New Caledonia have qualified for their first FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup
Captain Kamene Simane previously played for FC Nantes and has already represented the senior national team
The Pacific island nation will face China PR, Spain and Nigeria in Group F
When New Caledonia begin their campaign in Sosnowiec on 7 September, they will undoubtedly be one of the tournament’s most intriguing stories. Small both in size and population, the Pacific territory of around 300,000 inhabitants will take on some of the giants of women’s football. pits them against China PR, Nigeria and Spain – three nations with extensive experience at FIFA youth tournaments.
Yet despite their modesty, New Caledonia achieved a historic breakthrough by reaching the final of the 2025 OFC Women’s U-19 Championship, securing qualification for their first-ever FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup before eventually losing the final to New Zealand. However, on the global stage, Les Filles Cagous will arrive as newcomers. But they hope to turn that unfamiliarity into a strength.
Mainly developed through local football academies, the young Caledonian players will travel to Europe determined to showcase their fighting spirit, unity and passion. Their qualification for the final tournament alone rewards the steady progress made by football across the archipelago.
Central defender Kamene Simane, who previously played for the reserve side of FC Nantes and has already featured for the senior national team, will captain the side in Poland with ambitions that stretch beyond football itself.
Kamene Simane : It was one of my first dreams, and it’s the dream of many people in New Caledonia. I dedicated my whole childhood to football and to the objective of one day joining the national team. I started very young at primary school and quickly joined a football academy in the Loyalty Islands. I also went to France to play football, but I came back to New Caledonia this year to take part in the U-20 World Cup.
It’s an honour because I never imagined one day wearing this armband. It gives me strength, but it is also a challenge for me. I approach it with great respect and humility because I know I have the entire team and all of New Caledonia behind me.
Here, it’s the same as in mainland France. In New Caledonia, we are born with a passion for football, especially among the younger generations. The level may be different, but everyone loves football. It is part of our culture and it teaches us values.
We are the first women’s team from New Caledonia to take part in this World Cup, and that alone is already a source of pride. We want to represent our values with dignity. Our three opponents – China PR, Spain and Nigeria – are major countries playing at the highest level. We are ready to take on the challenge. We want to fully enjoy this adventure and gain experience.
I would say our biggest strengths are team spirit, solidarity and the unity within the group. We all want to improve together and we play with a lot of determination. We learned certain values at the academy, and we want to show them in Poland. We will go in with great determination against the big teams we are going to face.
It would mean never giving up, playing all three matches to the maximum and showing our fighting spirit. We know our opponents play at a very high level. Spain are among the elite and perhaps even favourites. We will try to compete physically. That is one of the main areas we are working on.
This is a first for us, and it will be an opportunity for other countries to discover who we are. It is a chance to show all our values. We want to show that, even from our small corner of the Pacific, we exist too – and that we also belong at the World Cup.
The boys played at the U-20 World Cup in Chile, and the senior men’s national team reached the play-offs for the World Cup this summer. I can see enormous progress in the younger generation. There are now examples for us to follow, and we know it is possible.
Sources: FIFA Official
