The tournament, the first step on the Oceania path to qualifying for Brazil 2014, is being held at the J.S. Blatter Field in Apia and a rowdy group of locals crammed into the venue to witness their team get off to a good start in dramatic fashion.
“It was very encouraging and we were very happy to see all those people out there,” Curtis says of the vocal backing.
“If we keep playing the way we are, and maybe step it up a level, I think we will do well. We’re hoping just to do as well as we can and keep the Samoan people happy.”
They were certainly happy yesterday after taking in a thrilling game of football, finally decided by a last-gasp Pati Bell strike after fleet-footed forward Luki Gosche had earlier found the net twice for Samoa.
“We made it hard for ourselves but we are delighted with the win and feel very humbled. We are thankful to the Cook Islands for giving us such a good game,” Curtis says.
The 32-year-old is based in the New Zealand capital city of Wellington, where he stars for the Wellington Olympic club in the local competitions. He was born to a Samoan mother and a Maori father and admits he had never even set foot on Samoan soil prior to this week.
“This was my first game and it’s also my first trip to Samoa,” he says. “I’m loving it, I couldn’t have hoped for a better start.”
Despite having only familial ties to the country he is now lining up for, Curtis is fiercely proud of his Samoan roots and has been waiting for this opportunity for some time.
“It means everything,” he says. “I’ve been wanting to play for Samoa for the last ten years and now it is finally happening. I feel very privileged to be here and I’m having a lot of fun.”
The challenge now is to keep the fun going with further wins against Tonga and American Samoa. The home fans would then have more than enough to be happy about.

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