Tonga Football

The Baby Bula Boys have a win so far under their name while Tonga lost 6-0 to Samoa over the weekend.

A win will take Fiji through to the quarter-finals.

The match against Fiji and Tonga will kick off at 7pm (Fiji Time) in Suva.

The team will meeting hosts Fiji.

Tonga has yet to register a win after losing to Samoa 6-0 in their first game.

Fiji is expected to make some player rotations ahead of the match.

The two teams meet at 7pm (Fiji Time) in Suva.

Both Fiji and Samoa have three points in Pool A with a win each.

These were the words of Tonga under-17 national football coach Lui Muavesi as the side wrapped up preparations yesterday ahead of the OFC Under-17 Championship which begins today.

Muavesi, who is originally from Rakiraki, has been teaching the Tongan language in Tonga for 20 years now.

He played for Suva in the late 1980s and was also a gold medallist for Fiji in athletics. He competed in the 800 metres and 4×400 metres events.

The soft-spoken coach said preparation had been good for his team.

Fiji started out strong in the game after Vanisha Kumar scored a goal in the 22nd minute before captain Sofi Diyalowai extended their lead to 2-0.

Fiji continued to break through the Tongan defense line leading to Koleta Likuculacula’s 60th minute goal that brought the scoreline to 3-0.

Striker Cema Nasau added Fiji’s fourth 10 minutes later.

20 year old Filomena Racea drew the curtain in the 85th minute with Fiji’s fifth goal.

The teams are preparing for the OFC Women’s Nations Cup later this month.

The large volcanic eruption and tsunami which struck on January 15 has caused widespread damage across much of Tonga and impacted over 80 percent of the population. 

Many in Tonga have had their homes badly damaged or destroyed and issues with basic necessities such as safe drinking water are likely to exist for the foreseeable future.  

The workshop ran from September 13-17 and was conducted by FIFA Beach Soccer Referee Instructor and OFC Referee Development Officer Neil Poloso online via Zoom, with assistance from FIFA/OFC Referees Instructor and Tonga Football Association (TFA) Head of Refereeing Tevita Vea. 

OFC Head of Refereeing Kevin Stoltenkamp also offered support online throughout the course.  

The workshop was delivered in three parts, theoretical, practical and fitness, while they also reviewed the new amendments of the FIFA Beach Soccer Laws of the Game. 

Born and raised in Sydney, Rajani is born to a Tongan mother and Pakistani father.

He started his football career at a very young age with Apia Leichardt Tigers before a recent called up to represent Tonga at the OFC U-19 Championship Qualifier in the Cook Islands which saw them qualified for the OFC U-19 Championship in Tahiti.

The 20-year-old was fast-tracked into the Tongan national U-23 team an opportunity he grabs up with both hands.

“I’ve been played for the Tongan U19s last year and I’ve been selected to the U23s,” he said

Tahiti made a big statement in their opening match thumping Vanuatu 8-2 yesterday in a spectacular display of aerial passing, flicks and scissor kicks.

Speaking after yesterday's match the Tiki Toa coach Naea Bennett says they are wary of Tonga, having never played them before, and aim to be at their best for the match.

"We take this game tomorrow seriously so I will need the boys to concentrate 100 percent and to play the game like we are used to," Naea Bennett said.

They will face hosts Tahiti, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia, with the overall winner to qualify for a spot at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Paraguay 2019. Team Tahiti are the overwhelming favourites in the tournament with a resume that includes reaching two World Cup finals.

OFC Futsal and Beach Soccer Development Officer Paul Toohey said in a media statement that he was pleased with Tonga’s inclusion – their first time to compete in the tournament.

“I don’t notice how young I am when I’m on the field. When I’m on the field I tell myself I can be like anyone I come up against. We all have two hands and two feet, I can do everything the same as them,” she said.

“I might be little but I know I’m capable of so many things.”

Talasinga has played the full 90 minutes in all three of Tonga’s matches so far, and although the results haven’t fallen in her favour, Talasinga has enjoyed learning and developing with her teammates.