Tonga national football team

Tonga

Nickname(s)	Tu’Ulalupe
Association	Tonga Football Association
Confederation	OFC (Oceania)
Head coach	Kilifi Uele
Captain	Hemaloto Polovili
Most caps	Kilifi Uele (26)
Top scorer	Unaloto Feao (7)
Home stadium	Teufaiva Sport Stadium Tonga Football Association Stadium
FIFA code	TGA
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	196 (15 February 2024)[1]
Highest	163 (October 1998)
Lowest	207 (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

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
Lotto	2007–2013
	2013–2017
Lotto	2018–

Fixtures and results

2023

2024

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	Veitongo
21	1GK	David-John Tuamoheloa		2	0	Manukau United
20	1GK	Justin Toetu’u		1	0	Longolongo
2	2DF	Petelo Naniseni	(2003-12-20) 20 December 2003 (age 20)	4	0	Navutoka
3	2DF	Kulisitofa Kite	(2003-01-17) 17 January 2003 (age 21)	3	0	Lavengatonga
4	2DF	Nicolas Vea	(2003-10-31) 31 October 2003 (age 20)	4	0	Navutoka
5	2DF	Sione Tu’ifangaloka	(1999-04-24) 24 April 1999 (age 24)	6	0	Veitongo
17	2DF	Ta’u Tupou		1	0	Vava'u
18	2DF	Fakaofo Tonga	(2004-10-29) 29 October 2004 (age 19)	3	0	Navutoka
6	3MF	Petueli Tokotaha	(2004-03-25) 25 March 2004 (age 20)	3	2	Longolongo
7	3MF	Tau’aika Sonasi		4	0	Marist
8	3MF	Christopher Kefu	(2003-02-11) 11 February 2003 (age 21)	4	0	Veitongo
9	3MF	Taniela Vaka’uta		2	0	Folaha
15	3MF	Petueli Tokotaha	(2000-09-10) 10 September 2000 (age 23)	6	2	Navutoka
16	3MF	Mohammed Rajani	(1999-04-19) 19 April 1999 (age 24)	4	1	Rockdale Ilinden
10	4FW	Amoni Fifita	(2004-06-26) 26 June 2004 (age 19)	4	2	Makave
11	4FW	Elias Kendler		3	1	Haʻamoko United Youth
12	4FW	Hemaloto Polovili	(1997-07-27) 27 July 1997 (age 26)	14	3	Veitongo
13	4FW	Nuku ‘Esau		3	0	Navutoka
14	4FW	Feki Tufi	(2000-04-11) 11 April 2000 (age 23)	2	0	Veitongo

Player records

As of 20 March 2024^[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
	Hemaloto Polovili	15	3	2015–present
7	Siu'a Ma'amaloa	14	1	2001–2004
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	5	0.6	2023–present
	Mark Uhatahi	3	11	0.27	2003–2015
	Hemaloto Polovili	3	15	0.2	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											Qualification
Year	Host	Result	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	F	A		Pld	W	D	L	F	A
1930 to 1990		Not member of FIFA									Not member of FIFA
1994	United States	Did not enter									Did not enter
1998	France	Did not qualify									4	2	0	2	3	13
2002	South Korea  Japan										4	2	0	2	7	30
2006	Germany										4	1	0	3	2	17
2010	South Africa										4	1	0	3	6	10
2014	Brazil										3	1	1	1	4	4
2018	Russia										3	0	0	3	1	8
2022	Qatar	Withdrew									Withdrew
2026	Canada  Mexico  United States	To be determined									To be determined
2030	Morocco  Portugal  Spain
2034	Saudi Arabia
Total		—	0/8	–	–	–	–	–	–		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
1973	Did not enter									Did not enter
1980
1996	Did not qualify									3	1	1	1	4	4
1998										4	1	1	2	5	9
2000										4	1	0	3	4	15
2002										4	1	0	3	7	18
2004										4	1	0	3	2	17
2008										4	1	0	3	6	10
2012										3	1	1	1	4	4
2016										3	0	0	3	1	8
2024										2	0	0	2	1	5
Total	—	0/10	–	–	–	–	–	–		31	7	3	21	34	90

Pacific Games

Head-to-head record

Team v t e	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

Honours

• Polynesia Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 1994

See also

• Tonga national under-23 football team
• Tonga national under-20 football team
• Tonga national under-17 football team
• Tonga women's national football team
• Tonga women's national under-20 football team

References

External links

• Tonga at OFC
• Tonga at FIFA