Raphael Lea'i

Last updated

Raphael Lea'i
Personal information
Full name Raphael Ohanua Lea'i Jr.
Date of birth (2003-09-09) 9 September 2003 (age 20)
Place of birth Honiara, Solomon Islands
Height 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
 Velež Mostar
Number 27
Youth career
2015 Kossa
2016–2018 Marist
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2018 Marist 6 (4)
2019–2023 Henderson Eels 44 (91)
2023– Velež Mostar 12 (2)
International career‡
2018–2019 Solomon Islands U17 12 (14)
2022– Solomon Islands 17 (11)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 6 August 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21 March 2024

Raphael Ohanua Lea'i Jr. (born 9 September 2003) is a Solomon Islands professional footballer who plays as a striker for the Solomon Islands national team. He is the first Solomon Islands player to have played professional football in Europe. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Early life

Lea'i was born on 9 September 2003 in Honiara. Taking up futsal at the age of 12, he played for local side Kossa before moving to Marist. [6]

Club career

Marist

Following promising performances at international level, Lea'i was noticed by foreign clubs, including Argentine Primera División club Deportivo Godoy Cruz and Australian A-League side Brisbane Roar. Both clubs offered him a trial, however due to FIFA regulations on youth footballers, he was unable to sign an overseas professional contract before the age of 18. [7] [8]

By the end of 2018, Lea'i had made his senior debut for Marist scoring four goals across six matches in the 2018 Solomon Islands S-League. For 2019, Lea'i was offered a scholarship to New Zealand high school Scots College, affiliated with A-League club Wellington Phoenix; the school had previously seen foreign scholarship awardees move to professional clubs, including Eugenio Pizzuto and Calvin Harris. [9] Though unable to appear in competitive matches for Phoenix youth sides due to FIFA laws preventing the foreign transfer of players under 18, Lea'i ended the season as the local Wellington high school league's top scorer, having scored 15 of Scots' 41 goals for the season. [10]

Henderson Eels

Following his time in New Zealand, Lea'i signed with Henderson Eels for the end of the 2019–20 S-League season. In his first season he scored 24 goals in seven matches, including a haul of 11 goals in a single match against Real Kakamora. [11] [12] At the end of the 2019–20 S-League season, Lea'i was invited to a weeklong trial with A-League side Melbourne Victory. [13] During the beginning of the 2021–22 Solomon Islands S-League season, he was offered a trial with Turkish Süper Lig side Alanyaspor, however Visa issues caused this to be delayed. [14]

Velež Mostar

In January 2023, it was announced that Lea'i was returning to Europe to trial with Velež Mostar of the Bosnian Premier League. [15] It was originally reported that the stint in Bosnia and Herzegovina was only part of the player's preparation for another trial with Alanyaspor. However, it was later clarified that Lea'i was traveling to Turkey with Mostar as part of his trial with the club. [16] After a successful trial match against Neretvanac Opuzen of Croatia's 3. NL, Lea'i signed a contract with the club until the end of the 2023–24 season. [17] [18] In the process, Lea'i become the first Solomon Islander to sign for a professional club in Europe. [19]

He scored his first goal for the club on 12 May 2023 on his first start in a game against Igman Konjic. In September 2023, Lea'i returned home after bouts of homesickness, staying on the team's books, not ruling out a return with the club at a later date. [20]

International career

Youth

By the age of 14, Lea'i had impressed enough to be selected for the 2017 OFC Youth Futsal Tournament. Despite being three years younger than some of his opponents, Lea'i shone through as the tournament's best player and top scorer, scoring 34 goals in six matches. He was pivotal to the success of the undefeated Solomon Islands team, helping them sweep aside the competition to take the title as well as qualifying for the 2018 Youth Olympics in Argentina. At the 2018 Youth Olympics, Lea'i scored seven goals as the Solomon Islands were eliminated in the group stage.

In September 2018, Lea'i was selected for the 2018 OFC U-16 Championship, held in Honiara. Once again, he was crucial to the success of the Solomon Islands team, scoring seven goals in three consecutive 5–0 wins over Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Vanuatu. Solomon Islands subsequently qualified for the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup by defeating Fiji 3–1 in the semi-final. In the final, he missed a penalty just before full-time, with New Zealand eventually prevailing 5–4 in a penalty shootout. [6]

Lea'i was selected to take part in the 2019 U-17 Minsk Tournament in preparation for the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup. He scored in all three games; one in a 2–1 win over Moldova, as well as a goal in a 1–1 draw against Belarus and both goals in a 2–2 draw against Kazakhstan. [10]

In the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup, Lea'i appeared in all three games - against Italy, Paraguay and Mexico - as the Solomon Islands were eliminated in the group stage.

Senior

During the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification, Lea'i scored all three goals in a 3–1 win against Tahiti to cement Solomon Islands' spot top of Group A and qualify to the semi-finals as group winners. [21]

On 8 October 2023, he scored his second international hat-trick against Papua New Guinea winning the match 3–1 in the 2023 MSG Prime Minister's Cup. He was later awarded the player of the tournament award. [22]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 6 August 2023. [23]
ClubSeasonLeagueNational Cup [lower-alpha 1] Continental [lower-alpha 2] OtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Marist 2018 S-League 64———64
Henderson Eels 2019–20 S-League 724—32—1026
2020–21 2033———2033
2021–22 712———712
2022–23 1022———1022
Velež Mostar 2022–23 Premier League BH 10110——111
2023–24 2100——21
Career total62971032006699

International

As of match played 2 December 2023. [24]
Solomon Islands
YearAppsGoals
202275
202386
Total1511
Scores and results list the Solomon Islands' goal tally first. [24]
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.24 March 2022 Al-Arabi Stadium, Doha, QatarFlag of French Polynesia.svg  Tahiti 1–03–1 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
2.2–1
3.3–1
4.27 March 2022Al-Arabi Stadium, Doha, QatarFlag of Papua New Guinea.svg  Papua New Guinea 3–13–22022 FIFA World Cup qualification
5.24 September 2022 Luganville Stadium, Luganville, VanuatuFlag of Fiji.svg  Fiji 1–02–2 2022 MSG Prime Minister's Cup
6.14 June 2023 Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium, Terengganu, MalaysiaFlag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia 1–01–4 Friendly
7.8 October 2023 Stade Numa-Daly Magenta, Nouméa, New CaledoniaFlag of Papua New Guinea.svg  Papua New Guinea 1–13–1 2023 MSG Prime Minister's Cup
8.2–1
9.3–1
10.14 October 2023Stade Numa-Daly Magenta, Nouméa, New CaledoniaNew Caledonia flags merged (2017).svg  New Caledonia 1–01–02023 MSG Prime Minister's Cup
11.28 November 2023 Lawson Tama Stadium, Honiara, Solomon Islands Flag of Fiji.svg  Fiji
1–0
2–0
 2023 Pacific Games

Honours

Henderson Eels

Solomon Islands U18 (fustal)

Solomon Islands U17

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oceania Football Confederation</span> International governing body for association football in Oceania

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 promotes the game in Oceania and allows the member nations to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.

The Solomon Islands men's national football team is the national football team of Solomon Islands, administered by the Solomon Islands Football Federation. The Solomon Islands national football team was founded in 1978. They were officially recognised by FIFA a decade later, in 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Caledonia national football team</span> National association football team

The New Caledonia men's national football team is the national team of New Caledonia and is controlled by the Fédération Calédonienne de Football. Although they were only admitted to FIFA in 2004, they have been participating in the OFC Nations Cup since its inception. They have been one of this relatively small region's strongest teams, finishing second in 2008 and 2012, and third in 1973 and 1980. They were the top ranked OFC nation at number 95 in September 2008, making them only the fourth country from the confederation to have reached the global top 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benjamin Totori</span> Solomon Islands footballer (born 1986)

Benjamin Totori is a Solomon Islands footballer who plays as a striker for Kossa. He has played in the United States and New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Krishna</span> Fijian footballer (born 1987)

Roy Christopher Krishna is a Fijian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Indian Super League club Odisha and the Fiji national team, which he captains. He is the most-capped and highest-scoring Fijian footballer of all time. In 2022, he became the first player to have ever reached 50 caps for the Fiji national team.

Reginald Davani is a former Papua New Guinea footballer, who is currently acting as senior men's coach at Western Pride FC.

The Solomon Islands national futsal team, nicknamed Kurukuru, represents the Solomon Islands in international futsal competitions and is controlled by the Solomon Islands Football Federation. It is one of the strongest teams in Oceania, but fares poorly in competitions outside the region.

Sport is an important part of Solomon Islands culture dating back to the early colonial period. Cricket, Australian rules football, rugby union and horse racing are among the earliest organised sports in Solomon Islands. Sport has shaped the Solomon Islands national identity through events. Solomon Islands hosted the 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuvalu Islands Football Association</span> National Football Association

The Tuvalu Islands Football Association (TIFA) is the governing body of football in Tuvalu. The association is responsible for the Tuvalu national football team and the Tuvalu national futsal team. Tuvalu is not a full member and is not affiliated with FIFA. It does not compete in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers because of its non-affiliation.

The Solomon Islands national under-17 football team is the national U-17 team of Solomon Islands and is controlled by the Solomon Islands Football Federation.

Bong Kalo is a Ni-Vanuatu footballer who plays as a midfielder for Port Vila Premier League club, ABM Galaxy

Micah Lea'alafa is a Solomon Islands professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for FK Beograd and captains the Solomon Islands national team.

The 2018 OFC U-16 Championship was the 18th edition of the OFC U-16/U-17 Championship, the biennial international youth football championship organised by the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) for the men's under-16/under-17 national teams of Oceania. The qualifying stage was held in Tonga between 14 and 20 July 2018, and the final tournament was held in the Solomon Islands between 9–22 September 2018.

The 2020 OFC Champions League was the 19th edition of the Oceanian Club Championship, Oceania's premier club football tournament organized by the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), and the 14th season under the current OFC Champions League name.

The 2019–20 Telekom S-League is the 16th season of the Telekom S-League, the top football league in the Solomon Islands.

Marko Seufatu Nikola Stamenić is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serbian Superliga club Red Star Belgrade and the New Zealand national team.

Gabriel Taumua is an American Samoan association footballer who plays for Pago Youth FC of the FFAS Senior League. Taumua has been described by Football in Oceania as, "the biggest talent in American Samoa".

Eddy Helfara Aru Kaspard is a Tahitian association footballer who currently plays for Pouzauges Bocage FC of the Championnat National 3, and the Tahiti national team.

Ali Mekawir is a Solomon Islands footballer who currently plays for Navua F.C. in Fiji and the Solomon Islands national team.

Leon Kofana is a Solomon Islands footballer who currently plays for Telekom S-League club Henderson Eels and the Solomon Islands national team.

References

  1. ↑ "Prvi igrač sa Solomonskih Ostrva u Evropi: Raphael Lea'i u "Veležu" želi ostvariti dječački san". aa.com.tr. Archived from the original on 9 June 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  2. ↑ "Unearthing Raphael Lea'i". khelnow.com. Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  3. ↑ "Solomon Islands' young soccer star Raphael Lea'i focussed on securing a pro deal in Europe". abc.net.au. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  4. ↑ "Rafa impressive". solomonstarnews.com. Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  5. ↑ "Raphael Lea'i talks media hype and career ambitions". footballoceania.com. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  6. 1 2 "Raphael Lea'i, an artist in football and futsal". MyCujoo . 2 October 2018. Archived from the original on 1 March 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  7. ↑ "A-League club wants Rafa". The Island Sun. 20 November 2018. Archived from the original on 28 January 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  8. ↑ "No Argentina trial for Solomon youngster Raphael Lea'i". FootballOceania.com. 29 November 2018. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  9. ↑ "Soccer Youngster Off to New Zealand". SolomonTimes.com. 28 February 2019. Archived from the original on 28 January 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  10. 1 2 "The brilliant year of Raphael Lea'i". Oceania Football Center. 30 December 2019. Archived from the original on 18 January 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  11. ↑ "Raphael Lea'i scores 11 as Henderson Eels demolishes Kakamora". Oceania Football Center. 25 January 2020. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  12. ↑ "Raphael Lea'i wins TSL Golden Boot". Oceania Football Center. 29 January 2020. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  13. ↑ "Raphael Leai & Leon Kofana off for trial with Melbourne Victory". Solomon Islands Football Federation . 29 February 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  14. ↑ Aruafu, Carlos (20 August 2022). "Rafa returns". Solomon Star . Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  15. ↑ Ewart, Richard. "Solomon Islands' young soccer star Raphael Lea'i focussed on securing a pro deal in Europe". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  16. ↑ "Raphael Lea'i Close to Deal in Europe". Solomon Times. Archived from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  17. ↑ Saltori, Rafael. "Europe: Raphael Lea'i displays superb performance and scores in his first friendly match". Oceania Football Center. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  18. ↑ "WELCOME TO VELEŽ, RAPHAEL!". FK Velež Mostar. Archived from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  19. ↑ "Solomons' striker signs for top Bosnian football club". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  20. ↑ "Raphael Lea'i situation explained: Green light is given for international duties and homecoming permission by FK Velež Mostar". Oceania Football Center. 2 September 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  21. ↑ "Goal, Raphael LEA'I (Solomon Islands)". Elevensports. 24 March 2022. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  22. ↑ "DOUBLE AWARD - Rapheal Lea'i was named the Golden boot winner and Best Player of the MSG Prime Minister's Cup 2023. #MPC2023 #RL10 — at Stade Numa-Daly". Solomon Islands National Team Facebook. 14 October 2023.
  23. ↑ "Raphael LEA'I". Fiji Football Association . Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  24. 1 2 "Leai, Raphael". National Football Teams. Archived from the original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  25. ↑ "Henderson Eels secure first TSL title". Solomon Islands Football Federation. 21 March 2021. Archived from the original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  26. ↑ "OFC Youth Futsal Tournament 2017 - Men's". Oceania Football Confederation. Archived from the original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  27. ↑ "2018 OFC U-16 Championship". Oceania Football Confederation. Archived from the original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.