Zinedene Zidane watches Jordan in possession.
NOUMEA - Football arouses such strong passions in fans all over the world and it is easy to forget that it is despite it all, only a game. For Auckland City striker Keryn Jordan there is no danger of any such confusion. The 34-year-old former South African international arrived in New Zealand less than 4 years ago and made such a huge impact with his first club Waitakere United that he was touted as a potential Hyundai A-League signing for the New Zealand Knights.
Jordan turned down the opportunity to sign for the Knights and instead made his way to Kiwitea Street to join Auckland City and it was there that the amicable Jordan won the first of two New Zealand Football Championship (NZFC) titles.
With life seemingly on an upturn in a brand new country far from the flurry and tension in South Africa the Jordan family were hit with a hammer blow as Keryn was diagnosed with cancer. Auckland City FC - keen to protect the privacy of one of its most well-loved imports - said Jordan was injured as a protracted battle against cancer began.
Jordan's situation was compounded by the loss of his father as visa issues meant cancer treatment could only be carried out in South Africa. The plight of the Jordan family became news as a documentary covered the story.
After 3 months on the sidelines facing challenges Jordan made an emotional comeback as a substitute in an NZFC clash against Team Wellington.
It was this brave face in the show of adversity that inspired the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) General Secretary Tai Nicholas to help promote the idea of Jordan taking part in the Christian Karembeu Jubilee Match in Noumea.
"Keryn is a well-known figure in Oceania football and he has had a positive impact on the game. To overcome so many hurdles and with the impassioned support of Auckland City FC's football family and it's chairman Ivan Vuksich - it was with great delight when we named Jordan in the Karembeu celebrations," Nicholas said.
Indeed the likeable South African turned in a fine performance against the former FIFA World Cup, Euro 2000 and FIFA Confederations Cup winning "Les Bleus" including a still very capable Zinedine Zidane. Jordan grabbed himself the number seven shirt from one of the Karembeu team at the end of the match. Christian Karembeu said Jordan's story was an inspiring one and it was an honour to include him in the celebrations.
"This is an inspiring story of courage and love and for me it was fitting to share this moment with a special player - I wish him a full recovery and happiness for his family," Karembeu told www.oceaniafootball.com Uli Stieleke2008-06-03 11:27:10
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Great pro...good luck in his recovery
Normo's coming home
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inspirational story but why wasn't it in the mainstream media here in New Zealand.
And why wasn't the game televised - or the World Cup qualifier Aus v Iraq - when one of the Phoenix players was in the Socceroos.
While I'm on a roll, I'd bet there would have been a few who would have watched the Victory v Juve game as well.
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inspirational story but why wasn't it in the mainstream media here in New Zealand.
And why wasn't the game televised - or the World Cup qualifier Aus v Iraq - when one of the Phoenix players was in the Socceroos.
While I'm on a roll, I'd bet there would have been a few who would have watched the Victory v Juve game as well.
Sky had it on live
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This is a fair and reasonable question.
The Christian Karembeu Jubilee match attracted 10,500 fans to Stade Numa Daly and was broadcast live by RFO in New Caledonia.
The match has also been distributed to the following television stations around the Oceania region and Europe:
Cook Islands - Cook Islands Television
Fiji - Fiji TV/Sky Pacific
France - Canal Plus
New Caledonia - RFO
Solomon Islands - One News Television
Tahiti - TNTV
Vanuatu - VBTC
The match is also available to American Samoa, Samoa, Tonga and New Zealand.
The match was offered to all regional broadcasters for free.
New Zealand's Sky television decided not to accept the broadcast because RFO could not supply an English commentator. Sky Television can dub its own English commentary on the international feed supplied to me by RFO and Jean-Phillipe Lemee.
The cost to all broadcasters is nothing.
Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) worked closely with Federation Caledonienne de Football (FCF) and Christian Karembeu to ensure that Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu each had a representative in the team.
They were:
Fiji - Esala Masi (withdrew due to family bereavement)
New Zealand - Vaughan Coveny/Keryn Jordan/Fred de Jong
Papua New Guinea - John Panu
Solomon Islands - Gideon Omokirio
Vanuatu - Moise Poida
The following countries were represented by an Oceania media contingent including:
Fiji - Adeline Beving/Fiji TV
FIFA Futbol Mundial TV - Sep Cipriano
New Zealand - Riki Van Steeden Sky television; Terry Maddaford The NZ Herald
Papua New Guinea - Glenn Armstrong EMTV
Solomon Islands - One News Television ENG crew
Tahiti - TNTV Olivier Huc
Vanuatu - Harry Atisson Radio Vanuatu (who broadcast all events including FIFA Goal project Inauguration, Karembeu press conference, FIFA President/OFC President press conference back to Port Vila live); Aristide Meltecoin The Daily Post; VBTC Television Simo Jackson.
Promotion of this event in all countries with the exception of New Zealand was blanket.
Naming the players was a particularly difficult challenge as the number of candidates was high and FCF wanted to maintain a distinctly New Caledonian flavour.
Ergo it was not wise to name players such as Vaughan Coveny when there was a significant degree of uncertainty as to whether FCF could supply confirmation and sign off.
To name Vaughan publicly and then backtrack days later would have been damaging to OFC.
The inclusion of Madang and former PNG international John Panu drew front and back page news in both the Post-Courier and National newspapers. EMTV will broadcast the match in PNG delayed and run a promotion giving away OFC polo shirts.
One Television in Solomon Islands will broadcast the match and do the same with Karembeu Jubilee t-shirts. It is also noted that OFC Media and Communications in conjunction with Canal France will also provide a training programme to help refine techniques surrounding the broadcast and transmission of live football matches from Honiara to the Oceania region using the Solomon Islands vs. Papua New Guinea friendly international on July 7, 2008, as a test run, with the long term goal to broadcast OFC O-League matches from Lawson Tama Stadium.
Vanuatu VBTC now has possession of the DV-cam tape of the match and will broadcast the match to Port Vila and outer islands this weekend.
Each of the ENG crews and radio outlets attended all the events in Noumea including FIFA Goal Project Inauguration with FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter.
From a facilitators point of view it was very satisfying to see media from the region use the experience to create football stories by interfacing with the biggest names in the world game - to watch the journalist from Solomon Islands ask searching questions of Frank Lebeouf and the FIFA President and Christian Karembeu was all OFC and football fans of that country could hope to ask for.
In summary, the only country in the OFC where promotion of football is difficult is in New Zealand.This is hardly a new phenomenon and by no means a criticism.
However, we are working on this challenge and there have been some promising discussions with Sky Television and we look forward to seeing the fruits of Riki Van Steeden's labours in Noumea later in the year on Sky Television.
I am always available to answer queries from football fans around the Oceania region on football related questions where I possibly can.
My most searching question currently is how Ngaruawahia United lost 0-9 to Glenfield Rovers in the Chatham Cup while I was away.
Yours in football,
Gordon Glen Watson
OFC Head of Media and Communications
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My most searching question currently is how Ngaruawahia United lost 0-9 to Glenfield Rovers in the Chatham Cup while I was away.
Yeah, noticed that and thought of you. You must be more valuable to your side than Steve is to his
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Not really, I can't run anymore and the only support I can provide is some form of morale booster tub-thumping.
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