The
New Caledonian Football Federation, although created in 1928, did not join
FIFA or the
OFC until 2004, becoming the 205th member of the former. Previously the New Caledonian selection, due to the attachment of local institutions to the
French Football Federation, could only line up during friendly matches or regional competitions, such as the Pacific Games, as well as the Oceania Football Cup, but only as a guest. The
Cagous distinguished themselves during these competitions, winning the Pacific Games on several occasions, and finishing in third place, during the first two editions of the
OFC Nations Cup. After failing to qualify for the
2004 OFC Nations Cup, the
New Caledonian Football Federation hired
Didier Chambaron as the team's new coach. During the
2007 South Pacific Games in Apia, the
Cagous were placed in group A and won over their great rival
Tahiti (1–0), this meeting was the first of the playoffs for the
2010 FIFA World Cup. They then won against
Tuvalu and the
Cook Islands (1–0) and (3–0). For their last group match, they drew against
Fiji (1–1). The New Caledonians finished second in their group, and then beat the
Solomon Islands (3–2), then in the final won the trophy against Fiji (1–0). The Pacific Games football tournament serving as the first qualifying round for the World Cup in South Africa, the team found themselves qualified for the second round, where
New Zealand blocked their way by taking first place. The
Cagous however finish second in front of
Fiji and
Vanuatu. In May 2011, the selection faced
Reunion twice in
Nouméa, matches counting for the preparation of the games of the islands of the Indian Ocean in the Seychelles of the Reunionese. The New Caledonians lost both matches. However, a few months later, during the
2011 Pacific Games, New Caledonia won in the final against the
Solomon Islands, with the score of (2–0), after a victory against Tahiti (3–1). In June 2012, on the occasion of the
OFC Nations Cup, the
Cagous succeeded in beating
New Zealand in the semi-finals, with a score of 2–0 (goals from
Bertrand Kai and
Georges Gope-Fenepej), but failed in the final against their Tahitian rivals (1–0). Nevertheless, the competition serving as a second qualifying round for the
2014 FIFA World Cup, New Caledonia found itself, along with Tahiti and the semi-finalists New Zealand and the Solomon Islands qualified for the next round. ==Rivalries==