New Caledonia withdraws from MSG Cup

New Caledonia men's national team celebrating in a goal during the Fifa World Cup qualifier in Port Moresby last year (Image: OFC Media)

The Host Organizing Committee [HOC] of the Melanesian Spearhead Group [MSG] Prime Ministers Cup has confirmed that New Caledonia will not be participating in this year’s tournament.

The announcement was made late yesterday after the committee exhausted all possible avenues to assist New Caledonia with its travel arrangements.

HOC Chairman Leonard Louma told the media last Thursday that the withdrawal was not due to lack of interest, but logistical challenges in securing flights from their exit points in Australia and Vanuatu.

“New Caledonia reached out to us for assistance, and we were working closely with them to find ways to get them to PNG,” Louma said.

Following the withdrawal, the HOC has revised the tournament schedule, with matches now set to kick off tomorrow instead of today as initially planned.

The changes will also reduce the total number of matches from 20 to 16, with teams in Group A for both the men’s and women’s divisions now playing each other once.

This marks the second time New Caledonia has missed the MSG Prime Ministers Football Cup after successfully hosting the competition in 2023.