By HENRY MORABANG
FOOTBALL Federation of Australia has taken up the role as big brother and will be offering some assistance to Oceania Football Confederation.
Following their meeting with OFC delegation on Dec 19 in FFA office in Sydney, FFA would initiate some exchanges program between FFA national team, state federation and A-league teams and OFC members association.
PNGFA president and OFC vice-president David Chung said the exchange would involve scholarship, training and attachment programmes for players and technical officials.
Chung said this would greatly benefit the member island countries including Papua New Guinea.
He said some of the exchanges would see Sydney FC to tour Fiji and Vanuatu on pre-season trip or playing OFC national teams, PNG U14 team to participate in Gold Coast Invitational Youth Cup and Football Federation Victoria clubs teams playing OFC member club or national side.
Chung said FFA would provide assistance in football development to PNG and Solomon Islands.
The aid covers:
* FFA to send a coach instructor to conduct three coaching courses per year in PNG and Solomon Islands
* FFA to send a referee instructor to conduct three referee courses per year in PNG and Solomon Islands
* FFA to send their national youth team (U17 & U20) men and women to have preparation matches in PNG and Solomon Islands
In all the activities, FFA contribution is the payment of airfares and salaries while host association will play accommodation, meals and internal transport.
Also discussed at the meeting was the access to television rights for the Hyundai A-League.
Chung said OFC request from FFA the possibility of having access to the television rights ñ live or delay of A-League maches for OFC island territories that donít have access to these matches.