Tahiti's ageing beach soccer stars are being backed to continue for another couple of years at least.
The Tiki Toa finished second at the World Cup in Portugal last week, beaten 5-3 by the host nation in the tournament decider.
It's the first time an Oceania team had contest a World Cup final, improving on their fourth-placed finish two years ago on home soil.
Oceania Football's Beach Soccer and Futsal Development Officer Paul Toohey says despite a number of Tahiti players pushing 40 he expects they will return for the next World Cup in the Bahamas in 2017.
"If we look around the beach soccer scene in Europe, some of the players are quite old - 38, 40 years old. There was a guy at the tournament in his mid 40s. It's one of those games where players can keep going for a bit longer so I think it will come down to the motivation of those senior players. Do they want to go for another one in two years in the Bahamas? My feeling is they will want to but for sure they will need to start looking to the next generation now and that's really a very important focus for Tahiti and indeed for Oceania Football is how do we foster that next generation of players".
Paul Toohey says when the current squad does call it a day there are young players in Tahiti who can step up to the national team.
Tahiti players at the Beach Soccer World Cup. Photo: Tahiti Football
