Tonga is a kingdom in the South Pacific made up of 177 islands of which only 36 are inhabited by just over 106,000 people. With rugby being the most traditional sport, football has always taken a back seat -making it difficulty of revealing great talent in the sport. The scenario has been changing a bitContinue reading “Laveni Vaka: the greatest women’s football talent of the South Pacific”
Tag Archives: Tonga
Alex Chin: “I want to play for Tonga to improve the level of the game”
Like other countries in Oceania, Tonga has a totally amateur football league, which makes it very difficult for players to get exposure to play abroad. Even so, Tonga has relatively large communities in Australia and New Zealand, making it possible to find players with ancestry, such as AJ Inia, the first Tongan to play professionalContinue reading “Alex Chin: “I want to play for Tonga to improve the level of the game””
OFC U-17 Championship: The quarterfinals are set
The quarterfinals of the OFC U-17 Championship were decided this Wednesday – 18th January – after a draw by the Oceania Football Confederation. In the first leg of the quarterfinals New Caledonia will face Samoa in Suva on January 21st at 4pm local time; New Caledonia is the favourite to take the semifinal spot, butContinue reading “OFC U-17 Championship: The quarterfinals are set”
Tonga’s AJ Inia signs new professional contract in Thailand
AJ Inia is one of the few Tongan players playing outside Oceania, and one of the greatest prospects Tonga has ever had at its disposal. Cases like Laveni Vaka and her sister Daviana playing college soccer in the United States are very rare; as it is for Inia. Since leaving Thailand’s Trang FC, Inia hasContinue reading “Tonga’s AJ Inia signs new professional contract in Thailand”
All set for the start of the OFC U-17 Championship in Fiji
On Wednesday the 11th New Caledonia and New Zealand will kick off the OFC U-17 Championship. Nine teams (Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti, American Samoa, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands) begin the race for two spots in this year’s U-17 World Cup to be held in Peru. Solomon Islands and Papua NewContinue reading “All set for the start of the OFC U-17 Championship in Fiji”
Laveni Vaka: Tongan talent in the United States
Tonga is a small country in Oceania with approximately 108,000 inhabitants. The most popular sport in the country is rugby; its national team took part in several Rugby World Cups already. Unfortunately, football is in a different situation: although it has developed in the recent years, it is still not one of the most famousContinue reading “Laveni Vaka: Tongan talent in the United States”
OFC Champions League is Back!
After three years of inactivity, the largest club competition in the South Pacific is back. The OFC Champions League will begin in June with a new format with fewer matches and less travel because of flight restrictions imposed after the Covid-19 pandemic. The champions and runners-up of the major national leagues – except New ZealandContinue reading “OFC Champions League is Back!”
OFC Women’s Nations Cup groups decided
The OFC Women’s Nations Cup is Oceania’s most important tournament for women. Today – May 10th – the draw was made to determine the groups for the 2022 tournament that will give a chance for an Oceania team other than New Zealand to contest the intercontinental playoff for the first time. There will be 3Continue reading “OFC Women’s Nations Cup groups decided”
Tonga women’s national team loses again to Philippines in friendly match in Australia
The Tonga women’s national team is on a training camp tour in Australia in preparation for the OFC Women’s Nations Cup. During this period two friendly matches against the Philippines Women’s National Team took place. The first match was played on April 22nd with a painful 16-0 loss – the second match took place onContinue reading “Tonga women’s national team loses again to Philippines in friendly match in Australia”
OFC Women’s Nations Cup to be held in Fiji in July
The OFC Women’s Nations Cup is the most important tournament in the South Pacific for women- the tournament also serves as a qualifier for the World Cup. The 2022 edition has a different situation: New Zealand, which dominates the competition historicaly, will not participate in the tournament because it is one of the hosts ofContinue reading “OFC Women’s Nations Cup to be held in Fiji in July”
Oceania Football Center 