Tonga’s national Under-19s soccer team have successfully qualified for the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) U-19 Championship tournament in Tahiti, after forcing a 1 – 1 draw against Samoa on Saturday 2 June. The game was the final round of the U19 OFC Championship Qualifiers tournament in Rarotonga, Cook Islands.

Samoa needed to defeat team Tonga who were leading on qualifying points, thanks to decisive victories over the Cook Islands (3 – 0) and American Samoa (2 – 0) last week.

Samoa led 1 – 0 at half time with an early goal by Malo Samuela. The score was levelled in the 66^th minute after a long-range kick from Tuia Falepapalangi from at least 30 metres out from the Samoan goal.

Tonga’s head coach, Soane Mailangi said in a statement after the game, “This is the moment we have been waiting for, just like I said before, this is history, the first time for Tonga to go through.

“This U-19 age group, we have put them through a good pathway, we trusted them and today we are the team that came top of this tournament,” he said.

“I’m proud of the team, proud of our technical director for his technical advice for us, this is the moment that we have been waiting for…today we came out on top.”

Soane Mailangi said that his boys were already preparing for Tahiti and was confident that they could produce results.

Mailangi stated, “Even before we left Tonga to qualify for Tahiti was in us, we worked on it and now it became a reality for us, we go to the next stage in Tahiti and we will play New Zealand, Tahiti and Papua New Guinea and I know these boys can get some more good results for Tonga.”

The Tonga U19s Soccer team is now scheduled to face Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Tahiti in their pool of the 2018 OFC Championships. The first game will kick-off on 5 August against Papua New Guinea.

Tonga team list: Semisi Otukolo, Petueli Tokotaha, Sione Tuifangaloka, Ofa Kite, Tevita Vakatapu, Kalakaua Faiva'ilo, Tevita Kau, Mohammad Rajani, Viliami Tukia, Anthony Likiliki, Vai Lutu, Tevita Sili, Opesi Tu'ifangaloka, Sione Va'enuku, Meimeite Siale, Tellos Kaufusi, Atunaisa Namoa, Setafano Vaomo'unga, Sionela Lui