Tonga
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Tu’Ulalupe
AssociationTonga Football Association
ConfederationOFC (Oceania)
Head coachTimote Moleni
CaptainSione Uhatahi
Most capsKilifi Uele (26)
Top scorerUnaloto Feao (7)
Home stadiumTeufaiva Sport Stadium
Tonga Football Association Stadium
FIFA codeTGA
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 196 Steady (21 December 2023)[1]
Highest163 (October 1998)
Lowest207 (April 2018, July 2019)
First international
 Tahiti 8–0 Tonga 
(Suva, Fiji; 29 August 1979)
Biggest win
 Tonga 7–0 Micronesia 
(Nausori, Fiji; 5 July 2003)
Biggest defeat
 Tonga 0–22 Australia 
(Coffs Harbour, Australia; 9 April 2001)

The Tonga men's national football team (Tongan: timi soka fakafonua ʻa Tonga) represents Tonga in men's international football and is controlled by the Tonga Football Association, which is a part of the Oceania Football Confederation.

History

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Information

Football in Tonga

Tonga's greatest football triumph to date was their triumph in the first ever Polynesian Cup held in 1993 over Samoa and the Cook Islands. Although local players have not yet made their mark on big leagues abroad, the Chief Executive of the Tonga Football Association, Joe Topou, was appointed to the FIFA Executive Committee in 2002.

In July 2023, Tonga became unranked within the FIFA rankings due to not having played any matches since they lost 8-0 to Papua New Guinea on 18 July 2019.

The second Goal project

Tonga's second Goal project will develop and improve the national football academy and the association's headquarters in Atele, Tongatapu, which was built in the country's first Goal project. This development work has the aim that all of the Tonga Football Association's needs are fully satisfied. Local matches will be held at the football academy, while the administration's requirements, including the needs of players, officials and spectators, will also be covered. The football school will be transformed into a House of Football.[clarification needed]

Team image

Kit sponsorship

Kit supplier[3] Period
Italy Lotto 2007–2013
2013–2017
Italy Lotto 2018–

Fixtures and results

Main article: Tonga national football team results

2023

18 November 2023 2023 Pacific Games New Caledonia  7–0  Tonga Honiara, Solomon Islands
16:00
Report Stadium: SIFF Academy Field
Referee: Norbert Hauata (Tahiti)
21 November 2023 2023 Pacific Games Tonga  1–2  Cook Islands Honiara, Solomon Islands
16:00 Stadium: SIFF Academy Field
27 November 2023 2023 Pacific Games Tonga  0–4  Tuvalu Honiara, Solomon Islands
13:00 Stadium: SIFF Academy Field
30 November 2023 2023 Pacific Games American Samoa  2–6  Tonga Honiara, Solomon Islands
10:00 Stadium: SIFF Academy Field

2024

20 March 2024 2024 OFC Nations Cup qualification  Tonga v  Samoa Nuku'alofa, Tonga
14.00 Stadium: Teufaiva Stadium
26 March 2024 2024 OFC Nations Cup qualification  Cook Islands v  Tonga Nuku'alofa, Tonga
14.00 Stadium: Teufaiva Stadium

Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2023 Pacific Games.[4]

Caps and goals updated as of 30 November 2023, after the game against American Samoa.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Semisi ‘Otukolo (1999-06-23) 23 June 1999 (age 24) 9 0 Tonga Veitongo
21 1GK David-John Tuamoheloa 2 0 New Zealand Manukau United
20 1GK Justin Toetu’u 1 0 Tonga Longolongo
2 2DF Petelo Naniseni (2003-12-20) 20 December 2003 (age 20) 4 0 Tonga Navutoka
3 2DF Kulisitofa Kite (2003-01-17) 17 January 2003 (age 21) 3 0 Tonga Lavengatonga
4 2DF Nicolas Vea (2003-10-31) 31 October 2003 (age 20) 4 0 Tonga Navutoka
5 2DF Sione Tu’ifangaloka (1999-04-24) 24 April 1999 (age 24) 6 0 Tonga Veitongo
17 2DF Ta’u Tupou 1 0 Tonga Vava'u
18 2DF Fakaofo Tonga (2004-10-29) 29 October 2004 (age 19) 3 0 Tonga Navutoka
6 3MF Petueli Tokotaha (2004-03-25) 25 March 2004 (age 19) 3 2 Tonga Longolongo
7 3MF Tau’aika Sonasi 4 0 Tonga Marist
8 3MF Christopher Kefu (2003-02-11) 11 February 2003 (age 20) 4 0 Tonga Veitongo
9 3MF Taniela Vaka’uta 2 0 Tonga Folaha
15 3MF Petueli Tokotaha (2000-09-10) 10 September 2000 (age 23) 6 2 Tonga Navutoka
16 3MF Mohammed Rajani (1999-04-19) 19 April 1999 (age 24) 4 1 Australia Rockdale Ilinden
10 4FW Amoni Fifita (2004-06-26) 26 June 2004 (age 19) 4 3 Tonga Makave
11 4FW Elias Kendler 3 1 Tonga Haʻamoko United Youth
12 4FW Hemaloto Polovili (1997-07-27) 27 July 1997 (age 26) 14 3 Tonga Veitongo
13 4FW Nuku ‘Esau 3 0 Tonga Navutoka
14 4FW Feki Tufi (2000-04-11) 11 April 2000 (age 23) 2 0 Tonga Veitongo

Player records

As of 18 July 2019[5]
Players in bold are still active with Tonga.

Most appearances

Rank Name Caps Goals Career
1 Kilifi Uele 26 3 1996–2017
2 Unaloto Feao 17 7 2001–2017
3 Lafaele Moala 16 1 2003–2015
4 Folio Moeaki 15 0 2004–2015
Sione Uhatahi 15 1 2007–2019
6 Siu'a Ma'amaloa 14 1 2001–2004
Hemaloto Polovili 14 3 2015–present
8 Kamaliele Papani 11 0 2003–2019
Mark Uhatahi 11 3 2003–2015
10 Kava Huihahau 10 0 2003–2007
Viliami Taufahema 10 0 1996–2003

Top goalscorers

Rank Name Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Unaloto Feao 7 17 0.41 2001–2017
2 Lokoua Taufahema 5 7 0.71 2001–2011
3 Amone Suli 3 1 3 2002
Amoni Fifita 3 4 0.75 2023–present
Mark Uhatahi 3 11 0.27 2003–2015
Hemaloto Polovili 3 14 0.27 2015–present
Kilifi Uele 3 26 0.12 1996–2017
8 Ma'ake Uhatahi 2 2 1 2009
Petueli Tokotaha 2 3 0.67 2017–2019
Pio Palu 2 7 0.29 2007–2011
Timote Moleni 2 8 0.25 1996–2001
Filisione Taufahema 2 8 0.25 2001–2002

Coaching staff

Coaching history

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 Not member of FIFA Not member of FIFA
Italy 1934
France 1938
Brazil 1950
Switzerland 1954
Sweden 1958
Chile 1962
England 1966
Mexico 1970
West Germany 1974
Argentina 1978
Spain 1982
Mexico 1986
Italy 1990
United States 1994 Did not enter Did not enter
France 1998 Did not qualify 4 2 0 2 3 13
South Korea Japan 2002 4 2 0 2 7 30
Germany 2006 4 1 0 3 2 17
South Africa 2010 4 1 0 3 6 10
Brazil 2014 3 1 1 1 4 4
Russia 2018 3 0 0 3 1 8
Qatar 2022 Withdrew Withdrew
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined To be determined
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total — 0/26 – – – – – – 22 7 1 14 23 82

OFC Nations Cup

Oceania Cup / OFC Nations Cup record Qualification record
Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
New Zealand 1973 Did not enter Did not enter
New Caledonia 1980
Pacific Community 1996 Did not qualify 3 1 1 1 4 4
Australia 1998 4 1 1 2 5 9
French Polynesia 2000 4 1 0 3 4 15
New Zealand 2002 4 1 0 3 7 18
Australia 2004 4 1 0 3 2 17
Pacific Community 2008 4 1 0 3 6 10
Solomon Islands 2012 3 1 1 1 4 4
Papua New Guinea 2016 3 0 0 3 1 8
Vanuatu 2024 To be determined To be determined
Total — 0/10 – – – – – – 29 7 3 19 33 85

Pacific Games

Head-to-head record

Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD WPCT
 American Samoa 10 8 0 2 34 12 +22 80.00
 Australia 1 0 0 1 0 22 −22 0.00
 Cook Islands 9 3 2 4 12 14 −2 33.33
 Micronesia 1 1 0 0 7 0 +7 100.00
 Fiji 3 0 0 3 1 17 −16 0.00
 New Caledonia 6 0 0 6 2 43 −41 0.00
 Papua New Guinea 4 0 1 3 2 20 −18 0.00
 Samoa[a] 11 2 3 6 9 21 −12 18.18
 Solomon Islands 5 0 0 5 0 31 −31 0.00
 Tahiti 6 0 0 6 1 28 −27 0.00
 Tuvalu 3 0 0 3 6 13 −7 0.00
 Vanuatu[b] 5 0 0 5 2 33 −31 0.00
 Wallis and Futuna 2 1 0 1 1 3 −2 50.00
Total 66 15 6 45 77 257 −180 22.73
Source: Results
Notes:
  1. ^ Includes results as Western Samoa.
  2. ^ Includes results as New Hebrides.

Honours

See also

References

  1. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA. 21 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  2. ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 30 January 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Antigo(a) Tonga camisas de futebol". Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  4. ^ "Tuʻulalupe Squad". Face. Tonga Football.
  5. ^ "Tonga". National Football Teams.

External links

Tonga national football team
Football in Tonga
National sports teams of Tonga
National football teams of Oceania (OFC)
Tonga national football team – managers
Categories