SOCCER Tough Debut For New Caledonia

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29832, 26 May 1962, Page 5

SOCCER Tough Debut For New Caledonia

The touring soccer side from New Caledonia will have a difficult first game against the Auckland Provincial XI in Auckland today. and the outcome will provide a guide to the possibility of their beating New Zealand in the first test at Christchurch next Saturday

Auckland includes six players who are in the squad of 14 from which the New Zealand side will be chosen —A. Leong. K. Armstrong, J. Kemp, G. P. Eccles. T Pugh, and B. Ormond. All except Pugh, who has been in New Zealand for only eight months, played against the touring English Football Association side last season The visitors are no strangers to Auckland, as a New Caledonian side played several matches in the province before the start of last season. They defeated Auckland’s best, and no doubt will be confident of repeating this treatment today. Two Auckland clubs. Blockhouse Bay and Eastern Suburbs, have also toured New Caledonia in recent seasons. Test Team Doubts The displays of Leong. Pugh and Ormond today may have a bearing on the team for the first test. Three fullbacks have been named, and there are fivp contenders for the three inside-forward positions. As the Auckland selectors have named Pugh as inside-right and Ornjond as inside-left, the match will

not help the national selectors in their search for a centre-forward. It had been thought t at one ot these two men would get the centre-forward berth in the test.

The star forward, Tikoure (6ft lin), and the half-back, Massenya (6ft 3in), are the only New Caledonian players over 6ft, while the goalkeepers and full-backs are all around the sft 7in mark. The composition of the side includes about six Frenchmen, several Chinese or Vietnamese, and negroes and Polynesians.

The tour will be the first international occasion for five of the visitors. The most experienced players are the full-back, Benjamin (18 international matches), the two goal-keepers, Prevot (13) and Koel-Upane (nine), and Tikoure (nine).