Wikipedia

Tonga national football team

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Tonga women's national football team.

The Tonga men's national football team (Tongan: timi soka fakafonua ʻa Tonga) represents Tonga in men's international football and is controlled by the Tonga Football Association, which is a part of the Oceania Football Confederation.

Tonga
Nickname(s)Tu’Ulalupe
AssociationTonga Football Association
ConfederationOFC (Oceania)
Head coachKilifi Uele
CaptainHemaloto Polovili
Most capsKilifi Uele (26)
Top scorerUnaloto Feao (7)
Home stadiumTeufaiva Sport Stadium
Tonga Football Association Stadium
FIFA codeTGA
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 201 Decrease 5 (4 April 2024)[1]
Highest163 (October 1998)
Lowest207 (April 2018, July 2019)
First international
 Tahiti 8–0 Tonga 
(Suva, Fiji; 29 August 1979)
Biggest win
 Tonga 7–0 Micronesia 
(Nausori, Fiji; 5 July 2003)
Biggest defeat
 Tonga 0–22 Australia 
(Coffs Harbour, Australia; 9 April 2001)

History edit

Information edit

Football in Tonga edit

Tonga's greatest football triumph to date was their triumph in the first ever Polynesian Cup held in 1993 over Samoa and the Cook Islands. Although local players have not yet made their mark on big leagues abroad, the Chief Executive of the Tonga Football Association, Joe Topou, was appointed to the FIFA Executive Committee in 2002.

In July 2023, Tonga became unranked within the FIFA rankings due to not having played any matches since they lost 8-0 to Papua New Guinea on 18 July 2019.

The second Goal project edit

Tonga's second Goal project will develop and improve the national football academy and the association's headquarters in Atele, Tongatapu, which was built in the country's first Goal project. This development work has the aim that all of the Tonga Football Association's needs are fully satisfied. Local matches will be held at the football academy, while the administration's requirements, including the needs of players, officials and spectators, will also be covered. The football school will be transformed into a House of Football.[clarification needed]

Team image edit

Kit sponsorship edit

Kit supplier[3] Period
  Lotto 2007–2013
2013–2017
  Lotto 2018–

Fixtures and results edit

Main article: Tonga national football team results

2023 edit

18 November 2023 2023 Pacific Games New Caledonia   7–0   Tonga Honiara, Solomon Islands
16:00
Report Stadium: SIFF Academy Field
Referee: Norbert Hauata (Tahiti)
21 November 2023 2023 Pacific Games Tonga   1–2   Cook Islands Honiara, Solomon Islands
16:00 Stadium: SIFF Academy Field
27 November 2023 2023 Pacific Games Tonga   0–4   Tuvalu Honiara, Solomon Islands
13:00 Stadium: SIFF Academy Field
30 November 2023 2023 Pacific Games American Samoa   2–6   Tonga Honiara, Solomon Islands
10:00 Stadium: SIFF Academy Field

2024 edit

20 March 2024 OFC Nations Cup qualification Tonga   1–4   Samoa Nuku'alofa, Tonga
14:00 Kite   90+5' Report
Stadium: Teufaiva Stadium
Attendance: 300
Referee: Luke Gardner (New Zealand)
26 March 2024 OFC Nations Cup qualification Cook Islands   1–0   Tonga Nuku'alofa, Tonga
14:00 Stadium: Teufaiva Stadium

Current squad edit

The following players were called up for the 2023 Pacific Games.[4]

Caps and goals updated as of 30 November 2023, after the game against American Samoa.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Semisi ‘Otukolo (1999-06-23) 23 June 1999 (age 24) 9 0   Veitongo
21 1GK David-John Tuamoheloa 2 0   Manukau United
20 1GK Justin Toetu’u 1 0   Longolongo
2 2DF Petelo Naniseni (2003-12-20) 20 December 2003 (age 20) 4 0   Navutoka
3 2DF Kulisitofa Kite (2003-01-17) 17 January 2003 (age 21) 3 0   Lavengatonga
4 2DF Nicolas Vea (2003-10-31) 31 October 2003 (age 20) 4 0   Navutoka
5 2DF Sione Tu’ifangaloka (1999-04-24) 24 April 1999 (age 24) 6 0   Veitongo
17 2DF Ta’u Tupou 1 0   Vava'u
18 2DF Fakaofo Tonga (2004-10-29) 29 October 2004 (age 19) 3 0   Navutoka
6 3MF Petueli Tokotaha (2004-03-25) 25 March 2004 (age 20) 3 2   Longolongo
7 3MF Tau’aika Sonasi 4 0   Marist
8 3MF Christopher Kefu (2003-02-11) 11 February 2003 (age 21) 4 0   Veitongo
9 3MF Taniela Vaka’uta 2 0   Folaha
15 3MF Petueli Tokotaha (2000-09-10) 10 September 2000 (age 23) 6 2   Navutoka
16 3MF Mohammed Rajani (1999-04-19) 19 April 1999 (age 25) 4 1   Rockdale Ilinden
10 4FW Amoni Fifita (2004-06-26) 26 June 2004 (age 19) 4 2   Makave
11 4FW Elias Kendler 3 1   Haʻamoko United Youth
12 4FW Hemaloto Polovili (1997-07-27) 27 July 1997 (age 26) 14 3   Veitongo
13 4FW Nuku ‘Esau 3 0   Navutoka
14 4FW Feki Tufi (2000-04-11) 11 April 2000 (age 24) 2 0   Veitongo

Player records edit

As of 20 March 2024[5]
Players in bold are still active with Tonga.

Most appearances edit

Rank Name Caps Goals Career
1 Kilifi Uele 26 3 1996–2017
2 Unaloto Feao 17 7 2001–2017
3 Lafaele Moala 16 1 2003–2015
4 Folio Moeaki 15 0 2004–2015
Sione Uhatahi 15 1 2007–2019
Hemaloto Polovili 15 3 2015–present
7 Siu'a Ma'amaloa 14 1 2001–2004
8 Kamaliele Papani 11 0 2003–2019
Mark Uhatahi 11 3 2003–2015
10 Kava Huihahau 10 0 2003–2007
Viliami Taufahema 10 0 1996–2003

Top goalscorers edit

Rank Name Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Unaloto Feao 7 17 0.41 2001–2017
2 Lokoua Taufahema 5 7 0.71 2001–2011
3 Amone Suli 3 1 3 2002
Amoni Fifita 3 5 0.6 2023–present
Mark Uhatahi 3 11 0.27 2003–2015
Hemaloto Polovili 3 15 0.2 2015–present
Kilifi Uele 3 26 0.12 1996–2017
8 Ma'ake Uhatahi 2 2 1 2009
Petueli Tokotaha 2 3 0.67 2017–2019
Pio Palu 2 7 0.29 2007–2011
Timote Moleni 2 8 0.25 1996–2001
Filisione Taufahema 2 8 0.25 2001–2002

Coaching staff edit

Coaching history edit

Competitive record edit

FIFA World Cup edit

FIFA World Cup Qualification
Year Host Result Position Pld W D* L F A Pld W D L F A
1930 to 1990 Not member of FIFA Not member of FIFA
1994   United States Did not enter Did not enter
1998   France Did not qualify 4 2 0 2 3 13
2002   South Korea
  Japan 		4 2 0 2 7 30
2006   Germany 4 1 0 3 2 17
2010   South Africa 4 1 0 3 6 10
2014   Brazil 3 1 1 1 4 4
2018   Russia 3 0 0 3 1 8
2022   Qatar Withdrew Withdrew
2026   Canada
  Mexico
  United States 		To be determined To be determined
2030   Morocco
  Portugal
  Spain
2034   Saudi Arabia
Total — 0/8 – – – – – – 22 7 1 14 23 82

OFC Nations Cup edit

Oceania Cup / OFC Nations Cup record Qualification record
Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
  1973 Did not enter Did not enter
  1980
  1996 Did not qualify 3 1 1 1 4 4
  1998 4 1 1 2 5 9
  2000 4 1 0 3 4 15
  2002 4 1 0 3 7 18
  2004 4 1 0 3 2 17
  2008 4 1 0 3 6 10
  2012 3 1 1 1 4 4
  2016 3 0 0 3 1 8
  2024 2 0 0 2 1 5
Total — 0/10 – – – – – – 31 7 3 21 34 90

Pacific Games edit

Head-to-head record edit

Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD WPCT
  American Samoa 10 8 0 2 34 12 +22 80.00
  Australia 1 0 0 1 0 22 −22 0.00
  Cook Islands 9 3 2 4 12 14 −2 33.33
  Micronesia 1 1 0 0 7 0 +7 100.00
  Fiji 3 0 0 3 1 17 −16 0.00
  New Caledonia 6 0 0 6 2 43 −41 0.00
  Papua New Guinea 4 0 1 3 2 20 −18 0.00
  Samoa[a] 11 2 3 6 9 21 −12 18.18
  Solomon Islands 5 0 0 5 0 31 −31 0.00
  Tahiti 6 0 0 6 1 28 −27 0.00
  Tuvalu 3 0 0 3 6 13 −7 0.00
  Vanuatu[b] 5 0 0 5 2 33 −31 0.00
  Wallis and Futuna 2 1 0 1 1 3 −2 50.00
Total 66 15 6 45 77 257 −180 22.73
Source: Results
Notes:
  1. ^ Includes results as Western Samoa.
  2. ^ Includes results as New Hebrides.

Honours edit

Historical kits edit

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2001 Home
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2001 Away
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2009 Home
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2009 Away
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2011 Home
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2011 Away
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2015 Home
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2015 Away
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2017 Home
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2017 Away
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2019 Home
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2019 Away
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2023 Home
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2023 Away

Sources:[6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA. 4 April 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  2. ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Antigo(a) Tonga camisas de futebol". Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  4. ^ "Tuʻulalupe Squad". Face. Tonga Football.
  5. ^ "Tonga". National Football Teams.
  6. ^ "2001".
  7. ^ "2001".
  8. ^ "2009".
  9. ^ "2009".
  10. ^ "2011".
  11. ^ "2011".
  12. ^ "2015".
  13. ^ "2015".
  14. ^ "2017".
  15. ^ "2017".
  16. ^ "2019".
  17. ^ "2019".
  18. ^ "2023".

External links edit

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