Eddy Kaspard
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| 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.
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
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
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
| 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 |  Cook Islands | 2–0 | 9–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 31 August 2023 | Stade Pater Te Hono Nui, Pirae, French Polynesia | Cook Islands | 2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 3 | 24 November 2023 | SIFF Academy Field, Honiara, Solomon Islands |  Northern Mariana Islands | 5–0 | 5–0 | 2023 Pacific Games |
| 4 | 15 November 2024 | Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, New Zealand |  Samoa | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
