Football Federation Samoa (FFS) was founded in 1968. The federation has been through a challenging period in recent years with FIFA setting up a normalisation committee in 2008. A spell of inactivity followed for the next two years as the sport was rebuilt in Samoa but the normalisation period ended at the beginning of 2011 with the election to president of Toetu Petana, who is well supported in the role by general secretary Sarai Bareman.

The national league and programmes such as OFC’s Just Play initiative are now running successfully and Samoan national sides are once more fully involved in international fixtures and OFC tournaments. Indeed, Samoa have made such an impact on their return to the international fold that they will be competing in Stage 2 of the Oceania qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup after winning Stage 1 as hosts in 2011.

Off the field, the FIFA Goal Project has seen the development of international standard pitches on which the South Pacific Games in 2007 and Stage 1 of the World Cup qualifiers were both held.

The world game is especially popular with children and teenagers as the Football Federation Samoa work hard to implement grassroots programmes. At the top level, Tim Cahill has brought a dash of Samoan football to the English professional scene by starring for Everton in the Premier League.