Kiribati asks for FIFA return

The Kiribati Football Association (KFA) has invited the Oceania Football Association and FIFA to return to the scattered collection of Pacific islands in 2015 to see if sufficient improvements have been made to justify membership of the OFA and the world body.

The KFA has been pursuing full membership of both bodies for years and is an associate member of the OFC, which provides an annual grant of NZD$ 30,000. But after a visit in 2013, FIFA’s response was to send 300 balls to Kiribati and has subsequently insisted any queries must now be directed to the regional body, the OFC.

KFA president Ioteba Redfern says: “We have not heard from FIFA. The last time we had contact with them was last year in which they replied to my email and they advised us that we should approach OFC regarding everything as OFC is the responsible body to contact.

“It is good we continue to receive annual grant [from the OFC]. For other matters, there have been no response whatsoever from OFC.

“Mid last year, we proposed to OFC and FIFA if they could visit us again in 2015 to inspect KIFA and how it operates and see if it has improved from the last visit but there has been no response yet. We really want this visit to take place as I feel we will pass the test if this visit takes place as we are now working on the things that FIFA recommended we should improve. “

After FIFA’s visit, the KFA were left with the impression by the world body’s delegates that a national competition was first needed to show evidence of organised football. Even though other FIFA members as disparate as Montserrat in the Caribbean and Liechtenstein in Europe do not have leagues, the KFA has tried to organise one but found the cost of organisation a competition for clubs from 33 islands prohibitive.

Redfern estimated that staging a competition would cost more than the entire OFC grant, but this year hopes to get a Kiribati championship off the ground. He adds: “This year we will start the inter-island football championships in which all the islands will take part. Also, we are planning to host an international futsal or 11-a-side tournaments in which neighboring islands will be invited to take part.”

The KFA is also compiling a more professional annual report in the hope of a return visit by FIFA and the OFC next year. “I am confident we will be ready for their inspection in 2015,” says Redfern.

The KFA is not commenting on exactly where the KFA is getting the NZD$ 40,000 or more that the original estimates showed it would cost to stage. Staging the competition would be a costly gamble, but as all FIFA members get U$D 250,000 a year through the financial assistance programme it’s wager that the KFA clearly feel is necessary.