Tonga are aiming to make a serious impression at the OFC Women’s Nations Cup in Fiji, with head coach Kilifi Uele targeting a place in the semi-finals—and a rise in both FIFA and OFC rankings.
Drawn in a competitive Group B based in Suva, Tonga will face the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and tournament hosts—and 2022 runners-up—Fiji.
Uele has made his ambitions clear.
“My expectation for the tournament is for us to increase our ranking in the FIFA ranking and the OFC ranking,” Uele said.
“We are placed at fifth (for OFC), but we target to make the top four at the OFC Nations Cup this year.”
Watch the full interview here:
Tonga arrive in Fiji with a platform built on resilience and steady improvement. At the 2022 edition—also hosted in Fiji—the team made headlines by progressing beyond the group stage and taking eventual champions Papua New Guinea to a dramatic quarter-final. That match ended 3-3 after extra time, with PNG narrowly prevailing 3-2 on penalties.
More recently, Tonga showcased their growing competitiveness during the 2024 OFC Women’s Olympic Qualifiers in Samoa. There, they held Oceania’s top-ranked side New Zealand to just three goals in a 3-0 loss—a performance that earned praise for its tactical discipline and defensive organisation against a team ranked over 80 places higher in the FIFA rankings.
Group B is shaping up to be one of the most tightly contested of the tournament. With hosts Fiji favoured to progress, Tonga, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands will all be eyeing an opportunity to spring an upset.
Coach Uele believes his squad is up to the challenge. Key players such as Tama’a Faletau and overseas-based duo Eden Maka’afi and Leila Haugen are expected to play pivotal roles. “Every game in our group stage will be like a final for us,” Uele said. “We have to give our best in all three games so we can have a chance to reach the semi-finals.”
Watch the full interview here:
Tonga fixtures
V Vanuatu | 5 July, 16:00PM local time
V Fiji | 8 July, 19:00PM local time
V Solomon Islands | 16:00PM local time
