Samoa national football team
National Soccer Stadium | |||
FIFA code | SAM | ||
---|---|---|---|
| |||
FIFA ranking | |||
Current | 186 (15 February 2024)[1] | ||
Highest | 146 (December 2007) | ||
Lowest | 204 (November 2011) | ||
First international | |||
Solomon Islands 12–0 Western Samoa (Suva, Fiji; 31 August 1979) | |||
Biggest win | |||
Samoa 10–0 American Samoa (Honiara, Solomon Islands; 20 November 2023) | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
Tahiti 13–0 Western Samoa (Honiara, Solomon Islands; 13 July 1981) | |||
OFC Nations Cup | |||
Appearances | 2 (first in 2012) | ||
Best result | Group stage, 2012 and 2016 |
The Samoa men's national association football team (Samoan: Sāmoa soka au) represents Samoa in men's international football and is controlled by the Football Federation Samoa, the governing body for football in Samoa. Samoa's home ground is Toleafoa J. S. Blatter Soccer Stadium in Apia. It was known as the Western Samoa national football team until 1997.
History
Beginnings (1979–1993)
Although they had not taken part in the first five editions of the
Samoa entered qualification for the
Regional Frustrations (1994–2010)
In 1994 they hosted the first edition of the Polynesia Cup, where they beat American Samoa, tied with Tonga and lost to Tahiti to finish in third position. In 1998 they were third again, coming within a point of the Cook Islands in second. Samoa returned to finish third again in the 2000 edition by beating Tonga and American Samoa, but losing to the Cook Islands and Tahiti.
After four tournaments absent, they returned in the 2007 South Pacific Games as hosts. They managed six points by beating Tonga and American Samoa again, but were eliminated after losing to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
OFC Nations Cup (2011–present)
In 2011, they hosted the OFC Nations Cup qualifying tournament. There, they beat the Cook Islands 3–2, drew 1–1 with Tonga and defeated American Samoa 1–0 to qualify for the first time in their history. At the championship proper, they were beaten 10–1 by Tahiti, 5–0 by Vanuatu and 9–0 by New Caledonia.
In the 2016 qualifiers, they beat American Samoa 3–2 and lost 1–0 to the Cook Islands. In their final game, the Samoan team defeated Tonga 3–0 and qualified on goal difference, because of American Samoa's 2–0 win over the Cookian team. At the tournament, which took place in Papua New Guinea, the Samoan team lost 4–0 to Tahiti, 7–0 to New Caledonia and 8–0 to the local team. Therefore, they finished in last place in their group without a single point.
Kit sponsorship
Kit supplier[3] | Period |
---|---|
Puma | ? |
Lotto | 2003 |
Uhlsport | 2005 |
Lotto | 2007–2013 |
Nike |
2015–2016 |
Adidas | 2017 |
Lotto | 2019– |
Results and fixtures
2024
20 March Nuku'alofa , Tonga | ||||
Stadium: Teufaiva Stadium |
23 March Nuku'alofa , Tonga | ||||
Stadium: Teufaiva Stadium |
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | TBA | v | Samoa | TBD |
Stadium: TBD |
Coaching staff
Position | Name |
---|---|
Head coach | Ryan Stewart |
Assistant coach | Alastair McLae |
Goalkeeping coach | Joseph Kapisi |
Team manager | Saolotoga Pula |
Technical adviser | Jess Ibrom |
Gear manager | Bevan Kapisi |
International Scout | Alastair McLae |
International Scout | Russ Gurr |
Coaching history
- Terry Epa (1996–2001)
- Vic Fernandez (2001–2002)
- Malo Vaga (2002)
- David Brand(2002/2005)
- Rudi Gutendorf (2003)
- Falevi Umutaua (2007)
- Tunoa Lui (2011)
- Malo Vaga (2012–2014)
- Phineas Young (2014–2016)
- Scott Easthope (2016–2018)
- Paul Ualesi (2019)
- Matt Calcott (2021–2022)
- Ryan Stewart (2023–present)
Players
The following players were called up for the 2023 Pacific Games.[4]
Caps and goals correct as of 18 July 2019, after the game against Vanuatu.
Player records
- As of 27 November 2023[5]
- Players in bold are still active with Samoa.
Most appearances
Rank | Name | Caps | Goals | Career |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Desmond Fa'aiuaso | 20 | 9 | 2001–2016 |
2 | Andrew Setefano | 18 | 0 | 2011–present |
3 | Filipo Bureta | 14 | 0 | 2001–2016 |
Lionel Taylor | 14 | 1 | 2004–2016 | |
5 | Junior Michael | 13 | 5 | 1996–2007 |
6 | Silao Malo | 12 | 2 | 2011–2016 |
7 | Pualele Lemana | 11 | 3 | 2001–2004 |
Mike Saofaiga | 11 | 0 | 2011–2019 | |
9 | Jarrell Sale | 10 | 0 | 2007–2015 |
Penitito Tumua | 10 | 2 | 2004–2011 |
Top goalscorers
Rank | Name | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Desmond Fa'aiuaso | 9 | 20 | 0.45 | 2001–2016 |
2 | Michael Tumua Leo | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2023–present |
Junior Michael | 5 | 13 | 0.38 | 1996–2007 | |
4 | Tama Fasavalu | 3 | 4 | 0.75 | 2002–2004 |
Pualele Lemana | 3 | 11 | 0.27 | 2001–2004 | |
6 | Albert Bell | 2 | 3 | 0.67 | 2011 |
Chris Cahill | 2 | 3 | 0.67 | 2007 | |
Luke Gosche | 2 | 3 | 0.67 | 2011–2012 | |
Vito Laloata | 2 | 3 | 0.67 | 2015–2019 | |
Peniamina Timo | 2 | 5 | 0.4 | 2001–2002 | |
Johnny Hall | 2 | 6 | 0.33 | 2015–2016 | |
Ben Lemana | 2 | 6 | 0.33 | 1996–2001 | |
Andrew Mobberley | 2 | 9 | 0.22 | 2015–2019 | |
Penitito Tumua | 2 | 10 | 0.2 | 2004–2011 | |
Silao Malo | 2 | 12 | 0.17 | 2011–2016 |
Competitive record
FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup qualification record | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
1930 to 1986 | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | |||||||||||||
as Western Samoa | as Western Samoa | ||||||||||||||
1990 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
1994 | Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||
as Samoa | as Samoa | ||||||||||||||
1998 | Did not qualify | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||
2002 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 18 | |||||||||
2006 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 11 | |||||||||
2010 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 8 | |||||||||
2014 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 27 | |||||||||
2018 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 22 | |||||||||
2022 | Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||
2026 | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||
2030 | |||||||||||||||
2034 | |||||||||||||||
Total | – | 0/9 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 26 | 9 | 1 | 16 | 37 | 88 |
OFC Nations Cup
Oceania Cup / OFC Nations Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
as Western Samoa | ||||||||||||||||
1973
|
Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
1980
| ||||||||||||||||
1996 | Did not qualify | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 10 | |||||||||
as Samoa | ||||||||||||||||
1998 | Did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 7 | |||||||||
2000 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 6 | ||||||||||
2002 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 9 | ||||||||||
2004 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 11 | ||||||||||
2008 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 8 | ||||||||||
2012 | Group stage | 8th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 24 | Squad | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | |
2016 | Group stage | 8th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 19 | Squad | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | |
2024 | To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
Total | Group stage | 2/10 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 43 | — | 29 | 14 | 2 | 13 | 59 | 57 |
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 | 10th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 19 |
1983 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 8 |
1987 | Did not enter | |||||||
1991 | ||||||||
1995 | ||||||||
2003 | ||||||||
2007 | Group stage | 5th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 8 |
2011
|
Did not enter | |||||||
2015
|
N/A – tournament was U23 | |||||||
2019 | Group stage | 8th | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 22 |
2023 | Group stage | 7th | 4 | 21 | 0 | 2 | 141 | 3 |
Total | Quarter-finals | 5/16 | 19 | 6 | 1 | 12 | 36 | 60 |
- Cook Islands forfeited the tournament before the seventh place final, Samoa received a 3-0 walkover win.
Head-to-head record
As of 18 July 2019[6]
Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | WPCT |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
American Samoa | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 5 | +39 | 100.00 |
Australia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | −11 | 0.00 |
Chinese Taipei | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | −5 | 0.00 |
Cook Islands | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 9 | −1 | 33.33 |
Fiji | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 22 | −20 | 0.00 |
Guam | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 0.00 |
New Caledonia | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 29 | −29 | 0.00 |
New Zealand | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 19 | −19 | 0.00 |
Papua New Guinea | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 26 | −23 | 0.00 |
Solomon Islands | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 20 | −20 | 0.00 |
Tahiti | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 43 | −40 | 0.00 |
Tonga | 11 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 21 | 9 | +12 | 54.55 |
Tuvalu | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | −3 | 0.00 |
Vanuatu | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 36 | −35 | 0.00 |
Wallis and Futuna | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 0.00 |
Total | 64 | 18 | 4 | 42 | 86 | 246 | −160 | 28.13 |
Includes results as Western Samoa.
References
- ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA. 15 February 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
- ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 15 February 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
- ^ "Samoa Football Shirts". OldFootballShirts.com. Archived from the original on 30 November 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
- ^ "Match report" (PDF). OFC.
- ^ "Samoa". National Football Teams.
- ^ "World Football Elo Ratings: Samoa". Elo Ratings. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2017.