Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) is pleased to bring you a series of profiles featuring the international players expected to be key performers at the OFC U-20 Women’s Championship New Zealand 2009 to be held at Auckland’s North Harbour Stadium from 5-9 October.
Today we feature the member of the Tonga U-20 Women’s national team known to her midfielder partners as ‘the pace-maker,’ Sela Va’enuku.
Sela Va’enuku Biography
Name: Sela Va’enuku
Profession: Student
Full Name: Salome Sela Va’enuku
Date of Birth: 20 February 1990, (age: 19)
Place of Birth: Tongatapu
Height: 163m
Playing Position: Midfielder
Current Club: Nuku’alofa Eleven
Football Years: 7 years
Favourite player: Martha Vieira da Silva.
Nickname: ‘Pace-maker’
NATIONAL TEAM
2006 – OFC U-20 World Cup Qualifiers (Samoa) Silver
2007 – OFC Senior Women’s Qualifiers (Papua New Guinea) 3rd
2007 – South Pacific Games (Samoa) Silver medal
SPECIAL AWARDS
TFA Scholarship – 2006, 2007, 2008.
Detailed Bio:
Hailing from a family of four girls and a brother, Salome Sela Va’enuku’s passion for football grew with her first taste of competitive football coming as the only girl playing in a Primary School boy’s team in 2000.
That year her team finished third in the TFA Primary Schools tournament and from there on she began her love affair with football.
This early taste of success gave Va’enuku a competitive hunger and a drive to achieve her ultimate goal of being a professional football player.
Va’enuku is a mid fielder for TFA club side Nuku’alofa Eleven and has been playing this position for all of her football career. In 2005 she qualified for the Tonga National Women’s U-20 team.
Also known as a ‘pace maker’ during local games, Va’enuku is honoured to be poised to gain her fourth national cap at the upcoming OFC U-20 Women’s Championships in Auckland.
Va’enuku’s tenacity and fitness in midfield will make her a key player for the Tongan squad as they prepare for upcoming OFC World Cup Qualification Championship.
Courtesy of TFA Media