 26, 2024, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Vanuatu played against Guinea from Africa and Brunei from Asia.

On March 21, Vanuatu played Guinea. This was their first time playing an African team. They lost the match 6–0.

First Oceanian Final

Vanuatu made history in 2024. They reached the final of the OFC Nations Cup for the very first time. On June 30, 2024, they played against New Zealand in the final. Vanuatu finished as runners-up after losing 3–0.

Team Kit Sponsors

The Vanuatu team has had different kit sponsors over the years. These companies provide the team's uniforms.

Kit provider Period
Italy Lotto 2011–2012
Australia Veto 2013
United States Nike 2014
Vanuatu Best Promotions 2015
New Zealand Pasifika 2016–2019
Australia KPI Sports 2019–2022
Italy Macron 2022–2023
Italy Lotto 2023–2024
China Cikers 2024–

Match Results and Upcoming Games

Main article: Vanuatu national football team results

Here are the results from the last year and any games planned for the future.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

21 March 2024 FIFA Series Guinea  6–0  Vanuatu Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
22:00 UTC+3
  • Sylla Goal 9' (pen.), 63'
  • Diawara Goal 10'
  • O. Camara Goal 18'
  • Kané Goal 39' (pen.), 58'
 Stadium: King Abdullah Sports City
Referee: Ahmed Al Ali (Jordan)
26 March 2024 FIFA Series Vanuatu  2–3  Brunei Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
22:00 UTC+3
  • Kalo Goal 38'
  • Iawak Goal 70'
  • Syafiq Safiuddin Goal 52'
  • Nurikhwan Goal 72'
  • Hakeme Goal 90+3'
 Stadium: King Abdullah Sports City Reserve Stadium
15 June 2024 OFC Nations Cup Solomon Islands  0–1  Vanuatu Port Vila, Vanuatu
15:00 UTC+11
  • Tangis Goal 72'
 Stadium: Freshwater Stadium
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Veer Singh (Fiji)
18 June 2024 OFC Nations Cup Vanuatu  Cancelled  New Caledonia Port Vila, Vanuatu
15:00 UTC+11 Stadium: Freshwater Stadium
Note: On 5 June 2024, New Caledonia withdrew from the 2024 OFC Nations Cup due to the serious crisis in the country.
21 June 2024 OFC Nations Cup Vanuatu  0–4  New Zealand Port Vila, Vanuatu
15:00 UTC+11
  • Mata Goal 10', 27'
  • Just Goal 63'
  • Old Goal 78'
 Stadium: Freshwater Stadium
Attendance: 7,200
Referee: Veer Singh (Fiji)
27 June 2024 OFC Nations Cup SF Fiji  1–2  Vanuatu Port Vila, Vanuatu
15:00 UTC+11
  • Cavuilagi Goal 46'
  • Spokeyjack Goal 12'
  • Thomas Goal 56'
 Stadium: Freshwater Stadium
Referee: Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh (New Zealand)
30 June 2024 OFC Nations Cup Final New Zealand  3–0  Vanuatu Port Vila, Vanuatu
15:00
  • Howieson Goal 2'
  • Randall Goal 83'
  • Mata Goal 90+2'
 Stadium: Freshwater Stadium
Attendance: 10,000
5 September Pacific Series Vanuatu  0–3  Australia U23 Port Vila, Vanuatu
  • Blair Goal 42'
  • Taylor Goal 62'
  • Grimaldi Goal 74'
 Stadium: Freshwater Stadium
Referee: Ben Aukwai (Solomon Islands)
8 September Pacific Series Vanuatu  0–4  Australia U23 Port Vila, Vanuatu
Stadium: Freshwater Stadium

Coaching Staff

This table shows the people who help coach and manage the Vanuatu national football team.

Position Name
Head coach Brazil Pingola
Assistant coach Vanuatu Pinto Duro
Assistant coach Vanuatu François Sakama
Team Manager Vanuatu Peter Takaro
Goalkeeper coach Vanuatu Jimmy Obed
Assistant Goalkeeper coach Vanuatu Jean Yves Galinie
Physio Vanuatu Albert Lata

Coaching History

Many coaches have led the Vanuatu team over the years.

New Hebrides

  • P. Reichert (1973–1987)

Vanuatu

  • England Terry O'Donnell (1987–1993)
  • Vanuatu Saby Natonga (1996)
  • Vanuatu Alwyn Job (1998)
  • Uruguay Juan Carlos Buzzetti (2000–2004)
  • England Joe Szekeres (2004–2007)
  • Vanuatu Robert Calvo (2007–2008)
  • Vanuatu Willian Malas (2008)
  • Uruguay Jorge Añón (2009)
  • Vanuatu Saby Natonga (2011–2012)
  • Vanuatu Percy Avock (2012–2015)
  • Vanuatu Moise Poida (2015–2017)
  • Vanuatu Etienne Mermer (2017–2018)
  • Northern Ireland Paul Munster (2019)
  • Vanuatu Etienne Mermer (2019–2022)
  • Vanuatu George Amos (2022)
  • Uruguay Juan Carlos Buzzetti (2022)
  • Brazil Emerson Alcântara (2022)
  • Vanuatu Etienne Mermer (2022–2023)
  • Brazil Emerson Alcântara (2023–2024)
  • Brazil Juliano Schmeling (2024–)

Players

Current Squad

These 23 players were chosen for the PacificAus Sports Football Series in September 2024.

Caps (games played) and goals are correct as of June 30, 2024, after the match against New Zealand.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Massing Kalotang (2002-08-26) August 26, 2002 (age 22) 8 0 Vanuatu Erakor Gold Star
1GK Anthony Quai 0 0 Vanuatu Penama
1GK Dick Sablan (1996-12-23) December 23, 1996 (age 28) 0 0 Vanuatu Ifira Black Bird
2DF Michel Coulon (1995-12-03) 3 December 1995 (age 29) 17 1 Vanuatu Mauriki
2DF Timothy Boulet (1998-11-29) November 29, 1998 (age 26) 15 0 Vanuatu Ifira Black Bird
2DF Selwym Vatu (1998-06-13) 13 June 1998 (age 27) 13 0 Vanuatu ABM Galaxy
2DF Tasso Jeffrey (1998-08-12) 12 August 1998 (age 26) 12 0 Australia Western Strikers
2DF Jacques Wanemut (1992-02-02) February 2, 1992 (age 33) 4 0 Vanuatu Ifira Black Bird
2DF Zidane Maguekon (2000-06-03) June 3, 2000 (age 25) 1 0 Vanuatu Classic
2DF Thomas Salemu 0 0 Vanuatu Ifira Black Bird
2DF Joshua Tokio (2001-04-04) April 4, 2001 (age 24) 0 0 Vanuatu Ifira Black Bird
3MF John Alick (1991-04-25) 25 April 1991 (age 34) 25 0 Solomon Islands Solomon Warriors
3MF John Wohale (1997-07-09) 9 July 1997 (age 28) 17 1 Vanuatu Ifira Black Bird
3MF Jared Clark (1998-01-21) 21 January 1998 (age 27) 8 0 Australia FK Beograd
3MF Harry Norman (2003-12-31) 31 December 2003 (age 21) 8 1 Vanuatu Exe Green Rovers
3MF Alick Worworbu (1997-08-27) 27 August 1997 (age 27) 4 0 Vanuatu Yatel
4FW Alex Saniel (1996-11-08) 8 November 1996 (age 28) 23 1 Australia Northern Demons
4FW Johnathan Spokeyjack (1998-11-13) 13 November 1998 (age 26) 16 2 Vanuatu Ifira Black Bird
4FW Godine Tenene (1998-05-03) 3 May 1998 (age 27) 16 3 Vanuatu Ifira Black Bird
4FW Tony Kaltak (1996-11-05) 5 November 1996 (age 28) 16 15 Vanuatu Erakor Gold Star
4FW Jean Kaltak (1994-08-19) 19 August 1994 (age 30) 8 9 Vanuatu Erakor Gold Star
4FW Tonly Kalotang (1997-05-19) 19 May 1997 (age 28) 2 0 Vanuatu Ifira Black Bird
4FW Jordy Tasip (2000-07-14) 14 July 2000 (age 25) 0 0 Vanuatu Ifira Black Bird

Recent Call-ups

These players were also called to the national team in the last year.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK James Iamar (1997-01-25) January 25, 1997 (age 28) 4 0 Vanuatu Tafea 2024 OFC Nations Cup
GK Dgen Leo (2000-08-06) August 6, 2000 (age 25) 3 0 Vanuatu Classic 2024 OFC Nations Cup
GK Joshua Willie (2000-06-13) June 13, 2000 (age 25) 2 0 Vanuatu ABM Galaxy 2024 FIFA Series
GK Anthony Taiwia (1994-09-04) 4 September 1994 (age 30) 0 0 Vanuatu Ifira Black Bird 2023 Pacific Games
DF Brian Kaltak (1993-09-30) 30 September 1993 (age 31) 30 5 Australia Perth Glory 2024 OFC Nations Cup
DF Jason Thomas (1997-01-20) 20 January 1997 (age 28) 27 1 Vanuatu Erakor Golden Star 2024 OFC Nations Cup
DF Lency Philip (1997-06-08) 8 June 1997 (age 28) 12 0 Vanuatu Classic 2024 OFC Nations Cup
DF Kerry Iawak (1996-03-16) 16 March 1996 (age 29) 5 0 Vanuatu Ifira Black Bird 2024 OFC Nations Cup
DF Samuel Kaloros (1989-09-16) 16 September 1989 (age 35) 4 0 Vanuatu Ifira Black Bird 2024 FIFA Series
DF Joseph Kalotiti 1 0 Vanuatu Pango Green Bird 2024 FIFA Series
DF Bethuel Ollie (1997-08-19) 19 August 1997 (age 27) 2 0 Vanuatu North Efate United 2023 Pacific Games
MF Bong Kalo (1997-01-18) 18 January 1997 (age 28) 27 4 Vanuatu ABM Galaxy 2024 OFC Nations Cup
MF Claude Aru (1997-04-25) 25 April 1997 (age 28) 14 1 Vanuatu North Efate United 2024 OFC Nations Cup
MF Barry Mansale (1995-11-01) 1 November 1995 (age 29) 11 1 Vanuatu Yatel 2024 OFC Nations Cup
MF Raoul Coulon (1995-12-03) 3 December 1995 (age 29) 3 0 Vanuatu Yatel 2023 Pacific Games
MF Jean Taussi (1996-07-17) 17 July 1996 (age 29) 3 0 Vanuatu Ifira Black Bird 2023 Pacific Games
MF Lee Taiwia (1995-12-23) 23 December 1995 (age 29) 0 0 Vanuatu Ifira Black Bird 2023 Pacific Games
FW Kensi Tangis (1991-12-19) 19 December 1991 (age 33) 36 9 Vanuatu ABM Galaxy 2024 OFC Nations Cup
FW Joe Moses (2002-05-22) 22 May 2002 (age 23) 9 2 Vanuatu ABM Galaxy 2024 OFC Nations Cup
FW Maliwan Thomas (2005-01-26) 26 January 2005 (age 20) 1 0 Vanuatu Tafea 2024 FIFA Series
FW Keshly Joseph 0 0 2024 FIFA Series
FW Azariah Soromon (1999-03-01) 1 March 1999 (age 26) 17 7 Australia Western Strikers 2023 Pacific Games

Player Records

Here are some records for the Vanuatu national football team players. Players whose names are in bold are still playing for Vanuatu.

Most Games Played

Rank Name Caps Goals Career
1 Kensi Tangis 39 9 2011–present
2 Richard Iwai 34 20 2000–2011
3 Etienne Mermer 33 15 1998–2008
Brian Kaltak 33 5 2011–present
Bong Kalo 33 5 2015–present
6 Fedy Vava 30 2 2000–2012
John Alick 30 2 2017–present
8 Lexa Bibi 29 2 2000–2004
Seimata Chilia 29 9 2000–2011
10 Pita David Maki 28 2 2000–2008

Top Goal Scorers

Rank Name Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Richard Iwai 20 34 0.59 2000–2011
2 Tony Kaltak 15 16 0.94 2016–2019
Etienne Mermer 15 33 0.45 1998–2008
4 Seule Soromon 10 10 1 2007–2011
Jean Kaltak 10 11 0.91 2011–present
Azariah Soromon 10 26 0.38 2017–present
7 Seimata Chilia 9 29 0.31 2000–2011
Kensi Tangis 9 39 0.23 2011–present
9 Bill Nicholls 6 8 0.75 2015–2019
François Sakama 6 12 0.5 2007–2015
Robert Tasso 6 12 0.5 2011–2016
Mitch Cooper 6 12 0.5 2019–present

Tournament Records

FIFA World Cup

Vanuatu has tried to qualify for the FIFA World Cup several times.

FIFA World Cup record FIFA World Cup qualification record
Year Host Result Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
1930 to 1986 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
1990  Italy Did not enter Did not enter
1994  United States Did not qualify 4 0 0 4 1 18
1998  France 2 0 1 1 2 3
2002  South Korea
 Japan		 4 1 0 3 11 21
2006  Germany 9 4 1 4 21 11
2010  South Africa 12 5 1 6 30 19
2014  Brazil 3 1 0 2 8 9
2018  Russia 3 1 0 2 3 8
2022  Qatar Withdrew Withdrew
2026  Canada
 Mexico
 United States		 Did not qualify 3 1 0 2 5 11
2030  Morocco
 Portugal
 Spain		 To be determined To be determined
2034  Saudi Arabia
Total 0/10 40 13 3 24 81 100

OFC Nations Cup

The OFC Nations Cup is a major football tournament for teams in Oceania.

Oceania Cup / OFC Nations Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
as  New Hebrides
New Zealand 1973 Fourth place 4th 5 1 1 3 5 10 Squad No qualification
New Caledonia 1980 Group stage 7th 3 0 0 3 6 9 N/A
as  Vanuatu
1996 Did not qualify 4 0 1 3 5 12
Australia 1998 Group stage 5th 2 0 0 2 2 13 Squad 4 2 1 1 8 6
French Polynesia 2000 Fourth place 4th 4 1 0 3 5 8 Squad 4 2 0 2 12 7
New Zealand 2002 Fourth place 4th 5 2 0 3 2 6 Squad Qualified automatically
Australia 2004 Group stage 6th 5 1 0 4 5 9 Squad 4 3 1 0 16 2
2008 Fourth place 4th 6 1 1 4 5 13 Squad 6 4 0 2 25 6
Solomon Islands 2012 Group stage 5th 3 1 0 2 8 9 Squad Qualified automatically
Papua New Guinea 2016 7th 3 1 0 2 3 8 Squad
Fiji Vanuatu 2024 Runners-up 2nd 4 2 0 2 3 8 Squad
Total Runners-up 10/11 40 10 2 28 44 93 — 22 11 3 8 66 33

Pacific Games

The Pacific Games is another important competition for Vanuatu.

Pacific Games record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA
as  New Hebrides
Fiji 1963 Group stage 6th 1 0 0 1 3 6
New Caledonia 1966 Bronze medal 3rd 4 1 2 1 9 14
Papua New Guinea 1969 Group stage 5th 5 1 1 3 13 13
French Polynesia 1971 Silver medal 2nd 4 2 1 1 9 12
Guam 1975 Group stage 5th 2 0 0 2 1 6
Fiji 1979 Fifth place 5th 6 4 0 2 19 6
as  Vanuatu
Samoa 1983 Group stage 6th 1 0 0 1 0 6
New Caledonia 1987 Fourth place 4th 6 2 1 3 16 13
Papua New Guinea 1991 Fourth place 4th 5 2 0 3 9 8
French Polynesia 1995 Fourth place 4th 5 2 0 3 10 9
Fiji 2003 Bronze medal 3rd 6 3 3 0 23 3
Samoa 2007 Bronze medal 3rd 6 4 0 2 25 6
New Caledonia 2011 Group stage 6th 5 4 0 1 18 7
Papua New Guinea 2015 See Vanuatu national under-23 football team
Samoa 2019 Group stage 5th 4 2 1 1 25 2
Solomon Islands 2023 Semi-finals 4th 4 1 1 2 9 6
Total 15/15 0 Titles 64 28 10 26 189 117

Head-to-Head Records

This table shows Vanuatu's game results against other national teams up to November 15, 2024.

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  American Samoa 4 4 0 0 39 1 +38 12
2  Australia 4 0 0 4 0 7 −7 0
3  Brunei 1 0 0 1 2 3 −1 0
4  Cook Islands 1 1 0 0 8 1 +7 3
5  Estonia 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 0
6  Fiji 37 11 7 19 41 83 −42 40
7  Guam 3 3 0 0 14 0 +14 9
8  Guinea 1 0 0 1 0 6 −6 0
9  India 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 0
10  Indonesia 1 0 0 1 0 6 −6 0
11  Kiribati 1 1 0 0 18 0 +18 3
12  Lebanon 1 0 0 1 1 3 −2 0
13  Mongolia 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 3
14  New Caledonia 40 8 7 25 45 101 −56 31
15  New Zealand 15 1 0 14 11 73 −62 3
16  Papua New Guinea 23 9 5 9 33 29 +4 32
17  Samoa 6 6 0 0 40 2 +38 18
18  Solomon Islands 36 7 7 22 38 78 −40 28
19  Tahiti 26 5 3 18 28 64 −36 18
20  Tonga 5 5 0 0 33 2 +31 15
21  Tuvalu 4 4 0 0 22 1 +21 12
22  Wallis and Futuna 2 2 0 0 10 1 +9 6
Source: 1951–July 1980 results and July 1980–present results.
Notes:

Team Honours

Here are the awards and achievements of the Vanuatu national football team.

Major Competitions

Regional Competitions

  • Pacific Games
    • Silver medal (1): 1971
    • Bronze medal (3): 1966, 2003, 2007
  • Melanesia Cup
    • Champions (1): 1990
    • Runners-up (1): 1998
    • Third place (3): 1988, 2000, 2023
  • Wantok Cup
    • Runners-up (1): 2008

Summary of Medals

Competition 1 2 3 Total
OFC Nations Cup 0 1 0 1
Total 0 1 0 1

Historical Kits

These are some of the uniforms the Vanuatu team has worn over the years.

1987 Home
1992 Home
1992 Away
1999
2000 Home
2002 Home
2004 Home
2004 Away
2007
2009
2011 Home
2011 Away
2012 Home
2012 Away
2016 Home
2017 Home
2017 Away
2017
2019 Home
2022 Home
2022 Away
2024 Home
2024 Away

More About Vanuatu Football

  • Vanuatu national under-15 football team
  • Vanuatu national under-17 football team
  • Vanuatu national under-20 football team
  • Vanuatu national under-23 football team
  • Vanuatu women's national football team
  • Vanuatu women's national under-20 football team

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Vanuatu para niños

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