Samoans arrive today

THE Samoa men’s soccer team are better prepared than their precursors as they touch down today at Jackson International Airport to take part in the OFC Nations Cup.
Samoa will arrive at the same time as Vanutu, New Zealand and New Caledonia for the tournament from Saturday to June 11.
Fiji will join the other teams tomorrow.
Head coach Scott Easthope is adamant his side would go into the tournament mentally and physically fitter than the country’s previous national teams.
Easthope said he was pleased with the way his team’s preparations went.
“I think the training camp was as good as I could hope for,” Easthope said.
“It was intense with two sessions a day, and we pushed the players to the limits of their physical boundaries. They are fit and ready to compete against the regions’ best teams.”
Easthope believed some of his players gained valuable experience before the training camp.
“We had a tour of New Zealand in March, and some of our players were involved in the OFC Champions League in May,” he said. “I’m confident they are well-prepared.”
The coach said his players had become more tactical following assistance from the team’s new technical analyst Stuart Pyne.