Samoa football

Two second-half goals in as many minutes set up Ryan Stewart’s side in a match that dominated from start to finish, giving Tonga little opportunity throughout the 90 minutes.

There was strong local support for both sides as Samoa started brightly, controlling possession deep in Tongan territory, their opponents happy to sit back and try to exploit any space on the counter.

Just under half an hour in and Tongan goalkeeper Nimilote Moala was called into action, producing a strong save to deny Greg Siamoa after the forward had been played in on the right-hand side channel.

Lupe could not play Auckland City citing player injuries.

Auckland were therefore awarded the game 3-0, although they had already qualified for the semi-finals.

Lupe had lost its previous two pool games.

The Samoa Observer reports Autū Andy Ripley was advised of his suspension by the federation's board two weeks ago.

The decision for the suspension is not clear and Ripley told the newspaper he too was unclear why.

The President of the Federation's Board, Papalii Samuel Leslie Petaia, could not be reached for comment.

The senior and junior leagues wrapped up at the end of November, before an awards ceremony was held at the Football Federation Samoa (FFS) National Headquarters in Tuana’imato earlier this month.  

It went down to the wire in the men’s division, with Lupe o le Soaga holding on to win the title a point ahead of Vaipuna SC, while Kiwi won 20 of their 22 games to win the women’s competition by a four-point margin ahead of Faatoia United.  

The qualifying stage winners upset Fijian Premier League champions Ba FC 4-3 at Stade Mahina last night to give themselves a faint hope of reaching the knockout rounds.

The Samoan side raced out to a 4-0 half-time lead following goals from Jamie Mason, Tomas Mosqera, Vaa Taualai and Ritchievoy Ueligitone.

But with the match seemingly settled, Ba burst into life with three goals in six second half minutes, from Malakai Tiwa, Saula Waqa and Samuela Drudru, to cut the deficit to one with around a quarter of an hour still to play.

The state of emergency declared in response to Samoa's deadly measles epidemic resulted in the Upolu Premier League's 2019 season being cut short.

However league leaders, Lupe o le Soaga, will still be representing the country in the oceania pre-qualification tournament which kicks off on 20 January in Auckland, with two places in the main draw up for grabs.

The team's coach, Paul Ualesi, said without domestic competitions, he has had to make adjustments to their preparations.

Mr Falaniko Naumea, Asi Stanley Mamea, and Jarvis Filimalae left the country last night after being awarded scholarships to attend Hastings Boys High School.

FFS spokesperson Martin Tamasese acknowledged the special opportunity this partnership with Hastings Boys (HBHS) would offer these three young local boys.

“It’s great to have these kinds of opportunities for our local players. I think it’s a great chance for them to get more exposure and experience not only in football but on the education side as well,” said Mr. Tamasese.

Pele Tamaolaefale is a 15 year old soccer enthusiast and is a key player in the recent success of the Samoa Nation Under 17s team that took part in the OFC Preliminary Tournament.

The team went to secure a spot for Samoa in the OFC Championships to be held in Tahiti next year.

Tamaolaefale’s position as goal keeper for Samoa has impressed many including scouts from overseas, considering the position as the last line of defense in any team. He calls it the core of any soccer team.

RNZI reports the result follows a 5-0 defeat to Lower Hutt City last week and a 2-1 victory against Stop Out at the weekend.

Head coach Scott Easthope said the tour was a chance to give local players an experience they can't get at home, with all but four of their squad based in Samoa.

A member of the bronze-medal winning Samoa side at the 2015 OFC U-20 Women’s Championship in Tonga, Fiso says she is using that experience to guide her U-17 team in Rarotonga.

“I really like being captain, this is my first time captaining a side at this level, but I enjoy helping the girls by guiding them on and off the field,” Fiso says.

“I am still learning and I think I can improve the way we prepare for games.

“If we can warm up better and work better the day before games it will help us to do well.”