Oceanian country, Marshall Islands have become the latest country in the world to assemble a football national team.
The next step for the Islands which are located between Hawaii and the Philippines in the Pacific Ocean, is to apply to be a member of the world football governing body, FIFA if their application to be part of the Oceanian Football Confederation becomes a success.
While they were working on having a national football team, the Marshall Islands established their Marshall Islands Soccer Association in 2020. The association’s goal is to join FIFA and the Oceanian Confederation.
NaijaNews gathered that the Islands with a population of 60,000 people would use their newly formed national team in the Micronesian Games which the country will host from June 15 to 24, 2024.
Aeria view of Marshall Islands.
The games were postponed from 2022 to 2024, first due to the economic effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and then a delay in the completion of the new Marshall Islands Stadium.
While the stadium project is ongoing, the football authority in the country has started recruiting footballers into the men’s and women’s national teams.
On Tuesday, September 19, the country launched their official kit for the national teams.
NaijaNews gathered that the kits were made of recycled plastic and featured blue, white, and orange which represent the country’s picturesque sunset.
The country which was discovered in 2000 BC by Micronesian navigators, is also making efforts to launch men’s and women’s National Football Leagues.
Schoolkids in the country have also been given the opportunity to learn about football coaching as that has been added to the country’s curriculum.
The Marshall Islands which have been colonized by Spanish, Germans, Japanese, and Americans within 500 years gained their independence from the United States in 1982.
However, it is believed that the American government is still very much in control of the country’s military. The country is known for having the world’s largest shark sanctuary.
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