Football: Tefana refines its recovery

One week before the restart of the 2021-2022 football season, the teams continue training, and this Friday evening, if the capricious weather of recent days allows it, a friendly match will oppose Tefana to Dragon, on the side of Titioro, to unless it is on the synthetic turf of Puurai.

Stade Louis Ganivet, where the players of the green and yellow first team meet every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evening to prepare for the Ligue 1 championship, whose schedule could be changed again even before its resumption (see box). Not enough to disturb the main coach of Tefana, Sébastien Labayen, nor his assistants, Pascal Vahirua and Nicolas Paigne, who remain focused on their goal: to stay on the podium in L1 but to do better than third, last season.

And this despite a transfer window where we note two beautiful recruits, namely Tearii Labaste nicknamed “Fleur”, from Pirae, renowned player also known in beach soccer, with the Tiki Toa, as well as Matauira Andre-Fouet, in from Tiare Tahiti, but also several departures. Tefana has indeed lost some key elements of the team, such as Donovan Bourbare and Teddy O’Connor, the first to go to Pirae, the second to Dragon, as well as players who have left for France.

“Promote training”

“Some of our young people wanted to study in France, so they had to leave us. On the other hand, others have joined the first team because the club’s policy is to highlight training, which is very good thanks to our facilities and our qualified educators, which makes it possible to have young people who can apply in Ligue 1, and we try to make them grow quickly to be quickly competitive, ”says Nicolas Paigne.

Will the contribution of “Fleur” to these admiring young people of her career be enough to instill momentum allowing Tefana to win one of the two qualifying places for the Oceania Champions League (OFC Champion’s League)?

Nothing is less certain, given the level posted this year by Pirae, Venus and Dragon. Verdict at the end of the season …

More information in our weekend edition.

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