At the South Pacific Games in Papua New Guinea, the Federated States of Micronesia lost by world record margins of 38-0 and 46-0 to Fiji and Vanuatu.

The fact that a Micronesian national team was able to compete at all was the result of five years of hard work from dedicated, unpaid football lovers but the results showed the dire need for development funding in the region.

There are almost no trained coaches, scarce equipment and no indoor facilities in a nation with one of the wettest climates on earth. On a total of less than $20,000 Micronesia has gone from semi-regular kick-arounds to regular participation for hundreds on Chuuk, Yap and Pohnpei. Imagine what it could do with proper development assistance....

Micronesia has been attempting to secure membership to either the Asian Football Confederation or the Oceania Football Confederation for four years without success. It has always been insinuated that a missing requirement is taking part in international competition.

At the SPG they turned up to play despite being aware they would be out-matched. They turned up for the love of the game and so that future generations could enjoy opportunities they didn't have.

Micronesia is one of just six sovereign nations in the world not to be a member of any of FIFA's Confederations (not including Monaco, Vatican City and the UK). Not being able to access development funding is limiting the game's vast potential in a region of the world where obesity levels are sky high and there's a lack of sports opportunities for young people.

This is a crossroads for football in Micronesia. People can either give up, stung by the media humiliation, or they can push on and become stronger.

This is FIFA's chance to demonstrate how much good it can do. It worked in Guam, it worked in American Samoa. Now it's Micronesia's turn.