Tonga's Tu'ulalupe football team exits the OFC Under-19 Men's Championship 2026 qualifying tournament after suffering back-to-back defeats in Rarotonga, including a 4-1 loss to hosts Cook Islands in their final match.

Team Tonga opened their tournament with a 4-0 defeat to Papua New Guinea at the CIFA Academy.

Despite the scoreline against Papua New Guinea, Tonga produced a competitive performance for much of the contest and created several scoring opportunities against one of the tournament favourites.

Head coach Lui Muavesi said his side had followed its game plan well during the opening stages.

"I thought we started the game well and followed our game plan during the opening stages," Muavesi said.

"Unfortunately, a misunderstanding in our defence led to PNG's first goal. We also had some good chances to score through Tevita and Siaki, but we couldn't convert them."

Muavesi praised midfielder Va'inga Loti for his efforts in the middle of the park as Tonga remained competitive throughout much of the second half.

Needing a win in their final fixture, Tonga faced the host nation but were unable to recover from a dominant first-half display by Cook Islands.

Cook Islands captain Dallas Rongokea opened the scoring in the 16th minute before Josef Crocombe doubled the advantage shortly before halftime. Rongokea added his second goal in first-half stoppage time to send the hosts into the break with a commanding 3-0 lead.

The result was effectively sealed on the hour mark when a cross from the right wing resulted in an own goal by Tonga defender Fetu'u Tonga.

To their credit, Tu'ulalupe continued to fight until the final whistle and were rewarded in stoppage time when Fonua Moala scored Tonga's lone goal of the tournament.

The victory gave Cook Islands their first-ever win over Tonga at under-19 level in OFC competition and ended Tonga's hopes of progressing to the championship proper.

While disappointed with the results, Tonga officials said the tournament had provided valuable international experience for the young squad as they continue their development on the regional stage.

The team will remain in Rarotonga before returning home on Thursday.