The governing body of football association in Oceania is the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC). The OFC is considered the smallest among the six continental confederations under FIFA for international association football. This organization consists of the countries from New Zealand, Tonga, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and other Pacific Island nations. They currently have 11 member associations and three associate members.
The OFC was created to promote football in Oceania, where the sport is not considered popular. They are responsible for the development of interest in the sport across the South Pacific. Also, by organizing an association football, it allows the member nations to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.
History of OFC
Founded in 1966, the Oceania Football Confederation was formed by four founding members, namely the Australian Soccer Federation, the Fiji Football Association, New Zealand Football, and the Papua New Guinea Football Association. Although initially there were talks in 1964 by then FIFA president Sir Stanley Rouse, Jim Bayutti, and Sid Guppy, it was not until two years later that OFC was formally organized.
Organizing OFC Competition
One of the major competitions under OFC is the OFC Champions League. Otherwise known as the O-League, this event is considered as the premier football competition for men’s clubs in Oceania. Organized in 1987, the first competition was a single playoff match played between the football champions of Australia and New Zealand. It was then organized by the Oceania Club Championship.
When the format for the championship was changed in 2007, the OFC started organizing the OFC Champions League. There had been a total of twelve OFC Champions League titles that have been won by its member nations. So far, the list of countries that had won the title is from New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and New Caledonia.
Governing Laws of OFC
The OFC provides basic laws as guidelines for the association football of Oceania. These guidelines include competitions, transfers, and doping issues, among others. These laws are created by OFC as a concerted effort to ensure fair play and to fight racism or discrimination of any kind. The goal of the confederation is to promote friendly relations and healthy sportsmanship amongst players.