Tonga Football Association

The eruption on 15 January 2022 affected more than 80% of the population of Tonga, with an estimated 36,500 children impacted. It caused an estimated $90.4 million in damage with efforts continuing to clear damage, repair infrastructure and move people from temporary housing.

Among those activities was a collaboration between the Ministry of Education and the Just Play Programme which saw the Tonga Just Play team engaging with schools across the entirety of the Kingdom to deliver festivals to Classes 1 to 4.

Tonga Just Play Programme Manager, Palu Uhatahi Tuamoheloa, said over the past few months her team have been delivering daily festivals to 77 primary schools across four different islands.

He’s seen a lot during his lengthy stint in the game and has been the Technical Director for the Tonga Football Association since 2005.

His international playing career began more than 20 years ago and he was part of the silver-medal-winning Tongan squad at the 1994 Polynesia Cup.

His last appearance for the national team was in 2017 and he is their most capped player.

Uele is acknowledged as one of the oldest goal-scorers in international football after netting as a 43-year-old against New Caledonia in 2017; his only other international strike came in 2003.

The FIFA Connect ID Service assigns a globally valid unique identifier (the FIFA Connect ID) to players, referees, coaches, and officials above the age of 10 registered by FIFA’s Member Associations.

It provides a digital footprint or 360-degree view on the life cycle of a person within football as well as statistical insights into football participation in general.

With no new candidates to challenge the President, the General Meeting members have unanimously accepted the proposed roadmap giving the President another four-year mandate to run Tonga Football.

Tonga FA was founded in 1965 and became a full member of FIFA in 1994, in the first year of his tenure.

Ve’ehala, who is the longest serving president in the association’s history, was delighted with the outcome.

“We’ve had a very friendly and positive meeting and we are all on the same page to advance the game here.