Bertrand Kaï

Bertrand Patrice Charles 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.

Bertrand Kaï
Personal information
Full name Bertrand Patrice Charles Kaï[1]
Date of birth (1983-06-06) 6 June 1983[1]
Place of birth Hienghène, New Caledonia[2]
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Hienghène Sport
Number 11
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2013 Hienghène Sport (33)
2013–2014 Magenta 12 (2)
2014–2015 Gaïtcha 14 (3)
2015– Hienghène Sport (18)
International career‡
2008– New Caledonia 43 (23)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19 December 2022
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23 March 2023

International career

Kaï made his debut for New Caledonia on 14 June 2008 in the 0–0 draw against Vanuatu.[3]

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.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6][7]

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.[8] 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.[9] 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.[10]

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.[11] 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.[12][13]

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."[14]

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.[15] Kaï was also included in the New Caledonian Football Federation's "Team of the Year".[16]

International goals
Scores and results list New Caledonia's goal tally first.[17]
NoDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.3 October 2008Stade Marville, Saint-Malo, France Mayotte2–23–22008 Coupe de l'Outre-Mer
2.30 August 2011Stade Rivière Salée, Nouméa, New Caledonia Guam1–09–02011 Pacific Games
3.2–0
4.3–0
5.4–0
6.9–0
7.3 September 2011 American Samoa1–08–0
8.2–0
9.3–0
10.6–0
11.5 September 2011 Solomon Islands1–11–2
12.1 June 2012Lawson Tama Stadium, Honiara, Solomon Islands Vanuatu1–05–22012 OFC Nations Cup
13.2–1
14.4–2
15.8 June 2012 New Zealand1–02–0
16.12 September 2012Stade Pater Te Hono Nui, Pirae, Tahiti Tahiti2–04–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
17.26 March 2016Port Vila Municipal Stadium, Port Vila, Vanuatu Vanuatu1–01–2Friendly
18.5 June 2016Sir John Guise Stadium, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea Tahiti1–01–12016 OFC Nations Cup
19.5 October 2016Lawson Tama Stadium, Honiara, Solomon Islands Solomon Islands1–03–0Friendly
20.3–0
21.8 October 20161–01–0
22.8 July 2019National Soccer Stadium, Apia American Samoa2–05–02019 Pacific Games
23.3–0

Honours

Hienghène Sport

AS Magenta

  • New Caledonia Super Ligue: 2014

New Caledonia

Individual

References
  1. "FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2019: List of Players: Hienghène Sport" (PDF). FIFA. 5 December 2019. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 December 2019.
  2. "Kaï: We must play without fear". Oceania Football Confederation. 25 February 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  3. Player Statistics: Bertrand Kaï FIFA.com. 14 June 2008. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  4. Guam 0–9 New Caledonia Archived 8 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine Oceania Football Confederation. 30 August 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  5. Match Report: Vanuatu 2–5 New Caledonia FIFA.com. 1 June 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  6. Match Report: Tahiti 4–3 New Caledonia FIFA.com. 3 June 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  7. Match Report: New Caledonia 9–0 Samoa FIFA.com. 5 June 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  8. New Zealand 0–2 New Caledonia Archived 22 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine FIFA.com. 8 June 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012
  9. Match Report: Tahiti 1–0 New Caledonia Archived 14 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine FIFA.com. 10 June 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  10. 2012 OFC Nations Cup Competition Summary Archived 27 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine Oceania Football Confederation. 10 June 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  11. Kai and Smith pick up OFC titles Archived 23 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine Oceania Football Confederation. 21 July 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  12. Oceanian Player of the Year RSSSF. 26 February 2009. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  13. Smith named Oceania's top female footballer Television New Zealand. 21 July 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  14. OFC title a huge honour for Kai Archived 30 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine Oceania Football Confederation. 30 July 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  15. New Caledonia's best inseparable Archived 2 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine Oceania Football Confederation. 29 December 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  16. Le verdict est tombé (in French) New Caledonian Football Federation. 22 December 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  17. "Kaï, Bertrand". National Football Teams. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  18. "Football : Bertrand Kaï, joueur de l'année". Deamin en Nouvelle-Calédonie (in French). 10 December 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  19. "Sensational strike seals epic OFC final". Oceania Football Confederation. 12 May 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
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