The Marshall Islands is taking significant steps to enter the increasingly globalized domain of international football. It’s the last country on Earth without a national football team – not for long! Five years ago, the country set out on a journey to develop the world’s best football squad. In December 2022, they took an important step towards compliance, recruiting Oxford-based coach Lloyd Owers as their technical director.
Their ambitious agenda includes full confederation membership and ambition to compete at the World Games in Chile in 2027. Home to fewer than three million people, the island nation is understandably keen to join their much bigger global football family. It has officially applied for membership along all three possible tracks.
Today, youth participation in the Marshall Islands has increased dramatically. Today, nearly 200 school children—33 of them girls—are in the thick of it, playing football. The players on the all-Marshallese squad are all Marshallese descendants who were raised in the U.S. It stars native Marshallese American players such as Maddy McKinnon. Two other players of Marshallese heritage, who currently live in Germany, have been recognized.
The ongoing relationship with the Special Olympics Marshall Islands demonstrates the country’s commitment to making sports more inclusive and community-oriented. As part of its development plan, the Marshall Islands will play its first-ever 11 vs 11 international matches during the 2025 Outrigger Challenge Cup, scheduled to take place at the Jarrell Williams Bulldog Stadium in Springdale, Arkansas. This event is especially meaningful considering that Springdale has a large population, about 15,000 residents of Marshallese descent.
Matt Owers will be the head coach of the team when it takes the field. He noted that the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) provided guidelines for prospective members, which helped shape their strategic document for applying for full confederation membership.
“OFC put out a guideline of what prospective members needed to do to apply and we created our strategy document to align with it,” – Lloyd Owers
Owers highlighted their dedication with the achievement of meeting most of the standards for complete membership. They aren’t stopping with affiliate status. He repeated that this robust place gave them a head start in their path to become officially recognized.
“We realised we were actually meeting so much of the criteria for full membership, not just affiliate membership, so we felt like we were in a real strong position.” – Lloyd Owers
Despite their efforts, Owers expressed frustration over the lack of communication from OFC regarding their application. They only learned this through an intrepid reporter in New Zealand. This indicates that while they are still seen as the leading candidate, there are concerns about the funding impacts for the confederation.
“Unfortunately, OFC has not responded to our application other than via a journalist in New Zealand. Almost with a message of ‘Yes, you’re in a strong position, but it’s an extra nation we have to give our funding to’, which isn’t great for us.” – Lloyd Owers
As the nation looks ahead to its first-ever home World Cup matches, Owers said developing a long-term football culture is essential. Now after their first-ever international game, he knows it’s important to continue that momentum. Parker does not want the competitors to have a long gap before their next events.
“At the moment, the focus is on building from the ground up,” – Lloyd Owers
He elaborated on his wish for continuity after their big debut matchup.
“We don’t want this 11 vs 11 game to happen and then we don’t play again for two years. We want this to be the start.” – Lloyd Owers
Owers’ accounts of his multi-island visits were exhilarating and passionate. Vincent’s understanding of the culture and community of those communities deeply influenced his work. What started as the unknown has now grown into a home.
“The first time I went, I didn’t really know what to expect. It’s the most remote place I’ve ever been to. But now there’s a sense of home to it.” – Lloyd Owers
The road in front of the Marshall Islands football team is difficult, but full of hope. With passionate people like Owers at the forefront, there’s a promising future ahead. There’s a large and competitive field of players that want to come and play for their country. The crew’s engagement in future occasions symbolizes their debuting into international competition. In addition to this resistance, it celebrates Marshallese identity and community spirit.
Leave a Reply