Tuvalu Islands Football Association

Last updated

Tuvalu Islands Football Association
OFC
TUVALUIFA.png
Short nameTIFA
Founded1979
FIFA affiliationN/A
OFC affiliation2019 (associate member) [1] [2]
President Soseala Tinilau [2]

The Tuvalu Islands Football Association 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. [3]

Contents

Football in Tuvalu is played at club and national team level. The association is a member of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) but not affiliated to FIFA. The association has been wanting to be a member of FIFA since 1987. However the lack of football facilities in Tuvalu is a major obstacle membership of FIFA. Tuvalu does not have a stadium, or training grounds or hotels for visiting teams and supporters. [4] [5] [6]

FIFA and Oceania Football Confederation (OFC)

History was made in 2007 when Tuvalu became the first non FIFA member to participate in an official World Cup qualifying match. [7] The situation arose when the regional governing body used the 2007 South Pacific Games, as the first stage of the qualification tournament for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and qualification tournament for the 2008 OFC Nations Cup. Tuvalu performed with great credit, earning a remarkable 1–1 draw with Tahiti in which Viliamu Sekifu became as the first World cup scorer for his country. The other three fixtures in the tournament ended in defeat and Tuvalu failed to progress from their five team group.

The TNFA has been wanting to be a member of FIFA since 1987. In September 2008, Tuvaluan Prime Minister Apisai Ielemia and the President of the Tuvalu Football Association, Tapugao Falefou, visited the headquarters of FIFA in Zurich, hoping to gain full membership in the organisation. [8] The Dutch Support Tuvalu Foundation [9] is working with the TNFA to advance Tuvalu's FIFA application and with the development of football in Tuvalu. [4] The Tuvalu team and the activities of the Dutch Support Tuvalu Foundation are the focus of Mission Tuvalu (Missie Tuvalu) (2013), a feature documentary directed by Jeroen van den Kroonenberg on Tuvalu's journey to becoming a FIFA member.

In 2019, the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), the governing body for football in Oceania under FIFA, restarted Tuvalu’s Associate Membership, which will allow Tuvalu to take part in OFC tournaments, and to be eligible for funding for the development of football in Tuvalu. [1] [2]

History

Jay Timo in the game against New Caledonia (2007) Jay Timo tegen Nieuw-Caledonie.jpg
Jay Timo in the game against New Caledonia (2007)

On 28 August 1979 the Tuvalu national football team, captained by Karl Tili, [10] played the first official soccer game against Tahiti in the Pacific Games at Suva, Fiji. Tuvalu loses 18–0. Later in the tournament on 31 August Tuvalu wins for the first time against Tonga with the final score of 5–3. [11]

On 1 May 2003 Tuvalu plays a friendly game against Fiji with a 9–0 loss. [12]

Tuvalu also participated in four games at the 2003 South Pacific Games again held in Fiji, with Tim Jerks as the coach. After defeating Kiribati 3–2 in their opening game, [13] [14] Tuvalu again played Fiji, in this game Fiji won 4–0. In the game against Vanuatu, Tuvalu was defeated 1–0. In the final game of the tournament against Solomon Islands, Tuvalu was defeated 4–0. [13] Tuvalu finished fourth out of five in Pool A. [15]

The TNFA became an associate member association of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) on 15 November 2006. Tuvalu participated in the 2007 Pacific Games held in Samoa, with Toakai Puapua as the coach, and Petio Semaia as the captain. [16] [17] [18] Tuvalu is the first country, that as a non-FIFA-member, has taken part in an official FIFA World Cup-qualification tournament. [7] The situation arose when the regional governing body used the 2007 South Pacific Games, as the first stage of the qualification tournament for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and qualification tournament for the 2008 OFC Nations Cup. In the competition Fiji defeated Tuvalu 16–0. [19] However Tuvalu fought hard against New Caledonia (who were joint leaders of the competition) and only lost 1–0. [20] Tuvalu then drew 1–1 with Tahiti, [14] with a late equaliser from Viliamu Sekifu. [21] [22] However the Cook Islands defeated Tuvalu 4–1. [23]

Okilani Tinilau in action against Vanuatu (2011) Tinilau 03.jpg
Okilani Tinilau in action against Vanuatu (2011)

In recent years the TNFA have received support from the Netherlands. [24]

In 2011 the TNFA signed Dutch coach Foppe de Haan as the coach on a part-time and volunteer basis. [25]

De Haan previously coached SC Heerenveen, Ajax Cape Town and the Dutch national U-21 team. In the friendly match in the lead-up to the 2011 Pacific Games, with Tuvalu captained by Mau Penisula, De Haan started his tenure with a 3–0 victory over Samoa, [14] [26] the second largest victory of Tuvalu. [27] Alopua Petoa scored all three goals. [28]

De Haan's second match in charge saw a record 4–0 victory recorded over American Samoa in the first match of their 2011 Pacific Games campaign, [29] [30] with a hat-trick from 19-year-old Alopua Petoa. [28] The third match was not as successful, with the side going down 5–1 to Vanuatu. [31] After losing 8–0 to New Caledonia, [32] and 6–1 to Solomon Islands, [33] the Tuvaluan team drew the game with Guam 1–1. [34] The Tuvaluan team finished in fourth place in Group A (equal with Guam), with a record number of goals. This is the best performance by Tuvalu in an international tournament. [35]

Logo of Dutch Support Tuvalu Foundation Logo Dutch Support Tuvalu.gif
Logo of Dutch Support Tuvalu Foundation

De Haan left his post after the tournament to rejoin Heerenveen's youth programme.

On 1 May 2012 Stevan de Geijter was appointed as the head of Youth Development at the TNFA. [36] Former NAC Breda and De Graafschap coach Leen Looijen was the team's mentor during their three-month training tour of the Netherlands in 2013, with the tour organised by the Dutch Support Tuvalu Foundation. [4]

From 2014 to 2016, Toakai Puapua was the president of the TNFA. He was succeeded by Soseala Tinilau in June 2016. [2] [1]

As the president of TIFA, Soseala Tinilau is involved in negotiating development programmes and technical assistance from the Oceania Football Confederation, such as grants of equipment and funds for capacity building activities and national team development. [37] [38] [39] [40]

Competitions

Player of the Year

In 2014 for the first time in history a Tuvaluan player of the year was chosen. [41] [42]

See also

Men's

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OFC Nations Cup</span> OFC association football tournament for mens national teams

The OFC Nations Cup is an international association football tournament held among the OFC member nations. It was held every two years from 1996 to 2004; before 1996 there were two other tournaments held at irregular intervals, under the name Oceania Nations Cup. No competition was held in 2006, but in the 2008 edition, which also acted as a qualification tournament for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and for a play-off for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the New Zealand men's national football team emerged as winners.

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

The American Samoa men's national football team represents American Samoa in men's international association football and is controlled by the Football Federation American Samoa, the governing body of the sport in the territory. American Samoa's home ground is the Pago Park Soccer Stadium in Pago Pago and their head coach is Tunoa Lui.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiji national football team</span> Mens association football team representing Fiji

The Fiji men's national football team is Fiji's national men's team and is controlled by the governing body of football in Fiji, the Fiji Football Association. The team plays most of their home games at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cook Islands national football team</span>

The Cook Islands men's national football team is the men's football team that represents the Cook Islands in international competition since 1971. It is governed by the Cook Islands Football Association which is part of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and FIFA.

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

The Kiribati men's national football team is the national men's football team of Kiribati and is controlled by the Kiribati Islands Football Association. Kiribati is not a member of FIFA but is an associate member of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), and is therefore not eligible to enter the FIFA World Cup but may enter the OFC Nations Cup. It became a provisional member of the N.F.-Board on 10 December 2005.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification for the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) selected New Zealand to compete in a two-legged home-and-away playoff against Bahrain, the fifth-place team from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for a spot in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Its final round was the 2008 OFC Nations Cup. Consequently, New Zealand is also considered the OFC Nations Cup champion, and represented the OFC in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.

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

The Tuvalu national football team is the international football team of Tuvalu. Football in Tuvalu is played at the club and international level. The Tuvalu national team draws players from the Tuvalu A-Division and trains at the Tuvalu Sports Ground at Funafuti. The national team competes in the Pacific Games, and is controlled by the Tuvalu Islands Football Association (TIFA), which is an associate member of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) but not a member of FIFA.

The 2008 OFC Nations Cup was the eighth edition of the OFC Nations Cup and the first under a new format. It took place as a series of as a home-and-away round-robin tournament on FIFA match dates in 2007 and 2008. Doubling as the qualification tournament for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the tournament was substantially different from earlier editions: 2004 champions Australia did not compete after leaving the Oceania Football Confederation for the Asian Football Confederation and for the first time since the 1996 OFC Nations Cup, no fixed venue was used. Unlike the 2004 OFC Nations Cup, which had featured six teams from the Oceania Football Confederation, the 2008 tournament had just four.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Okilani Tinilau</span> Tuvaluan sprinter and footballer

Okilani Tinilau is a Tuvaluan footballer and sprinter who represented Tuvalu at the 2008 Summer Olympics. As a footballer, Tinilau plays for F.C. Manu Laeva in the Tuvalu A-Division, also playing on the Tuvalu national football team.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sport in Oceania</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Football in Tuvalu</span>

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.

The 2011 Pacific Games men's football tournament was the 13th edition of Pacific Games men's football tournament. The competition was held in New Caledonia from 27 August to 9 September 2011 with the final played at the Stade Numa-Daly in Nouméa.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Etimoni Timuani</span> Tuvuluan footballer and sprinter

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toakai Puapua</span>

Toakai Puapua is a Tuvaluan gymnastics and football coach and the former coach of the Tuvalu national football team. From 2014 to 2020, he has been the president of the Tuvalu National Football Association (TNFA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuvalu at the Pacific Games</span> Sporting event delegation

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The 2018 OFC Women's Nations Cup was the 11th edition of the OFC Women's Nations Cup, the quadrennial international football championship organised by the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) for the women's national teams of the Oceanian region. The tournament was held in New Caledonia between 18 November – 1 December 2018.

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