Bertrand Kaï

Bertrand Kaï
Personal information
Full name Bertrand Kaï
Date of birth (1983-06-06) 6 June 1983
Place of birth New Caledonia
Club information
Current team
 Hienghène Sport
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2007– Hienghène Sport
National team
2008– New Caledonia 19 (18)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 24 August 2012.

† Appearances (goals)

Bertrand Kaï (born 6 June 1983) is a New Caledonian international footballer who plays as a forward for Hienghène Sport and the New Caledonia national team. He is one of only two New Caledonians to be named Oceania Footballer of the Year.

International career

Kaï has made nineteen appearances for the national team, scoring fifteen times. He made his debut for New Caledonia on 14 June 2008 in the 0-0 draw against Vanuatu.[1] Bertrand failed to score in four appearances for New Caledonia before the 2011 Pacific Games.

Kaï was called up to New Caledonia's squad for the 2011 Pacific Games. He was the tournament's top scorer with ten goals. Half of Kaï's goal tally for the tournament came in one match, the 9-0 win over Guam on 30 August 2011.[2] He scored all ten of his goals in the group stage before also featuring in the semi-final win over Tahiti and the 2-0 victory over the Solomon Islands in the final.

On 1 June 2012, Kaï scored a hat-trick in New Caledonia's opening game at the 2012 OFC Nations Cup, a 5-2 victory over Vanuatu.[3] He featured in both of New Caledonia's other group stage fixtures but was used sparingly in each game, being substituted at half-time in the 4-3 defeat to Tahiti on 3 June and being introduced from the bench in the second half against Samoa in a 9-0 win on 5 June.[4][5]

On 8 June, he scored New Caledonia's first goal in a 2-0 win over New Zealand in the semi-final, helping his country to the second Nations Cup final in their history.[6] Kaï played the entirety of the final against Tahiti on 10 June but was unable to prevent a 1-0 loss as New Caledonia finished as runners-up.[7] With four goals, Kaï was the tournament's joint-third top-scorer, tied with Benjamin Totori of the Solomon Islands and Tahiti's Jonathan and Alvin Tehau.[8]

Following his showing at the 2011 Pacific Games and the 2012 OFC Nations Cup, in July 2012 the Oceania Football Confederation announced that Kaï had won the men's Oceania Footballer of the Year award, beating fellow nine fellow nominees including New Zealand's Shane Smeltz and Chris Wood, and Jean Kaltack of Vanuatu.[9] Kaï became only the second footballer from New Caledonia to win the award, following Christian Karembeu's titles in 1995 and 1998, and the first player from the Pacific Islands to be named Oceania's best player since 2005.[10][11]

Speaking shortly after winning the award, Kaï admitted he was surprised to have beaten off such fierce competition to win the title, saying "To be honest, I couldn't believe [I had won] - it was a real surprise when it was announced. It was only afterwards that I realised what [an] honour it is to have been elected ahead of professional footballers from New Zealand, and I am very proud to have followed in the footsteps of Christian Karembeu...this trophy is also good for New Caledonia football because it shows we have talented players. I would like to thank the football family in my country because without them I could not have reached this level."[12]

In December 2012, Kaï was named New Caledonia's joint Player of the Year along with Patrick Wajoka in the inaugural Football Oscars; both attained 22.38% of the vote in national newspaper Les Nouvelles Calédoniennes.[13] Kaï was also included in the New Caledonian Football Federation's "Team of the Year".[14]

International goals and appearances

# Date Venue Opponent Result Competition Goals
1 14 June 2008 Korman Stadium, Port Vila  Vanuatu D 0-0 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC)
2 21 June 2008 Stade Numa-Daly Magenta, Nouméa  Vanuatu W 3-0 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC)
3 6 September 2008 Stade Numa-Daly Magenta, Nouméa  New Zealand L 3-1 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC)
4 4 April 2011 Stade Pater Te Hono Nui, Papeete  Tahiti W 3-1 Friendly
5 7 April 2011 Stade Pater Te Hono Nui, Papeete  Tahiti L 1-0 Friendly
6 30 August 2011 Stade Rivière Salée, Nouméa  Guam W 9-0 2011 Pacific Games 5 [15]
7 3 September 2011 Stade Rivière Salée, Nouméa  American Samoa W 8-0 2011 Pacific Games 4 [16]
8 5 September 2011 Stade Rivière Salée, Nouméa  Solomon Islands L 2-1 2011 Pacific Games 1 [17]
9 7 September 2011 Stade Yoshida, Koné  Tahiti W 3-1 2011 Pacific Games
10 9 September 2011 Stade Numa-Daly Magenta, Nouméa  Solomon Islands W 2-0 2011 Pacific Games
11 1 June 2012 Lawson Tama Stadium, Honiara  Solomon Islands W 5-2 2012 OFC Nations Cup
12 11 September 2012 Stade Pater Te Hono Nui, Pirae  Tahiti W 4-0 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier

References

  1. ↑ Player Statistics: Bertrand Kaï FIFA.com. 14 June 2008. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  2. ↑ Guam 0-9 New Caledonia Oceania Football Confederation. 30 August 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  3. ↑ Match Report: Vanuatu 2-5 New Caledonia FIFA.com. 1 June 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  4. ↑ Match Report: Tahiti 4-3 New Caledonia FIFA.com. 3 June 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  5. ↑ Match Report: New Caledonia 9-0 Samoa FIFA.com. 5 June 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  6. ↑ New Zealand 0-2 New Caledonia FIFA.com. 8 June 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012
  7. ↑ Match Report: Tahiti 1-0 New Caledonia FIFA.com. 10 June 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  8. ↑ 2012 OFC Nations Cup Competition Summary Oceania Football Confederation. 10 June 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  9. ↑ Kai and Smith pick up OFC titles Oceania Football Confederation. 21 July 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  10. ↑ Oceanian Player of the Year RSSSF. 26 February 2009. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  11. ↑ Smith named Oceania's top female footballer Television New Zealand. 21 July 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  12. ↑ OFC title a huge honour for Kai Oceania Football Confederation. 30 July 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  13. ↑ New Caledonia's best inseparable Oceania Football Confederation. 29 December 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  14. ↑ Le verdict est tombé (French) New Caledonian Football Federation. 22 December 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  15. ↑ Guam 0-9 New Caledonia New Caledonian Football Federation. 30 August 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  16. ↑ New Caledonia 8-0 American Samoa New Caledonian Football Federation. 3 September 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  17. ↑ Pacific Games 2011 - New Caledonia FutbolPlanet.de. 9 September 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2012.

External links

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