Tonga national football team Facts for Kids

This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Tonga women's national football team.

Quick facts for kids
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

204

(7 February 2019)

Highest

163 (October 1998)

Lowest

207 (April 2018, July 2019)

Elo ranking

Current

233

(3 March 2019)

Highest

180 (August 1979)

Lowest

235 (September 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.

Team image

Kit sponsorship

Kit supplier	Period
Lotto	2007–2013
	2013–2017
Lotto	2018–

Fixtures and results

2023

2023 Pacific Games 18 November 2023	New Caledonia	7–0	Tonga	Honiara, Solomon Islands
16:00	Waya 2', 56', 62' Vakié 5' Zeoula 16' Wélépane 24' Katrawa 26'	Report		Stadium: SIFF Academy Field Referee: Norbert Hauata (Tahiti)

2023 Pacific Games 21 November 2023	Tonga	1–2	Cook Islands	Honiara, Solomon Islands
16:00				Stadium: SIFF Academy Field

2023 Pacific Games 27 November 2023	Tonga	0–4	Tuvalu	Honiara, Solomon Islands
13:00				Stadium: SIFF Academy Field

2023 Pacific Games 30 November 2023	American Samoa	2–6	Tonga	Honiara, Solomon Islands
10:00				Stadium: SIFF Academy Field

2024

2024 OFC Nations Cup qualification 20 March	Tonga	1–4	Samoa	Nuku'alofa, Tonga
14:00	Kite 90+5'	https://www.oceaniafootball.com/competition-list/ofc-mens-nations-cup-2024-qualifying-stage-2700242469/tonga-samoa-2700704472/	Tumua 11' (pen.) Viliamu 45+1', 60' Stowers 89'	Stadium: Teufaiva Stadium Attendance: 300 Referee: Luke Gardner (New Zealand)

2024 OFC Nations Cup qualification 26 March	Cook Islands	1–0	Tonga	Nuku'alofa, Tonga
14:00				Stadium: Teufaiva Stadium

Current squad

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

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 25)	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 21)	4	0	Navutoka
5	2DF	Sione Tu’ifangaloka	(1999-04-24) 24 April 1999 (age 25)	6	0	Veitongo
17	2DF	Ta’u Tupou		1	0	Vava'u
18	2DF	Fakaofo Tonga	(2004-10-29) 29 October 2004 (age 20)	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 24)	6	2	Navutoka
16	3MF	Mohammed Rajani	(1999-04-19) 19 April 1999 (age 25)	4	1	Rockdale Ilinden

10	4FW	Amoni Fifita	(2004-06-26) 26 June 2004 (age 20)	4	2	Makave
11	4FW	Elias Kendler		3	1	Haʻamoko United Youth
12	4FW	Hemaloto Polovili	(1997-07-27) 27 July 1997 (age 27)	14	3	Veitongo
13	4FW	Nuku ‘Esau		3	0	Navutoka
14	4FW	Feki Tufi	(2000-04-11) 11 April 2000 (age 24)	2	0	Veitongo

Player records

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
8	Mark Uhatahi	11	3	2003–2015
10	Kava Huihahau	10	0	2003–2007
10	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

Tongia Nāpa'a (1979)
Rudi Gutendorf (1981)
Umberto Mottini (1997–1998)
Gary Phillips (2001)
Heinave Kaifa (2002–2003)
Milan Janković (2003–2005)
Ben Perry (2005–2006)
Reece McLaughlin (2006–2007)
Chris Williams (2011)
Timote Moleni (2015–2023)
Kilifi Uele (2024–present)

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	Did not enter								Did not enter
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

Pacific Games record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
1963	Did not enter
1966
1969
1971
1975
1979	Group stage	7th	4	1	0	3	5	20
1983	Group stage	7th	3	1	1	1	6	8
1987	Did not enter
1991
1995
2003	Group stage	7th	4	1	1	2	9	10
2007	Group stage	7th	4	1	0	3	6	10
2011	Did not enter
2015	N/A – tournament was U23
2019	Group stage	11th	4	0	0	4	0	37
2023	Group stage	11th	4	1	0	3	7	13
Total	Group stage	6/16	23	5	2	17	31	98

Pacific Mini Games

Pacific Mini Games record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
1981	Did not enter
1993	Group stage	7th	3	0	0	3	0	19
2017	Sixth place	6th	5	0	0	5	5	25
Total	Sixth place	2/3	8	0	0	8	5	44

Polynesia Cup

Polynesia Cup record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
1994	Runners-up	2nd	3	1	1	1	4	4
1998	Fourth place	4th	4	1	1	2	5	9
2000	Fourth place	4th	4	1	0	3	4	15
Total	Runners-up	3/3	11	3	2	6	13	28