GIBRALTAR -- Germain Haewegene has a mischievous, excitable grin. The New Caledonia forward has just scored the second goal in his country's 2-0 friendly win against Gibraltar, though he knows he has a long night ahead of him. A bus will collect him and his domestic teammates at 2.30 a.m. to begin a 30-hour, 12,000-mile journey home -- just 72 hours after making it in the opposite direction to play their Oct. 8 friendly.
Haewegene is standing outside the visitors' locker room in Gibraltar's Europa Point Stadium, holding an apple in his hand -- no protein shakes or rehydration gels for this group of players -- but he wants to talk about his goal, the pride of playing for the South Pacific nation and why even a grueling trip back to the French-controlled archipelago is absolutely nothing to