Naea Bennett

Last updated

Naea Bennett
Minister of Youth, Crime Prevention and Sports
In office
21 February 2022 –15 May 2023
Men's football
Representing Flag of French Polynesia.svg  Tahiti
OFC Nations Cup
Runner-up 1996 Oceania
Bronze medal icon.svg 2002 New Zealand
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21 October 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21 October 2024

Naea Tommy Irving Bennett [1] (born 8 July 1977) is a French Polynesian former footballer, politician, and former Cabinet Minister. He last played as a striker for AS Pirae and also represented the Tahiti national beach soccer team. He is son of Erroll Bennett, a former Tahitian footballer who was runner-up at 1973 and 1980 OFC Nations Cup. [2]

Contents

Football career

In 2002, Naea Bennett took part in 4 qualifying matches for the World Cup with the Tahiti team. While playing for AS Pirae, Bennett joined the Tahiti beach soccer team, and competed in both the 2011 and 2015 World Cups. In all he took part in 8 matches for as many wins as losses and 5 goals scored. In October 2013 he was appointed a knight of the Order of Tahiti Nui. [3] [4]

Bennett is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and refuses to play football on Sundays. [5] In 2015, he refused to play in the 2015 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup final due to his religious beliefs. [6]

In 2018 he was appointed interim head coach of the Tahiti national football team. [7] [8]

Political career

In February 2022 he was appointed to the cabinet of Édouard Fritch as Minister of Youth, Crime Prevention and Sports. [9] [10]

International goals

#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
14 June 2001 North Harbour Stadium, Albany Flag of Vanuatu.svg  Vanuatu 2-06–1 2002 FIFA World Cup Qualification
23-0
35-1
411 June 2001Flag of the Cook Islands.svg  Cook Islands 4-06–0
530 June 2003 National Stadium, Suva Flag of the Federated States of Micronesia.svg  Micronesia 8-017–0 2003 South Pacific Games
611-0
714-0
817-0
93 July 2003Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg  Papua New Guinea 1-03–0
103-0
117 July 2003 Churchill Park, Lautoka Flag of Tonga.svg  Tonga 3-04–0
124-0

Honours

Tahiti

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tahiti national football team</span> Mens football team representing French Polynesia

The Tahiti men's national football team represents French Polynesia and is controlled by the Fédération Tahitienne de Football. The team consists of a selection of players from French Polynesia, not just Tahiti, and has competed in the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) since 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cook Islands national football team</span>

The Cook Islands men's national football team is the men's football team that represents the Cook Islands in international competition since 1971. It is governed by the Cook Islands Football Association which is part of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and FIFA.

Association Sportive Pirae is a football club from Pirae in Tahiti. They are one of the most successful teams in Tahiti having won the Tahiti Division Fédérale eleven times. They are also the first French Polynesian team to have reached the final of the OFC Champions League, which they achieved in 2006. In 2022 they were selected by the OFC to participate in the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup, as the representatives of the OFC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marama Vahirua</span> Tahitian footballer (born 1980)

Marama Vahirua is a Tahitian former professional footballer who played as a striker. He spent most of his career in France before finishing his professional career in Greece with Panthrakikos F.C. In July 2018, he became president of Tahitian club A.S. Dragon. Between 2013 and 2014, he was the technical director of the Tahitian Football Federation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OFC Beach Soccer Nations Cup</span> Football tournament

The OFC Beach Soccer Nations Cup is the main championship for beach soccer in Oceania, contested between the senior men's national teams of the members of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC). It is the sport's version of the better known OFC Nations Cup in association football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Order of Tahiti Nui</span>

The Order of Tahiti Nui was established on 5 June 1996 by the Assembly of French Polynesia to reward distinguished merit and achievements in the service to French Polynesia.

The Tahiti national beach soccer team represents Tahiti or French Polynesia in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the FTF and the FFF, the governing body for football in Tahiti. In contrast to the fortunes of the association football team, Tahiti's beach soccer has, since 2011, been one of the strongest teams in world beach soccer. The team made history at the 2013 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup by becoming the first Pacific nation to qualify for the knockout stages of an international FIFA tournament. At the 2015 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Tahiti beat Italy in a penalty shootout to become the first Pacific nation to ever make it to a final in a FIFA tournament. They followed this up with another appearance in the 2017 final.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angelo Tchen</span> Tahitian footballer (born 1982)

Vetea Angelo Tchen is a Tahitian footballer who plays as a defender. He currently plays for Tefana in the Tahiti Division Fédérale and the Tahiti national football team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teva Zaveroni</span> Tahitian footballer

Daniel Teva Zaveroni in Tahiti is a footballer who plays as a midfielder. He previously played for AS Taravao and AS Pirae. He currently plays for AS Pirae in the Tahiti Division Fédérale and the Tahiti national football team.

Raimoana Stephen Patrick Bennett is a footballer who plays as a forward. He previously played for AS Pirae. He currently plays for AS Dragon in the Tahiti Division Fédérale and the Tahiti national football team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raimana Li Fung Kuee</span> Tahitian footballer (born 1985)

Raimana John Li Fung Kuee is a Tahitian footballer and beach soccer player currently playing for A.S. Pirae, where he plays as a striker.

The Tahiti national under-20 football team is the national U-20 team of Tahiti and is controlled by the Tahitian Football Federation.

The 2019 OFC Beach Soccer Nations Cup was the sixth edition of the OFC Beach Soccer Nations Cup, the premier beach soccer tournament contested by Oceanian men's national teams, organised by the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC). The competition returns after a six-year absence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Torohia</span> Tahiti association football player (born 1985)

Jonathan Torohia is a Tahitian footballer and beach soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Manu-Ura and the Tahiti national beach soccer team.

The 2022 OFC U-19 Championship was the 23rd edition of the OFC U-19/U-20 Championship, the biennial international youth football championship organised by the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) for the men's under-19/under-20 national teams of Oceania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heimanu Taiarui</span> Tahitian beach soccer player (born 1986)

Heimanu Philippe Taiarui is a beach soccer and association football player from French Polynesia who plays as a defender. He has appeared at six editions of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup representing the Tahitian national team, finishing as a runner-up twice ; at the former, he won the Golden Ball award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Council of Ministers (French Polynesia)</span>

The Council of Ministers is the executive branch of the government of French Polynesia. It is headed and appointed by the President of French Polynesia.

Virginie Bruant is a French Polynesian politician and former Cabinet Minister. She is a member of the Tapura Huiraatira.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angelo Schirinzi</span> Swiss beach soccer player and coach (born 1972)

Angelo Schirinzi is a beach soccer player and coach. He is Coach of Switzerland national beach soccer team, and the former Tahiti national beach soccer team Coach 2012-2015. He is the main developer of beach soccer in Switzerland.

Ariitu Reynald Temarii is a former French Polynesian footballer, sports administrator, politician, and Cabinet Minister who served in the cabinet of Gaston Flosse. From 2004 to 2010 he was president of the Oceania Football Confederation, and from 2007 to 2010 a vice-president of FIFA. He is the father of politician Nahema Temarii.

References

  1. ↑ "FTF – TIKI TOA : la liste des joueurs révélée sur FIFA.com". Fédération Tahitienne de Football.
  2. ↑ "Football – Focus : La légende Errol Bennett" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 29 October 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  3. ↑ "LISTE DES TITULAIRES". 21 July 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  4. ↑ "L'Ordre de Tahiti Nui pour les Tiki Toa" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 4 October 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  5. ↑ Janet Thomas (September 2014). "In His Father's Steps". churchofjesuschrist.org.
  6. ↑ "Tiki Toa: la polémique qui gâche la fête" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 21 July 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  7. ↑ "Naea Bennet becomes Tahiti's eleven-a-side National coach". 17 March 2018.
  8. ↑ "Football - Tahiti vs Calédonie : Naea Bennett devient coach de la sélection" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  9. ↑ "La composition du nouveau gouvernement Fritch" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 21 February 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  10. ↑ "Virginie Bruant et Naea Bennett entrent au gouvernement" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 21 February 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  11. ↑ "Oceania Nations Cup 1996" . Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  12. ↑ "Oceania Nations Cup 2002" . Retrieved 31 October 2024.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.