Draft:Samoa Women's U16 Football Team

Samoan U16 Women's Football
Samoan U16 Squad after qualifying for the 2025 World Cup
Head Coach
Juan Chang Urrea
Coaches
Assistant CoachKristina Ahching
Goalkeeper CoachRonisa Lipi
Team ManagerPoto Lio
Gear ManagerEaster Oka
PhysiotherapistBriar Petrie

In September 2024, the Samoa women's national under-16 football team made history by becoming the first Samoan team, across all genders and age groups, to qualify for a FIFA World Cup tournament. The team secured their place in the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup by defeating New Caledonia 2-0 in the semi-finals of the OFC U-16 Women's Championship.

This landmark achievement is a testament to the team's dedication and skill, and it marks a significant step forward for the development of women's football in Samoa. It also highlights the growing strength of women's football in the Oceania region.

The Qualifying Tournament

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Prior to June 2024, Samoa had not yet secured qualification for any FIFA World Cup tournament across any age group or gender. This historic achievement was attained by the Samoa national under-16 women's team through their exceptional performance in the OFC Women's U-16 Championship qualifying tournament held in Auckland, New Zealand. Captained by Grace Taeoalii, the team secured convincing victories against Papua New Guinea and American Samoa, both with a score of 11-0, earning them the final qualification spot for the OFC Women's U-16 Championship held in Fiji in September 2024.

OFC U-16 Women’s Championship

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Despite being the last team to qualify for the OFC U-16 Women's Championship, Samoa quickly established itself as a strong contender, progressing through the group stage undefeated and without conceding a goal. Samoa's performance in this tournament has been remarkable, demonstrating their potential on the international stage and marking a significant milestone in Samoan football history.

Group Stage:

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  • Samoa began their campaign with a decisive 10-0 victory over the Cook Islands.
  • They then faced a tougher challenge against traditional rivals Tonga, but ultimately secured a 2-0 win, marking their first instance of two consecutive victories in the OFC U-16 Women's Championship.
  • In their final group match against hosts Fiji, Samoa secured a 1-0 victory. This result confirmed their top position in Group A.

Semi-Final:

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In a high-stakes match against New Caledonia, with a spot in the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup on the line, Samoa scored two early goals to secure a victory and a historic first-ever qualification for a Samoan team to a FIFA World Cup tournament.

Final:

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As of September 20, 2024, the final against New Zealand is yet to be played.

Competition Format

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Group A
Team Score Team Score
Cook Islands 0 Samoa 10
Fiji 3 Tonga 3
Samoa 2 Tonga 0
Fiji 2 Cook Islands 0
Tonga 6 Cook Islands 0
Samoa 1 Fiji 0
Group B
Team Score Team Score
New Zealand 8 New Caledonia 0
Tahiti 0 Solomon Islands 2
New Zealand 5 Tahiti 0
Solomon Islands 1 New Caledonia 2
Solomon Islands 0 New Zealand 1
New Caledonia 3 Tahiti 1
Semi Finals
Team Score Team Score
Samoa 2 New Caledonia 0
New Zealand 8 Tonga 0
Final
Team Score Team Score
Samoa TBC New Zealand TBC
3rd and 4th Place Playoff
Team Score Team Score
New Caledonia TBC Tonga TBC
5th and 6th Place Playoff
Team Score Team Score
Fiji 1 Solomon Islands 0
7th and 8th Place Playoff
Team Score Team Score
Cook Islands 1 Tahiti 2

The Squad

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2024 Samoan U16 Women's Football Squad
Number Name
5 T DEVOUX
6 Breanna KITIONA
9 Holly LEAPAI
10 Lynn AIONO SAGIAO (C)
14 Kealia NANSEN
15 Mia AFOA
16 Simone BLOOD
19 Ayres AVA
20 Jayde SAGAPOLUTELE
21 Leah ATUAIA
22 Margaret FAGASUISUI TUII (GK)
1 Siatunuu MCCARTHY (GK)
2 Cali WILLIS
3 Imogen PANAPA
4 Tamani SKEERS
7 Brielle TAUTUA
8 Florencina KALIFA
11 Lahila GALI
13 Mikayla AFOA
17 Grace TAEOALII
18 Kennedy CORKIN
23 Jhalilah SIO

References

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[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

  1. ^ "FIFA".
  2. ^ "ABC Pacific". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  3. ^ "Samoa Observer".
  4. ^ "Friends of Football".
  5. ^ "Stuff". www.stuff.co.nz.
  6. ^ "OFC U-16 Women's Championship 2024". Oceania Football Confederation.
  7. ^ "Statement win from Samoa kicks off OFC Women's U-16 Championship".