Vanuatu’s U19 women’s national football team is preparing to represent the country at the OFC U19 Women’s Championship starting in September in Tahiti.

21-player squad has already been finalized and will begin camp next week in final preparations.

In an interview with VBTC Sports, national head coach Joel Rarua said training is progressing well, with a strong focus on technical skills, tactics, and building the players’ capacity ahead of the tournament. “Preparations are going ahead smoothly, and the girls are excited for the upcoming competition,” Rarua said.

Rarua has been coaching the U19 women’s team since May and oversaw the selection of 21 players from an initial pool of 45. Eleven players come from Efate, while ten hail from Santo. The Santo-based players are expected to join the Port Vila-based squad next week for final preparations before traveling to Tahiti.

Vanuatu U19 has been drawn into Pool B, competing against powerhouses New Zealand, Tahiti, and New Caledonia.