New Caledonian football is mourning the passing of one of its greatest players, Marc-Kanyan Case.
He died earlier in January, aged 80.
Born in New Caledonia's Lifou island in 1942 he started his football career with Olympic of Noumea and played twice for New Caledonia.
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He moved to France and played with the Corsican club Gazelec Ajaccio.
Kanya, as he was generally known as, was a striker and winger who scored 101 goals in 292 senior club games.
He was named French amateur player of the year, which opened him the doors to the Mexican summer Olympics in 1968, where he scored twice in a crucial game.
The championship is a competition that was the highest tier of amateur football in France from 1935 to 1971.
He told the Football Federation of New Caledonia that Mexico was the greatest moment of his life as he played in front of 100,000 people.
"It was the greatest memory of my life. It was such a beautiful journey, we were proud, because to be in the Olympic Games at the Estadio Azteca in front of 100,000 people is something incredible."
Kanyan played in all four games. In their opening game against Guinea, France won 3-1 and followed it up with a 4-1 win over host nation Mexico in which Kanyan scored the first and fourth goals. France lost the final match, 2-1 to Colombia, but still topped the group.
The French team included another New Caledonian star, Charles Teamboueon, who also played in all four games, and scored three times.
France lost their quarter-final against Japan by 3-1 but Kanyan said he was proud to play at the Games and to represent France.
He recalls meeting great American athletes at the time such as 200 metres world record beater John Carlos who raised the famous black power fist on the podium alongside Tommie Smith, a photograph that has become a striking image for the decade and the fight for civil rights.
After the Olympics Kanyan turned professional in 1969 and reached the 1972 Coupe de France final playing for another Corsican side, Bastia, against Olympique Marseille which won 2-1.
After his retirement from football in 1977, Kanyan returned to New Caledonia where he became a sports educator and started a political career.