The New Caledonia FA (FCF) confirmed the news ten days before the tournament kicks off in Vanuatu.
In a press release the FCF cites the ongoing crisis in the French overseas territory as the reason for not participating.
“This is of course a difficult decision that our elected officials were forced to make. Indeed, after an in-depth assessment of the current situation in New Caledonia, it appeared that the exceptional and unstable circumstances our country is going through make the participation of our team in this international event impossible,” the FCF writes in the press release.
At least seven people have died in protests against the constitutional amendment that would expand New Caledonia’s electorate to include recent French arrivals, according to news agency Reuters.
The process of withdrawing was started on May 28th.
“A videoconference meeting was held on this subject in the presence of members of the Executive Bureau of the FCF (President and 2nd Vice-President), the Secretary General of the FCF, the heads of the different Departments of the FCF as well as the Coach of New Caledonia. It was proposed during this meeting the non-participation of the New Caledonian team in the next OFC Nations Cup.”
New Caledonia were supposed to play in Group A in Port Vila in the upcoming Nations Cup, alongside New Zealand, Solomon Islands and hosts Vanuatu.
The OFC have not yet made a comment on New Caledonia’s decision to withdraw.
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