Tuvalu National Football Association
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The Tuvalu Islands Football Association is the governing body of
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
in
Tuvalu Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-northeast ...
. The association is responsible for the
Tuvalu national football team The Tuvalu national football team is the international football team of Tuvalu. Football in Tuvalu is played at the club and international level. The Tuvalu national team draws players from the Tuvalu A-Division and trains at the Tuvalu Sports ...
and the
Tuvalu national futsal team The Tuvalu national futsal team is the representative team for Tuvalu in international futsal competitions. It is controlled by the Tuvalu Islands Football Association. They have never won a game. Tuvalu participates in Oceanian Futsal Champion ...
.
Football in Tuvalu Association football is the most popular sport in Tuvalu. Football in Tuvalu is governed by the Tuvalu National Football Association (TNFA). The TNFA became an associate member association of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) on 15 Novem ...
is played at club and national team level. The association is a member of the
Oceania Football Confederation The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) is one of the six continental confederations of international association football. The OFC has 13 members, 11 of which are full members and two which are associate members not affiliated with FIFA. It ...
(OFC) but not affiliated to
FIFA FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
. The association has been wanting to be a member of FIFA since 1987. However the lack of football facilities in Tuvalu is a major obstacle membership of FIFA. Tuvalu does not have a stadium, or training grounds or hotels for visiting teams and supporters. History was made in 2007 when Tuvalu became the first non FIFA member to participate in an official World Cup qualifying match. The situation arose when the regional governing body used the
2007 South Pacific Games The 2007 South Pacific Games were held in Apia, Samoa, from 25 August to 8 September 2007. The Games were the thirteenth to be held since the inception of the South Pacific Games in 1963, and included traditional multi-sport event disciplines, su ...
, as the first stage of the qualification tournament for the
2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
and qualification tournament for the
2008 OFC Nations Cup The 2008 OFC Nations Cup was the eighth edition of the OFC Nations Cup and the first under a new format. It took place as a series of as a home-and-away round-robin tournament on FIFA match dates in 2007 and 2008. Doubling as the qualification to ...
. Tuvalu performed with great credit, earning a remarkable 1–1 draw with Tahiti in which Viliamu Sekifu became as the first World cup scorer for his country. The other three fixtures in the tournament ended in defeat and Tuvalu failed to progress from their five team group. The TNFA has been wanting to be a member of FIFA since 1987. In September 2008, Tuvaluan Prime Minister
Apisai Ielemia Apisai Ielemia (19 August 1955 – 19 November 2018) was a Tuvaluan politician. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 2006 to 2010, and was returned as a member of parliament in the 2010 Tuvaluan general election. He was re-electe ...
and the President of the Tuvalu Football Association, Tapugao Falefou, visited the headquarters of FIFA in Zurich, hoping to gain full membership in the organisation. 22 September 2008 The Dutch Support Tuvalu Foundation is working with the TNFA to advance Tuvalu's FIFA application and with the development of football in Tuvalu. The Tuvalu team and the activities of the Dutch Support Tuvalu Foundation are the focus of ''Mission Tuvalu'' (Missie Tuvalu) (2013), a feature documentary directed by Jeroen van den Kroonenberg on Tuvalu's journey to becoming a FIFA member.


History

On 28 August 1979 the
Tuvalu national football team The Tuvalu national football team is the international football team of Tuvalu. Football in Tuvalu is played at the club and international level. The Tuvalu national team draws players from the Tuvalu A-Division and trains at the Tuvalu Sports ...
, captained by Karl Tili, played the first official soccer game against
Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austr ...
in the
Pacific Games The Pacific Games (French: Jeux du Pacifique), is a continental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from Oceania. The inaugural Games took place in 1963 in Suva, Fiji, and most recently in 2019 in Apia, Samoa. The Games were ...
at Suva,
Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
. Tuvalu loses 18–0. Later in the tournament on 31 August Tuvalu wins for the first time against
Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...
with the final score of 5–3. On 1 May 2003 Tuvalu plays a friendly game against
Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
with a 9–0 loss. Tuvalu also participated in four games at the
2003 South Pacific Games The 2003 South Pacific Games were held in Suva, Fiji from 28 June to 12 July 2003. They are also known as the XII South Pacific Games. The Games were the 12th ''South Pacific Games'' to be held since the event's inception and were the 40th annive ...
again held in
Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
, with
Tim Jerks Tim Jerks is an Australian football coach. Jerks was active as coaching development manager at the New South Wales Institute of Sport, before he was appointed in May 2003 as the coach of the Tuvalu national football team. The 3–2 win against ...
as the coach. After defeating
Kiribati Kiribati (), officially the Republic of Kiribati ( gil, ibaberikiKiribati),Kiribati
''The Wor ...
3–2 in their opening game, Tuvalu again played Fiji, in this game Fiji won 4–0. In the game against
Vanuatu Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...
, Tuvalu was defeated 1–0. In the final game of the tournament against
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...
, Tuvalu was defeated 4–0. Tuvalu finished fourth out of five in
Pool A Pool may refer to: Water pool * Swimming pool, usually an artificial structure containing a large body of water intended for swimming * Reflecting pool, a shallow pool designed to reflect a structure and its surroundings * Tide pool, a rocky pool ...
. The TNFA became an associate member association of the
Oceania Football Confederation The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) is one of the six continental confederations of international association football. The OFC has 13 members, 11 of which are full members and two which are associate members not affiliated with FIFA. It ...
(OFC) on 15 November 2006. Tuvalu participated in the
2007 Pacific Games The 2007 South Pacific Games were held in Apia, Samoa, from 25 August to 8 September 2007. The Games were the thirteenth to be held since the inception of the South Pacific Games in 1963, and included traditional multi-sport event disciplines, su ...
held in
Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...
, with
Toakai Puapua Toakai Puapua is a Tuvaluan gymnastics and football coach and the former coach of the Tuvalu national football team. From 2014 to 2020, he has been the president of the Tuvalu National Football Association (TNFA). Career From 2006 up to 2008 ...
as the coach, and Petio Semaia as the captain. Tuvalu is the first country, that as a non-FIFA-member, has taken part in an official FIFA World Cup-qualification tournament. The situation arose when the regional governing body used the
2007 South Pacific Games The 2007 South Pacific Games were held in Apia, Samoa, from 25 August to 8 September 2007. The Games were the thirteenth to be held since the inception of the South Pacific Games in 1963, and included traditional multi-sport event disciplines, su ...
, as the first stage of the qualification tournament for the
2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
and qualification tournament for the
2008 OFC Nations Cup The 2008 OFC Nations Cup was the eighth edition of the OFC Nations Cup and the first under a new format. It took place as a series of as a home-and-away round-robin tournament on FIFA match dates in 2007 and 2008. Doubling as the qualification to ...
. In the competition
Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
defeated Tuvalu 16–0. However Tuvalu fought hard against
New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...
(who were joint leaders of the competition) and only lost 1–0. Tuvalu then drew 1–1 with
Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austr ...
, with a late equaliser from Viliamu Sekifu. However the
Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , lan ...
defeated Tuvalu 4–1. In recent years the TNFA have received support from the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. In 2011 the TNFA signed Dutch coach
Foppe de Haan Foppe Geert de Haan (, born 26 June 1943) is a Dutch football coach. He is known for his long association with Frisian club SC Heerenveen. De Haan was the manager of the Tuvalu national football team during 2011 and then rejoined Heerenveen's ...
as the coach on a part-time and volunteer basis. De Haan previously coached
SC Heerenveen Sportclub Heerenveen (; West Frisian: Sportklub It Hearrenfean) is a Dutch football club from Heerenveen. They currently play in the Eredivisie, the top level of football in the Netherlands. History Sportclub Heerenveen was founded on 20 July ...
,
Ajax Cape Town Cape Town Spurs F.C. (formerly known as Ajax Cape Town) is a South African professional football club based in Parow in the city of Cape Town that plays in the National First Division. Dutch Eredivisie club AFC Ajax was their parent club and m ...
and the Dutch national U-21 team. In the friendly match in the lead-up to the 2011 Pacific Games, with Tuvalu captained by Mau Penisula, De Haan started his tenure with a 3–0 victory over
Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...
, the second largest victory of Tuvalu. Alopua Petoa scored all three goals. De Haan's second match in charge saw a record 4–0 victory recorded over
American Samoa American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the International ...
in the first match of their
2011 Pacific Games The 2011 Pacific Games (officially known as NC 2011) took place in Nouméa, New Caledonia, from August 27 to September 10, 2011. Nouméa was the 14th host of the Pacific Games. Upon closure of the registration for entries, "some 4,300 athletes" h ...
campaign, with a hat-trick from 19-year-old Alopua Petoa. The third match was not as successful, with the side going down 5–1 to
Vanuatu Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...
. After losing 8–0 to
New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...
, and 6–1 to Solomon Islands, the Tuvaluan team drew the game with
Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
1–1. The Tuvaluan team finished in fourth place in Group A (equal with Guam), with a record number of goals. This is the best performance by Tuvalu in an international tournament. De Haan left his post after the tournament to rejoin Heerenveen's youth programme. On 1 May 2012 Stevan de Geijter was appointed as the head of Youth Development at the TNFA. Former
NAC Breda NAC Breda (), often simply known as NAC, is a Dutch professional football club, based in Breda, Netherlands. NAC Breda play in the Rat Verlegh Stadium, named after their most important player, Antoon 'Rat' Verlegh. They play in the Eerste Divi ...
and
De Graafschap VBV De Graafschap () is a professional football club from Doetinchem, Netherlands, playing in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of Dutch football. It was formed on 1 February 1954 and they play their home games at the De Vijverberg stadium. ...
coach
Leen Looijen Leen Looijen (born 9 July 1947) is a Dutch association football, football manager, who has worked in N.E.C. (football club), N.E.C., NAC Breda, RKC Waalwijk, FC St. Gallen (Swiss), FC Emmen, Willem II (football club), Willem II, FC Groningen and V ...
was the team's mentor during their three-month training tour of the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
in 2013, with the tour organised by the Dutch Support Tuvalu Foundation. Since 2014
Toakai Puapua Toakai Puapua is a Tuvaluan gymnastics and football coach and the former coach of the Tuvalu national football team. From 2014 to 2020, he has been the president of the Tuvalu National Football Association (TNFA). Career From 2006 up to 2008 ...
has been the president of the TNFA.


Competitions

* A-Division (national league) * B-Division (second national league) * Independence Cup * NBT Cup *
Christmas Cup Association football is the most popular sport in Tuvalu. Football in Tuvalu is governed by the Tuvalu National Football Association (TNFA). The TNFA became an associate member association of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) on 15 Novemb ...
* Tuvalu Games * A-Division (national women's league) * Independence Cup * NBT Cup *
Christmas Cup Association football is the most popular sport in Tuvalu. Football in Tuvalu is governed by the Tuvalu National Football Association (TNFA). The TNFA became an associate member association of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) on 15 Novemb ...


Player of the Year

In 2014 for the first time in history a Tuvaluan player of the year was chosen. * 2014: Sepetaoi Willie


See also

Men's *
Tuvalu national football team The Tuvalu national football team is the international football team of Tuvalu. Football in Tuvalu is played at the club and international level. The Tuvalu national team draws players from the Tuvalu A-Division and trains at the Tuvalu Sports ...
*
Tuvalu national futsal team The Tuvalu national futsal team is the representative team for Tuvalu in international futsal competitions. It is controlled by the Tuvalu Islands Football Association. They have never won a game. Tuvalu participates in Oceanian Futsal Champion ...


References

{{National Members of the Oceania Football Confederation National members of the Oceania Football Confederation Football in Tuvalu
Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
Sports organizations established in 1979 1979 establishments in Tuvalu