Alopua Petoa

Last updated

Alopua Petoa
Alopua Petoa.jpg
Petoa lining up for Tuvalu in 2011
Personal information
Date of birth (1990-01-24) 24 January 1990 (age 34)
Place of birth Nauru
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Tofaga [1]
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2005–2012 Tofaga
2012 Brabantia
2013–2014 Waitakere City
2014–2018 Tofaga
2019 Nanumaga [1]
2020– Tofaga [1]
International career
2011– Tuvalu 13 (9)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Alopua Petoa (born 24 January 1990) is a footballer who plays as a forward for FC Tofaga. Born in Nauru, he plays for the Tuvalu national team and is their all-time top scorer. [2]

Contents

Early life

Born in Nauru, Petoa started playing football at the age of ten before becoming a naturalized Tuvalu citizen and joining Vatokami in 2005 which would change its name to FC Tofaga the same year.[ citation needed ]

Club career

Petoa with Tuvalu in 2011 Aloupa Petoa.jpg
Petoa with Tuvalu in 2011

Alopua Petoa was the top scorer in the Tuvalu A-Division competition in 2012 and joint top scorer with James Lepaio in 2021.

In 2012, Petoa was discovered by Dutch manager Foppe de Haan and signed for Dutch side Brabantia along with Vaisua Liva, initially training with their reserve team. [3]

In 2013, he signed for New Zealand side Waitakere City with Vaisua Liva, becoming the first professional Tuvaluan players in history. [4]

International career

Petoa has been regarded as one of the best players in Tuvalu and is the all-time top scorer of the Tuvalu national team. [5]

On 22 August 2011, Petoa debuted for the Tuvalu national team during a 3–0 win over Samoa, scoring a hat-trick in what was Tuvalu's first international match in four years and their highest victory in history. [6]

In 2013 Petoa was called for a tour with Tuvalu football Team that took place in the Netherlands where he scored.[ citation needed ]

On 8 June 2018 at the CONIFA World Football Cup in London, Petoa scored two goals, putting Tuvalu ahead of Tamil Eelam, only for their opponents to stage a dramatic comeback in stoppage time to win 4–3. [7]

Style of play

Petoa mainly operates as a striker and is known for his dribbling. [8]

Personal life

Petoa had not been in a plane until he arrived in the Netherlands to sign for Dutch side Brabantia. [5]

Career statistics

Scores and results list Tuvalu's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Petoa goal.
List of international goals scored by Alopua Petoa [9] [10]
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
122 August 2011 Fiji Flag of Samoa.svg  Samoa 1–03–0 Friendly
22–0
33–0
427 August 2011 Stade Rivière Salée, Nouméa, New CaledoniaFlag of American Samoa.svg  American Samoa 1–04–0 2011 Pacific Games
53–0
64–0
75 December 2017 Korman Stadium, Port Vila, VanuatuNew Caledonia flags merged (2017).svg  New Caledonia 2–02–1 2017 Pacific Mini Games
815 December 2017 Port Vila Municipal Stadium, Port Vila, VanuatuFlag of Tonga.svg  Tonga 3–34–32017 Pacific Mini Games
912 July 2019 National Soccer Stadium, Apia, SamoaFlag of American Samoa.svg  American Samoa 1–01–1 2019 Pacific Games

CONIFA goals

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
17 June 2018 Gander Green Lane, Sutton, EnglandBicolor flag of Tamil Eelam.svg  Tamil Eelam 1–03–4 2018 CONIFA World Football Cup
23–1

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Alopua Petoa at National-Football-Teams.com
  2. ↑ Macer-Wright, Alun (23 May 2018). "Tuvalu Going from Ocean to Ocean to Compete in WFC 2018". CONIFA . Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  3. ↑ "Drukke week voor voetbaltalenten uit Tuvalu [Busy week for football talents from Tuvalu]". Omroep Brabant (in Dutch). 11 October 2012. Archived from the original on 26 July 2023.
  4. ↑ "Vaisua Liva and Alopua Petoa start their internship at Waitakere City FC". Tuvalu National Football Association. 2013. Archived from the original on 26 April 2014.
  5. 1 2 "'Cruijff en Kromme' uit Tuvalu jagen droom in Nederland na ['Cruijff and Kromme' from Tuvalu pursue dream in the Netherlands]". Algemeen Dagblad. 4 October 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  6. ↑ Zoeren, Walter (22 August 2011). "Foppe de Haan leidt Tuvalu naar grootste zege ooit". De Stentor (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  7. ↑ "Sport: Tuvalu footballers beaten in stoppage time". RNZ . 8 June 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  8. ↑ Graafland, Kees (5 November 2012). "Trainen op een veld zonder krabben" [Training on a field without crabs]. Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  9. ↑ "Alopua Petoa". National Football Teams.
  10. ↑ "Tamil Eelam 4-3 Tuvalu". www.conifa.org. CONIFA. 7 June 2018. Archived from the original on 21 June 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
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