Eddy Kaspard
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Eddy Helfara Aru Kaspard[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 27 May 2001[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Papeete, Tahiti | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 14 August 2025 (aged 24) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Pāʻea, Tahiti | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2011 | A.S. Manu-Ura | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2016 | A.S. Tefana | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2020 | Trélissac | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2022 | Trélissac | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Pouzauges Bocage | 11 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | A.S. Tefana | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | A.S. Vénus | (37) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Tahiti U17 | 3 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Tahiti U20 | 6 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2025 | Tahiti | 15 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Eddy Helfara Aru Kaspard (27 May 2001 – 14 August 2025) was a Tahitian professional footballer who last played as a forward for Tahiti Ligue 1 club A.S. Vénus and the Tahiti national team.
Club career
[edit]As a youth Kaspard began playing with A.S. Manu-Ura from age five to ten. He then moved to A.S. Tefana where he remained until 2015. That year he participated in a trial in Metropolitan France organized by Tefana. After being spotted by Ligue 1 club Saint-Étienne in a tournament, he was invited to return when he turned sixteen.[2] However, the return trial was unsuccessful and he then had a test period with Auxerre. After not being offered a spot in the club, he had a successful trial with Trélissac of the Championnat National 2 in 2017.[3][4][5][6] That year he reportedly also drew interest from Monaco.[7] In the 2021–22 Coupe de France Kaspard appeared for Trélissac in the club's Seventh Round victory over A.S. Vénus, Tahiti's representative in the tournament that season.[8]
In December 2022, Kaspard moved to Pouzauges Bocage FC of the Championnat National 3.[9]
At the time of his death, he was playing for A.S. Vénus.[10]
International career
[edit]As a youth Kaspard represented Tahiti at the under-17 and under-20 levels. He captained the Tahiti team at the 2017 OFC U-17 Championship[7] and scored against Papua New Guinea in the final match of the Group Stage.[11][12] After turning down an offer to play for France at the under-19 level, Kaspard scored three goals in the 2018 OFC U-19 Championship. He scored against New Zealand[13] and Papua New Guinea[14] in the Group Stage before adding a goal against the Solomon Islands in the Semi-finals.[15] Kaspard's three goals put him tied for third place in the tournament's Golden Boot race.[16] Tahiti ultimately finished as runners-up in the tournament and qualified for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland.[17][7] Kaspard was then named to Tahiti's final roster for the tournament[18] and appeared in all three of the nation's Group Stage matches.[19] Ahead of the tournament he was identified as Tahiti's Player to Watch by Goal.[20]
In February 2022, Kaspard was named to Tahiti's roster for a training camp in France and 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification. He was one of four foreign-based players in the squad.[8][21]
Personal life and death
[edit]Kaspard's father, Abet Kaspard Tahi, is a former footballer from Pentecost Island, Vanuatu and a former member of the New Hebrides national team. His mother is from Tahiti where the younger Kaspard was born and raised.[7]
On 14 August 2025, Kaspard died following a road collision in Pāʻea. He was 24.[10][22][23]
Career statistics
[edit]| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tahiti | 2022 | 2 | 0 |
| 2023 | 6 | 3 | |
| 2024 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 15 | 4 | |
- Scores and results list Tahiti's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kaspard goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 August 2023 | Stade Pater Te Hono Nui, Pirae, French Polynesia | 2–0 | 9–1 | Friendly | |
| 2 | 31 August 2023 | Stade Pater Te Hono Nui, Pirae, French Polynesia | 2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly | |
| 3 | 24 November 2023 | SIFF Academy Field, Honiara, Solomon Islands | 5–0 | 5–0 | 2023 Pacific Games | |
| 4 | 15 November 2024 | Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, New Zealand | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours
[edit]Tahiti
- OFC Nations Cup: 3rd place, 2024[25]
Tahiti U20
- OFC U-20 Championship: Runner-up, 2018[26][27]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "FIFA U-20 World Cup Poland 2019: List of Players: Tahiti" (PDF). FIFA. 13 June 2019. p. 21. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 February 2020.
- ↑ "Deux joueurs du club en stage à l'AS Saint-Etienne" (in French). AS Tefana. 29 April 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ↑ "Football – Coupe du monde U19 : Focus sur Eddy Kaspard" (in French). Tahitian Football Federation. 31 July 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ↑ "Caroline Tang reçoit Teva Ferrari et Eddy Kaspard" (in French). Delegation de la Polynesie Francais a Paris. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ↑ "Deux Tahitiens en formation dans un club de Ligue 1" (in French). tntv.pf. 29 April 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ↑ Obrize, Orianne. "Football - Quatre jeunes de Tefana sélectionnés" (in French). actua.fr. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- 1 2 3 4 Abel, Jason (24 August 2018). "Vanuatu Native in Tahiti's U-20 World Cup Team". Vanuatu Daily Post. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- 1 2 "Tahiti confirm 23-strong group for Oceania Qualifiers in Qatar". Oceania Football Confederation. 20 February 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ↑ "Football. National 3 : deux mois de frustration pour Pouzauges" (in French). ouest-france.fr. 10 December 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
- 1 2 "The Oceania Football Confederation is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Eddy Kaspard, a talented AS Vénus player, 2024/25 Ligue 1 top scorer, and proud Tahiti international". Oceania Football Confederation, Tahitian Football Federation. 15 August 2025.
- ↑ Taule, Troy. "PNG Beats Hosts Tahiti at OFC U-17 Championship Meet". Loop PNG. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ↑ "Papua New Guinea 2 Tahiti 1". Oceania Football Confederation. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ↑ "New Zealand 2 Tahiti 1". Oceania Football Confederation. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ↑ "Tahiti 6 Papupa New Guinea 0". Oceania Football Confederation. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ↑ "Suri apologies to nation". The Island Sun. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ↑ "NZ CLAIM TITLE IN TAHITI". Fiji One.tv. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ↑ Jakanduo, Leo. "NZ and Tahiti book World Cup berths". Papua New Guinea Football Association. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ↑ "Football : deux joueurs du Trélissac FC sous les couleurs de Tahiti" (in French). Sud Ouest. 28 May 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ↑ "GSA profile". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ↑ "Under-20 World Cup: Squads, favourites and players to watch in Poland". goal.com. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ↑ Romena, Romeka. "Tahiti Names Final Squad for Qualifiers". Fiji Live. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ↑ Diagne, Mamadou (15 August 2025). "Drame dans le football polynésien : un jeune talent fauché à 24 ans" [Pacific football drama: a young talent knocked down at 24]. Sunugal En Clair (in French).
- ↑ "Tahiti international Eddy Kaspard passes away". FIFA. 15 August 2025.
- ↑ "NFT profile". National Football Teams. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ↑ "Coupe des Nations 2024 de l'OFC : Découvrez la liste officielle des joueurs sélectionnés!" (in French). 6 June 2024. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
- ↑ RNZ (20 August 2018). "Sport: NZ defend OFC U19 title !". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
- ↑ Fédération Tahitienne de Football (11 July 2018). "Football : Les Aito Taure'a sur les traces de la génération « Charbonnier »!" (in French). Retrieved 25 April 2026.
External links
[edit]- Eddy Kaspard at National-Football-Teams.com
- Eddy Kaspard at Global Sports Archive
- Eddy Kaspard at Soccerway
- Oceania Football Center profile
- 2001 births
- 2025 deaths
- Men's association football forwards
- French Polynesian men's footballers
- Tahiti men's international footballers
- Trélissac-Antonne Périgord FC players
- 2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup players
- 21st-century French sportsmen
- French people of Vanuatuan descent
- Road incident deaths in French Polynesia
- Tahitian sportsmen