Nauti FC is a

Tuvalu Tuvalu ( ) is an island country in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean, about midway between Hawaii and Australia. It lies east-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands (which belong to the Solomon Islands), northeast of Van ...

football club from

Funafuti Funafuti is an atoll, comprising numerous islets, that serves as the capital of Tuvalu. As of the 2017 census, it has a population of 6,320 people. More people live in Funafuti than the rest of Tuvalu combined, with it containing approximately 6 ...

, playing in the Tuvalu A-Division. The team's home ground is the

Tuvalu Sports Ground Tuvalu Sports Ground is a multi-use stadium in Funafuti, Tuvalu. It is currently used mostly for football and rugby matches. The stadium holds 1,500 people. It is the only stadium in Tuvalu, and therefore all football tournaments are played ...

, the only football field in

. Nauti is one of the most successful teams in Tuvalu, with the most trophies of all the nation's teams. Nauti plays on an amateur level, as do all the teams in Tuvalu. They also have a reserve squad and a women's team.

History

Nauti was founded in 1980, under the name Combined Devils. The name was initiated by Mr Igatia Talesi. In 1976, he started a mixed team of men from

and other Tuvalu Islands with the name Combined Devils. It was in 1980, that Nauti/Combined Devils was officially recognised as the Funafuti Soccer Team. The team's first red uniform was sponsored by Kamuta Latasi. Years later, the team is still using the red color uniforms, the patterns varies but remains red and white. In 2001 the name of the team was changed into Nauti FC. Nauti won the independence Cup in 1988, it was the first prize won by the team and also in 1990, 1999, 2003, 2008, 2009 & 2017. Nauti’s 7 wins makes it the most successful team in the Independence Cup competition. During 1980–1990 the team was never defeated by

Vaitupu Vaitupu is the largest atoll of the nation of Tuvalu. It is located at 7.48 degrees south and 178.83 degrees east. There are 1,077 people (2022 Census) living on with the main village being Asau. History Discovery and settlement The exa ...

Nukulaelae Nukulaelae is an atoll that is part of the nation of Tuvalu, and it has a population of 300 (2017 census). The largest settlement is Pepesala on Fangaua islet with a population of 341 people (2022 Census). It has the form of an oval and consist ...

Nanumaga Nanumanga or Nanumaga is a reef island and a district of the Oceanian island nation of Tuvalu. It has a surface area of about 3 km2 with a population of 391 (2022 census). History On 9 May 1824 a French government expedition under Captain ...

, Nui or the Tuvalu police Team. It was only defeated once by

Nukufetau Nukufetau is an atoll that is part of the nation of Tuvalu. The atoll was claimed by the US under the Guano Islands Act some time in the 19th century and was ceded in a treaty of friendship concluded in 1979 and coming into force in 1983. It h ...

(penalty kicks in 1982) once by

Nanumea Nanumea is the northwesternmost atoll in the Polynesian nation of Tuvalu, a group of nine coral atolls and islands spread over about of the Pacific Ocean just south of the equator and west of the International Date Line. Nanumea is with a po ...

and once by

Niutao Niutao is a reef island in the northern part of Tuvalu. It is one of the nine districts (islands) of Tuvalu. It is also one of the three districts that consist of only one island — not counting the three islets inside the closed lagoon. Niuta ...

(Knock out tournaments). In the League Tournament Nauti was never defeated in the period 1980–1990. In 1991 the airfield was tar-sealed and soccer tournaments in the capital Funafuti came to a standstill. Soccer games were first played again in 1997. Nauti is the most successful club in Tuvalu, having won the most titles in the Tuvalu A-Division of all the teams in Tuvalu. The Tuvalu A-Division was formed in 2001. Nauti won their first A-Division title in 2005. From 2007 on they won the league seven times in a row. 2009 was the most successful year for Nauti FC, winning a total of three trophy's.

Current squad

Nauti B

Honours

League

* Tuvalu A-Division **Winners (16): 2000, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023

Cup

*Independence Cup **Winners (7): 1988, 1990, 1999, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2017 **Runners-up (5): 1998, 2004, 2007, 2012, 2013 *NBT Cup **Winners (4): 2009, 2010, 2016, 2020 *Tuvalu Games **Runners-up (3): 2010, 2013, 2017 *Christmas Cup **Winners (3): 2018, 2020, 2021 **Runners-up (1): 2011

References

External links

vriendenvantuvalu.nl

tnfa.tv
{{Tuvalu A-Division Funafuti Football clubs in Tuvalu 1980 establishments in Tuvalu Association football clubs established in 1980