Coach Chris Williams took his training squad to Auckland last month for a 10-day camp at the OFC Academy at Mt Smart Stadium and followed that up with a pair of matches against Lotoha’apai FC, won 2-0 and 2-1 respectively, upon the squad’s return to Tonga.
But the real test of the players’ abilities took place on the New Zealand sojourn, during which Tonga took on teams from the Eastern Suburbs and Albany United clubs. Both outfits are among the stronger Auckland clubs and the games gave Williams’ men the chance to face players of a higher standard than they usually encounter.
Further top-class opposition will be provided on November 17 when the side travels to Fiji to meet Lautoka, the country’s representatives in the previous edition of the O-League.
Williams is delighted to have pencilled in the match and believes it will form a vital part of his team’s preparations for Samoa.
“It’s important to have games against high-level players and teams leading up to any tournament,” he says. “To play against a team of high calibre such as Lautoka can only help boost our preparations one week out from our first game proper.”
Although Tonga will share the underdogs tag with American Samoa leading up to the tournament, Williams feels his charges are capable of springing an upset or two.
“Our road to Samoa has been a very difficult path but the boys have shown so much positive tranformation and many improvements. I have faith in my boys and I believe they will deliver that diehard Tongan spirit.”
The preliminary stage of the OFC Nations Cup also doubles as the first step on Oceania’s qualifying path for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and, according to general secretary Lui Aho, is an important event for the Tonga Football Association.
He is looking forward to seeing the men’s team back on the park after a period of inactivity that has featured only two games against Cook Islands in the last four years.
“We have prioritised women’s football but I believe it’s time to create a balance and reintroduce a pathway for men’s football in order to put Tonga back on Oceania’s football map,” Aho says.
Tonga open their tournament against American Samoa on November 22 and will then meet Samoa on the 24th before taking on Cook Islands in their final game on the 26th.
For more news and information on Tonga football go to www.tongafootball.to

Share