Final preparations: Northern Mariana Islands listen to head coach Michiteru Mita. Photo: AFC/Mark Avellino
With a population of about 50,000 Northern Mariana Islands are far from a soccer powerhouse - but that will not stop them competing.
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Travelling from their picturesque home in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the Islands will be looking to put their best foot forward in Shepparton this week.
Speaking ahead of the AFC Under-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers, head coach Michiteru Mita admitted most people would not know where the nation was.
“We are a very small island,” Mita said.
“It’s a great honour to be here and play against giants in Australia, China and Cambodia.”
With a population smaller than Greater Shepparton and a relatively new football association, Mita said attending the tournament was about continuing to develop the nation’s football talent.
Coaching duties: Northern Mariana Islands head coach Michiteru Mita addresses his team. Photo: AFC/Mark Avellino
“We are a very small football population, so also the training pool is very small for the national team,” he said.
“Eight players from this squad joined the AFC U-20 Qualifier in Jordan, so they got some experience there and I think this is a good advantage.
“It’s difficult to compete with those strong countries, but we want to use this experience for future development.”
Aiming to compete in every game, Northern Mariana Islands have a goal of scoring in each match.
While not the favourites for the group, the Islands could prove to be a tricky task for their opponents and teams will need to make sure they are at their best against a relatively unknown opponent.
Northern Mariana Islands will face Australia in their opening game on Wednesday night, before taking on China on Friday afternoon and Cambodia on Sunday afternoon.
