Following the OFC Preliminary Draw for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ held at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland yesterday, Solomon Islands’ caretaker coach, Moses Toata, shared his thoughts on the upcoming challenges and opportunities for the Solomon Islands national team.
The draw placed Solomon Islands in Group A, alongside Fiji, Papua New Guinea (PNG), and New Caledonia. As the second-highest-ranked team in Oceania, behind New Zealand, the Solomon Islands were seeded to lead Group A.
“Being seeded as one of the top two teams according to the FIFA rankings is already a positive step for us,” said Toata.
“It signifies OFC’s respect for our status and gives us a chance to compete against other teams in the region besides New Zealand at the group stages.”
Toata emphasized the importance of not underestimating their group opponents despite their lower rankings.
“Fiji, PNG, and New Caledonia are all strong teams. Recent results have shown that we cannot take their challenge lightly. Our ranking does not guarantee our strength; we must build a cohesive team and maximize our performance potential.”
To express his satisfaction with the group, Toata acknowledged Fiji as a formidable opponent.
“Fiji has been consistent over the last five years and has a good coach in Rob Sherman. They will be looking to excel in the qualifiers. Our preparation is key, and we must leverage our seeded status to our advantage.”
He also stressed the need for immediate action to prepare the team, despite waiting for the official appointment of a Head Coach to lead the senior side.
“Training starts next week. We can’t wait for the new head coach’s appointment to begin our preparations. Players, both local and overseas, who have been part of the national team or shown potential, will be called up for national trials.”
Toata who is also the SIFF Technical Director revealed that the final interviews have been conducted, and a candidate will be finalized.
“The appointment process, including contract signing, visa arrangements, and health insurance, will take a week or two. Once everything is in place, we will make the official announcement.”
The Technical Department has put together a 42-man extended training squad that will be hitting the ground running 3 days a week leading up to the Tri-Nations tournament in Fiji and other training camps ahead of the main Qualifiers in September.
For the first time, OFC has direct entry to a FIFA Men’s World Cup for the winner of the Oceania Qualifying. The runner-up will get a chance to qualify at the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Playoff tournament in a one-off match against a team from another Confederation, and a chance to give Oceania a historic second FIFA World Cup™ representative in Canada, Mexico, and the United States in 2026.
-SIFF Media
