Akolo conceded the same number of goals against New Zealand as the number of years she’s spent on the planet, yet the 15-year-old remains surprising upbeat about her first game guarding the net.
“I was glad to be goalkeeper, this was my first time playing in this position and I really enjoyed it,” she says.
“When I started as a keeper I was nervous, but I was happy I chose to play there and now I’m ready for the next game.”
Akolo actually made her senior national team debut earlier this year in Papua New Guinea during the XV Pacific Games, however it was at the opposite end of the pitch as striker.
“I only changed recently,” she explains, “I volunteered actually.”
Local supporters really got behind the youngster, but they weren’t the only ones impressed by her star turn, with her Kiwi opponents also picking up on her abilities betweent the sticks.
“She performed very well, which made it difficult for us to score a few more goals,” an impressed Emma Rolston said following the match.
“It was an awesome match from her.”
The hat-trick scoring Rolston’s sentiment was shared by her coach Leon Birnie who was equally impressed with the burgeoning talent.
“I would have to give some recognition to the Tongan goalkeeper, she was outstanding and pulled off some great saves,” he says.
“They are really lucky if they can keep her involved, she is a great talent.”
Akolo herself says a lot of training went into the encounter against New Zealand so it was disappointing to lose by such a large margin, however she sure the team will pick themselves up.
“My team played well but we didn’t talk enough or play cool on the ball,” she says.
“We are just looking forward to our next game. We need to prove that we can win the next match.”

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