One ticket to the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship 2026 will be up for grabs between four nations, when qualifying kicks off in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, at the TFA Academy tomorrow.
Hosts Tonga are joined by Vanuatu, Cook Islands and American Samoa, with each nation to play each other once in a round-robin format – the winner claiming a spot in Group B of the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship 2026 later this year.
The qualifying tournament kick-starts the 23rd edition of the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship, and will run from March 25-31.
Tonga
Tonga are hosting OFC U-16 Men’s Championship – Qualifying for the third consecutive year, and the fourth time overall in 2026, but have never previously won the qualifying tournament despite finishing runners-up in each of the last two editions.
“We want to win the qualifying tournament this time,” says head coach Manu Tualau. “It’s very important for the development of our players. Most of the boys are under-15 and it’s a great pathway for them to be apart of.”
In front of their home fans in Nuku’alofa again, Tonga are eager to take the next step.
“It means a lot for the players to be hosting this tournament again, and they want to make their family and friends proud.”
Vanuatu
Normally regulars at the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship, Vanuatu are appearing in the qualifying tournament for just the second time.
“My main goal is for the boys to show the philosphy and playing style that we’ve been working on for the last few months,” says head coach Alvaro Lopez Pando. “I would also like to see if the boys can show some resillience, which is needed to compete internationally.”
Vanuatu drew all three of their matches at this stage last year but are looking to get back to the championship phase in 2026 – having previously finished runners-up once and third twice in previous editions of the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship.
“We are going to be facing some tough opponents and the physicality of some of them may be a challenge for us. If we stick to the game plan and philosophy though, I’m confident we can progress.”
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands are making their return to the qualifying tournament for the first time since 2018, having appeared in each of the last three editions of the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship.
“Unfortunately we’ve had to return to this stage to reach the championship,” says head coach Jarves Aperau. “But we’re eager to prove ourselves and move up to the next level again.”
This will be their fourth appearance at the qualifying stage, and Aperau has added a couple of New Zealand-based players to bolster his squad, including captain Maui Denny.
‘We’ve picked up a couple of boys from New Zealand to go with the players based at home. They’ve all been working hard, so we’re really looking forward to giving everything we’ve got in this tournament.”
American Samoa
American Samoa will be out to add another international win to their resume at OFC U-16 competition, having previously only won two fixtures – both against the Cook Islands, whom they’ll meet again in Tonga.
“It’s a big challenge, but a great opportunity for us to grow and learn,” says head coach Gary Panagsagan. “We’ve focused on improving our conditioning, fitness, and discipline ahead of this tournament.”
They will be making their sixth appearance at the qualifying stage, the most of any other OFC member association.
“Some of the players are new to this level. I’ve told my players to learn from the experience. My expectation is for us to try and compete to reach the next stage.”
Full match schedule for OFC U-16 Men’s Championship 2026 – Qualifying:
How to watch
All matches from OFC U-16 Men’s Championship 2026 – Qualifying will be streamed LIVE and FREE on OFC’s YouTube channel HERE