FIFA-forgotten Pacific Islands plan new regional tournament
February 14 – A new competition for non-FIFA affiliated Oceania regions is in the pipeline according to local reports.
Oceania
Pacific pariah: FIFA bans former OFC boss Nicholas for eight years
By Andrew Warshaw
May 30 – Yet another high-profile former FIFA bigwig has been thrown out of the game, making a mockery of the suggestion that corruption is over among those who have served football’s world governing body.
Wood becomes first female president of New Zealand FA
April 3 – Johanna Wood has been elected the first female president of New Zealand Football (NZF) in an overhaul of the ruling body’s governance following a tumultuous 2018.
Infantino sells 24-team Club World Cup to Oceania with keeping of guaranteed spot
March 12 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino has reportedly promised Oceania a guaranteed place in an expanded Club World Cup if his proposal is approved by the FIFA Council in Miami this week.
Maltock takes helm at corruption-ridden OFC promising clean future
March 11 – Interim Oceania Football Confederation president Lambert Maltock has been elected to the role on a permanent basis and has vowed to clean up the region following the recent bans of two high-profile colleagues.
Cashed out: FIFA hands former senior VP and OFC boss Chung 6.5 year ban
By Andrew Warshaw
March 4 – Almost a year after resigning as head of the Oceania Football Confederation citing “personal reasons”, David Chung has been banned from the sport for 6.5 years for financial wrongdoing, reportedly over the awarding of contracts for the construction of the OFC headquarters in New Zealand.
Kiwis join Australia, Japan and SA in 2023 Women’s World Cup bidding race
By Samindra Kunti
February 26 – New Zealand have expressed their interest in hosting the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Last week FIFA launched the bidding process with Japan, Australia and South Africa among the other member associations that have declared an interest so far.
Kiwi FA boss quits over women’s team bullying scandal
October 16 – New Zealand FA president Deryck Shaw has resigned in the wake of a damaging bullying scandal that has rocked the women’s game.
OFC calls in lawyers as depth of Chung’s suspected corruption becomes public
By Andrew Warshaw
April 9 – Oceania football chief David Chung, who abruptly resigned last week, did so after an audit of his confederation found “potential irregularities” on a $20 million building project and funding was cut to the region by FIFA, it has been revealed.
Chung quits OFC presidency amid rumours of political and financial corruption
By Andrew Warshaw and Paul Nicholson
April 6 – David Chung, president of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and one of FIFA’s highest ranking officials, has resigned after seven years in the job. A short statement from the OFC said Chung, FIFA’s senior vice-president and an important ally in Gianni Infantino’s 2016 presidential election victory, took the decision “after much deliberation, citing personal reasons.”
NZ women to achieve parity with men for international representation
November 8 – The New Zealand Professional Footballers Association has become one of the first national governing bodies to publicly state it is looking to achieve a single collective agreement with its players, providing equal conditions for men and women.
Kiribati Islands fight the rising tide and prepare for ConIFA World Cup 2018
October 25 – FIFA is not the only football body to face problems with a flooded pitch. But in India FIFA could switch venue and city for its U17 World Cup semi-final between Brazil and England. In Kiribati they don’t have that luxury.
Pressure on FIFA bigwig Chung grows as rival PNG federation takes football high ground
By Paul Nicholson
September 7 – David Chung, president of the Oceania Football Confederation and the second highest official at FIFA as senior vice president, is under increasing pressure from football stakeholders in his home country Papua New Guinea, where a breakaway group of top clubs is running its own league and development programmes already with greater numbers and participation than Chung’s FIFA-backed organisation.
OFC’s Chung refutes corruption allegations as ‘illegal’ league kicks off and whistleblower named
By Paul Nicholson
May 21 – Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) president David Chung has responded to accusations that he rigged his re-election to the Papua New Guinea FA presidency via a statement saying that the election was held according to the statutes. He also refutes allegations that he used FIFA funds to incentivise votes for his candidacy.
OFC chief Chung underfire in PNG as rivals claim he rigged election and form new FA
By Paul Nicholson
May 19 – David Chung, president of the Oceania Football Confederation as well as the Papua New Guinea FA, is facing a revolution in his home country where a rival faction has established its own federation, is playing its own matches and has more members than the FIFA-recognised federation Chung leads.