The Tuvalu national football team is the international football team of Tuvalu, which trains at the Tuvalu Sports Ground in Funafuti. The Tuvalu national football team draws from players in the Tuvalu A-Division; the national team competes in the Pacific Games and South Pacific Games. The national team is controlled by the Tuvalu Football Association, which is an associate member of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and is seeking membership of FIFA.[1]
[edit] South Pacific Games participation
The Tuvaluan team played three international matches in the 1979 South Pacific Games, held in Fiji. There, the team recorded both its largest win, 5-3 against Tonga, and its worst defeat, losing 18-0 to Tahiti.
It also participated in four games at the South Pacific Games in 2003, again held in Fiji. After defeating Kiribati in their opening game, the Tuvaluan team lost their remaining three matches and finished fourth out of five in Pool A.
[edit] World Cup qualification
History was made in 2007 when Tuvalu became the first non FIFA member to participate in an official World cup qualifying match.[2] 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.
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.[3]
In 2011 the Tuvalu National Football Association signed Dutch coach Foppe de Haan as their new coach. De Haan, who previously coached SC Heerenveen, Ajax Cape Town and the Dutch national U-21 team will prepare the team for admission to the FIFA. He will work on a part time and volunteer basis.[4] Foppe de Haan started his tenure with a 3-0 victory over Samoa, which is only the third and also the second largest victory of Tuvalu.[5] 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, the highlight coming in the form of a hat-trick from 19-year-old Alopua Petoa. The third match was not as successful, with the side going down 5-1 to Vanuatu.[6] After two more heavy losses, the team won a point in their final South Pacific Games' match against Guam. De Haan left his post after the tournament to rejoin Heerenveen's youth programme.[7]
[edit] Selected internationals
[edit] South Pacific Games record
[edit] Players
[edit] Current squad
The following squad was selected for the 2011 Pacific Games
| 0#0 |
Pos. |
Player |
Date of Birth (Age) |
Caps |
Goals |
Club |
| 1 |
GK |
Katepu Sieni |
May 11, 1988 (1988-05-11) (age 23) |
3 |
0 |
 Tofaga |
| 15 |
GK |
Faiana Ofati |
February 2, 1991 (1991-02-02) (age 21) |
0 |
0 |
Lakena United |
| 16 |
GK |
Jelly Selau |
July 23, 1983 (1983-07-23) (age 28) |
8 |
0 |
Manu Laeva |
|
| 2 |
DF |
Kolone Pokia |
August 4, 1989 (1989-08-04) (age 22) |
2 |
0 |
Tofaga |
| 3 |
DF |
Alamoana Tofuola |
March 28, 1990 (1990-03-28) (age 21) |
4 |
0 |
Tamanuku |
| 4 |
DF |
Etimoni Timuani |
August 14, 1991 (1991-08-14) (age 20) |
5 |
0 |
Lakena United |
| 5 |
DF |
Ali Takataka |
April 24, 1988 (1988-04-24) (age 23) |
5 |
0 |
Tofaga |
| 11 |
DF |
George Panapa |
October 6, 1992 (1992-10-06) (age 19) |
4 |
0 |
Tofaga |
| 24 |
DF |
Joshua Tapasei |
May 30, 1979 (1979-05-30) (age 32) |
4 |
0 |
Nauti |
|
| 6 |
MF |
Mau Penisula (c) |
March 15, 1979 (1979-03-15) (age 32) |
12 |
0 |
Tofaga |
| 7 |
MF |
Vaisua Liva |
February 24, 1990 (1990-02-24) (age 21) |
5 |
0 |
Manu Laeva |
| 8 |
MF |
Okilani Tinilau |
January 2, 1989 (1989-01-02) (age 23) |
3 |
0 |
Manu Laeva |
| 10 |
MF |
James Lepaio |
September 6, 1992 (1992-09-06) (age 19) |
4 |
1 |
Tofaga |
| 13 |
MF |
Togavai Stanley |
July 9, 1992 (1992-07-09) (age 19) |
3 |
1 |
Manu Laeva |
| 14 |
MF |
Raj Sogivalu |
January 19, 1990 (1990-01-19) (age 22) |
2 |
0 |
Nauti |
| 17 |
MF |
Uota Ale |
June 6, 1986 (1986-06-06) (age 25) |
2 |
1 |
Tofaga |
| 18 |
MF |
Meauma Petaia |
August 15, 1990 (1990-08-15) (age 21) |
1 |
0 |
Tamanuku |
| 19 |
MF |
Akelei Lima'alofa |
November 13, 1989 (1989-11-13) (age 22) |
1 |
0 |
Manu Laeva |
|
| 9 |
FW |
Lutelu Tiute |
June 8, 1990 (1990-06-08) (age 21) |
4 |
1 |
Tofaga |
| 12 |
FW |
Alopua Petoa |
February 8, 1992 (1992-02-08) (age 19) |
5 |
6 |
Tofaga |
| 20 |
FW |
Lopati Okelani |
August 17, 1988 (1988-08-17) (age 23) |
2 |
0 |
Tofaga |
|
Sources: [8] [9]
[edit] Coaches
[edit] References
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1 Associate member - Not a member of FIFA
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Tahiti 18 - 0 Tuvalu 
Tim Jerks (2003)
Foppe de Haan (2011)
