© FIFA.comJames Naka was unknown to football fans until he represented
Solomon Islands in the Oceanian Zone qualifying campaign in Tahiti
for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Rio de Janeiro 2006.
The quietly spoken Naka was content to play football in
Honiara for Marist FC and, if called upon, the Solomon Islands
national team.
Today, Naka is the name on everyone's lips in Honiara
whenever he plays for new club Kossa in the DJ League, the 2008
O-League, the senior Solomon Islands national men's team or on
the sand for the Bilikiki Boys.
The 22-year-old shot to fame when he scored four goals
against African champions Cameroon on the Copacabana inspiring the
Bilikiki Boys to a historic 5-2 victory at last year's FIFA
Beach Soccer World Cup in Rio de Janeiro,
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Naka says the pressure he experienced at that competition
means he is no longer fearful of what the future holds on the
football pitch.
"We will be ready this time and can enjoy ourselves more
because of last year. Brazil is not totally new to our team,"
he told
FIFA.com. Solomon Islands were united because of
how well we did in Rio in 2006. Our success gave a good feeling to
our people."
Since then football in the Solomon Islands has had little to
shout about with Marist FC eliminated at the group stage of the
2007 O-League club competition, despite Naka and Bilikiki Boys
team-mate Joe Luwi finishing amongst the competition's top
goalscorers.
Naka's frustration increased when the senior national
team was eliminated from the medals at the South Pacific Games
Samoa 2007 and, consequently,
cheap jerseys for sale, eliminated at the preliminary stage
of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers after losing 2-0 to Vanuatu
in the bronze medal match.
"Everybody felt bad after that experience in
Samoa," he continued,
wholesale nfl jerseys. "It was difficult for us to
understand why it happened,
buy cheap jerseys. But I think it is important that we
leave that disappointment behind us and look forward to FIFA Beach
Soccer World Cup in Brazil."
An incredible experience
Solomon Islands are the only team outside of Australia and
New Zealand from the OFC to qualify for a FIFA event and their
debut could not have been more memorable, that 5-2 victory over
Joseph-Antoine Bell's Cameroon team.
"The Copacabana was an incredible experience and the
Bilikiki Boys and everyone in Solomon Islands football learned a
lot from being there," he smiled. "But we will not boast.
We have total respect for our opponents and realize we are only a
small country."
Naka takes a realistic view of Bilikiki Boys chances against
Brazil,
wholesale jerseys, Russia and Mexico, admitting there might be a good chance
their opponents will have an upper-hand. However, Naka feels Rio
2007 will still be an opportunity to raise his game to a new level.
"I would like to score more goals than I did in
2006," he said. "But we face Brazil in the opening match
- the reigning world champions - then Mexico and Russia. We know it
will be tougher and we respect them all, but we are ready for the
challenge,
wholesale soccer jerseys."
Naka's confidence is tempered somewhat by the difficult
preparation for this year's tournament. Solomon Islands coach
Airton Andrioli was released from his contract after the XIII South
Pacific Games defeat against Vanuatu and training was undertaken
Henry Koto with the assistance of physical fitness coach Terry Van
Dillen Leo, whose background is with the New Zealand Police.
"We would like to go one better than last time and
qualify from the group we are in," continued Naka. "Our
problem is we have not had strong games since the OFC Beach Soccer
Championship in New Zealand. Last year we played three warm-up
matches in Brazil, this time we will only have the benefits of
training. It is not the best but we will do our best for Solomon
Islands and Oceania."
Despite social and economic obstacles the Bilikiki Boys have
delivered more than the sum of their collective parts. A quick
glance at the Solomon Islands' international achievements in
Beach Soccer reveal back-to-back OFC championships, a FIFA Beach
Soccer World Cup win over the champions of Africa,
cheap jerseys, plus recent
victories over New Zealand, Vanuatu, Cook Islands, and Tahiti,
should be a fillip to a team facing who will be considered as
underdogs in November.
For the Bilikiki Boys the challenge could not be bigger but
with Naka in the squad there will be reason for optimism for the
team described by FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter as a
"beacon of light in the Pacific".
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