The Cook Islands are gearing up for a challenging campaign in Group A of the upcoming OFC Women’s Nations Cup, with head coach Angela Wallbank expressing confidence in her side’s preparation and potential to make a deep run.
The 2025 edition in Fiji marks the Cook Islands’ fifth appearance at the tournament. With a renewed sense of purpose, a revamped squad, and valuable recent experience under their belts, Wallbank believes her team is ready to step up against some of the Pacific’s best.
“We’ve been preparing very well,” said Wallbank. “We’ve incorporated on-field sessions and off-field programmes, and all the girls have been putting in the work. There’s a real hunger in the group to prove ourselves.”
Photo/CIFA
The Cook Islands will play their Group matches in Lautoka and will will open their campaign on 4 July against Tahiti, followed by fixtures against Samoa (7 July) and 2022 runners-up Papua New Guinea. (10 July)
“It’s not going to be easy—it’ll take real effort to get through the group,” Wallbank admitted. “All of those teams can play and score. We need to set ourselves up to do the same. If we play our game, we can go far.”
The Cook Islands’ preparations have been boosted by a number of the players playing in Tahiti at the OFC Women’s Champions League in May, where Wallbank coached Tupapa Maraerenga, the domestic champions. Though the club didn’t advance past the group stage, the experience provided vital exposure to higher-level competition.
“That tournament really highlighted where the gaps are between our local players and some of the stronger OFC nations,” Wallbank reflected. “Since then, we’ve worked hard on improving game awareness, sharpening technical fundamentals, and fostering a more tactical mindset.”
At the 2022 OFC Women’s Nations Cup, the Cook Islands advanced from the group stage after a gritty showing but fell short in the quarterfinals, losing 2-0 to eventual runners up Fiji. Despite the result, it marked another step forward in the team’s development, adding to two prior third-place finishes in tournament history.
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The 2025 squad boasts a promising blend of players drawn from national age-group teams, overseas-based talent, and local veterans, all of whom bring valuable experience and drive.
Wallbank highlights 18-year-old Teupoko Tuariki as one to watch in their campaign. The rising talent has represented Cook Islands national age-group squads in OFC competitions and also featured in the Women’s Champions League in May.
“She’s one of our younger players, but she’s come a long way,” Wallbank said.
“She soaks up everything. She’s improved tremendously since the start of the year.”
Fixtures
v Tahiti – 4 July 2025, 12PM local time
v Samoa – 7 July 2025, 12PM local time
v Papua New Guinea – 10 July 2025, 3PM local time