FBC SPORTS – The Amicale football club from Vanuatu is dedicating its outing in the Fiji Airways Oceania Championships League to those affected by last month’s Tropical Cyclone Pam.
The cyclone affected the entire of Vanuatu and it made the preparations hard for the team, just like its fellow club, Tafea, which is also in Fiji for the competition.
Head coach, Marcho Banchini, says most of the players had to put on hold the recovery work to come and play in the competition.
“We are here to represent the people of Vanuatu. This tropical cyclone is very difficult and some players are staying in very dangerous situation and now we and coming and up and growing up together.”
Meanwhile, the Tafea football club of Vanuatu is using the devastation caused by Cyclone Pam to motivate them for the upcoming Fiji Airways OFC Champions League.
The club is based in the Tafea province in the south of Vanuatu, one of the worst-hit during the category 5 cyclone.
Coach Moise Poida says the players have not been able to train for two weeks prior to departure as they have been helping out with the clean-up.
“After Cyclone Pam, we take everything positive for the team and the fans also. We will try to bring some happiness back home.”
Tafea takes on Hekari United from Papua New Guinea in their first match at 4:30pm on Sunday at the ANZ Stadium in Suva.
Amicale plays Western United from the Solomon Islands on Saturday at 7pm at the ANZ Stadium in Suva.
Prior to this match, Vodafone Suva will take on Auckland City at 4:30pm.
In Ba on the same day, AS Pirae meets Lupe Ole Soaga at 4.30pm at Govind Park and Ba clashes with Gaitcha at 7pm.
