| Founded | 1980 |
|---|---|
| Country | Tuvalu |
| Confederation | OFC |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Domestic cup(s) | NBT Cup Independence Cup Christmas Cup Tuvalu Games |
| Current champions | Nauti FC (2023) |
| Most championships | Nauti FC (26) |
| Current: 2023 Tuvalu A-Division | |
The Tuvalu A-Division or The National Provident Fund Championship League (NPF) is the top football division in Tuvalu. The league is organised by the Tuvalu National Football Association. Eight of the nine islands in Tuvalu are represented in the league. Niulakita is the only island that has no football club. Matches are held at the 1,500-capacity Tuvalu Sports Ground in Funafuti [1] , the only football field on the main island. [2]
The league was founded in 2001. There is also the Tuvalu B-Division which is composed of reserve squads from each of the A-Division teams as well as several other teams. [3]
A C-Division has also featured occasionally though have only competed in secondary leagues or knockout competitions such as the NBT cup or MEYS (Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports) Cup and mostly featured B and C teams of A-Division sides. [4] [5] [6]
The major titles in Tuvalu are the Independence Cup (held to recognise the independence of Tuvalu), the NBT Cup (sponsored by The National Bank of Tuvalu), the Christmas Cup, and the football competition at the Tuvalu Games. [7]
Teams in the A-division also compete for the Taganoa Cup. No separate matches are played for this trophy. Instead teams compete concurrently for the trophy during their league matches. For a team to take ownership of the cup, they must defeat the present holders during a league game. They then become the defending holders until they lose a league match themselves. Whichever team is in possession of the trophy at the end of the season is crowned champions. The first Taganoa Cup competition was held in 2021 and was won by FC Tofaga. [7]
As well as having squads in the Tuvalu B-Division, many A-Division teams also have a women's team which plays in the A-Division Women's League [8] and other competitions. [9] In 2019, FC Tofaga and Nauti FC entered an 'A1 and 'A2' team into the A-Division league. [10] Nauti did this again in 2020. [11]
| Club | Island |
|---|---|
| Lakena United | Nanumea |
| Manu Laeva | Nukulaelae |
| Nanumaga | Nanumanga |
| Nauti | Funafuti |
| Tamanuku | Nukufetau |
| Tofaga | Vaitupu |
| Nui | Nui |
| Niutao | Niutao |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | Club | Winning Year(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | Nauti FC | 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 |
| 3 | FC Niutao | 2001, 2002, 2003 |
| 2 | Lakena United | 2004, 2006 |
| 2 | FC Manu Laeva | 2017 |
| 1 | F.C. Tofaga | 2021 |
Source [12]
| Pos. | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  James Lepaio | 30 |
| 2 | Alopua Petoa | 19 |
| Season | Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Starzle | Manu Laeva | 6 |
| Siopepa Tailolo | Lakena United | ||
| Lutelu Tiute | Tofaga | ||
| 2012 | Alopua Petoa | Tofaga | 10 |
| 2013 | Mase Tumua | Nauti | 4 |
| 2019 | James Lepaio | Tofaga | 15 |
| 2020 | Hosea Sente | Nauti | 8 |
| 2021 | Alopua Petoa | Tofaga | 5 |
| James Lepaio | |||
| Key | |
|---|---|
| (4) | Player scored 4 goals |
| (5) | Player scored 5 goals |
| (6) | Player scored 6 goals |
Note: The source of the following information (rsssf.com) does not state goalscorers in some seasons. Therefore, this list is almost certainly not exhaustive.
| Player | For | Against | Score | Date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matakai Alesana(4) | Tofaga | Nui | 4–1 | 4 February 2012 | [ citation needed ] |
| Alopua Petoa (4) | Tofaga | Lakena United | 6–0 | 3 March 2012 | |
| Alopua Petoa (6) | Tofaga | Niutao | 7–1 | 17 March 2012 | |
| Tupou | Manu Laeva | Nauti A2 | 4-1 | 20 April 2019 | [10] |
| Meauma Petaia(4) | Tamanuku | Niutao | 5-3 | ||
| Eliata | Lakena United | Tofaga A2 | 1-13 | ||
| Alopua Petoa (4) | Tofaga | Nui | 0–24 | 9 May 2020 | [11] |
| Eric Tealofi | |||||
| Sueni Founuku(4) | |||||
| James Lepaio (5) | |||||
| Fata Filemoni | |||||
| Katepu Iosua | |||||
| Felo Feoto | Tamanuku | Nanumaga | 2–6 | 16 May 2020 | |
| Nathan Josh | Nauti | Nui FC | 10–0 | 16 May 2020 | |
| Hosea Sente(4) | |||||
| Alopua Petoa (5) | Tofaga | Niutao | 16-0 | 3 April 2021 | [4] |
| James Lepaio (5) | |||||
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 November 2006 with a further reinstatement on 16 March 2020. The TNFA has been wanting to become a full member of the OFC and a member of FIFA since 1987.
Nauti FC is a Tuvalu football club from Funafuti, playing in the Tuvalu A-Division.
Etimoni Timuani is a Tuvaluan sportsman. He is a footballer and sprinter specializing in the 100 m distance. Timuani is a father-of-two from Funafuti who works for the Tuvalu National Provident Fund, the national pension scheme.
The 2011 Tuvalu A-Division is the 11th season of top flight association football in Tuvalu. The Tuvalu A-Division season began on 29 January 2011 and ended on 12 March 2011. Nauti FC were the defending champions.
The 2012 Tuvalu A-Division was the 12th season of top flight association football in Tuvalu. The Tuvalu A-Division season began on 4 February 2012 and finished on 17 March 2012. The champions were Nauti FC who won their seventh league title.
The 2005 Tuvalu A-Division is the fifth season of association football competition in Tuvalu. The champions of the Tuvalu A-Division were Nauti FC.
The Tuvalu A-Division for women is the top level women's football league in Tuvalu. The league is organized by the Tuvalu National Football Association.
The Tuvaluan football league system, is a series of non-interconnected leagues for club football in Tuvalu. The league is organized by the Tuvalu National Football Association. Eight of the nine islands in Tuvalu are represented in the competition. Niulakita is the only island that has no football club. Some clubs have two teams competing. The competition takes place at the 1,500-capacity Tuvalu Sports Ground in Funafuti, this is the only soccer field in Tuvalu. The football clubs are based on the communities of the 8 major islands of Tuvalu, with the rivalry between these 8 teams being maintained by each having a ‘home’ island.
The Tuvalu Games is a multi-sport event, much like the Pacific Games, with participation exclusively from islands around Tuvalu.
The 2007 Tuvalu A-Division was the seventh season of association football competition. The Tuvalu A-Division was won by Nauti FC for the second time. the league returned to the single division format from the two pool format with a play-off used in the previous season. The league, which started on 17 February, was renamed, TNPF Soccer League.
The 2008 Tuvalu A-Division was the eighth season of association football competition. The Tuvalu A-Division was won by Nauti FC for the second consecutive time and the third time overall. The league, containing 9 participating teams, which ran between February and October, was renamed, Premier League, having been called TNPF Soccer League the previous season.
The 2009 Tuvalu A-Division was the ninth season of association football competition. The Tuvalu A-Division was won by Nauti FC for the third consecutive time and the fourth time overall. The league was renamed for the fourth consecutive season, this time being called the Funafuti League.
The 2010 Tuvalu A-Division was the tenth season of association football competition. The league was won by Nauti FC for the fourth consecutive time and the fifth time overall. For the 2010 season, the Tuvalu A-Division was named the Funafuti League.
The 2013 Tuvalu A-Division was the 13th season of top flight association football in Tuvalu. The Tuvalu A-Division season started on 9 March 2013 and finished on 6 April 2013. The champions were Nauti FC who won their eighth league title.
The 2017 Tuvalu A-Division was the 17th season of top flight association football in Tuvalu. The season started and finish on 2017.
The 2019 Tuvalu A-Division was the 19th season of top flight association football in Tuvalu. The season started and finish on 2019.
The 2020 Tuvalu A-Division was the 20th season of top flight association football in Tuvalu. The season started in March 14 and finish on May 23 of the 2020.
The 2021 Tuvalu A-Division was the 21st season of top flight association football in Tuvalu. The season started in 6 March and finished on 17 April 2021.
James Lepaio is a Tuvaluan footballer who plays as a left defensive midfielder who currently plays for Tofaga FC. He was a Tuvalu international player from 2011 to 2017.
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