A three quarters match sees Tonga’s U-15 Development Team lost their opening match 4-0 to the Solomon Islands U-15 Development Team on Tuesday morning 11th of April.
The game against the Solomon Islands U-15 Development Team is the first of three matches for the Tonga U-15 Development Team in a OFC development tournament which is being staged at the OFC Centre in Auckland, a development tournament assisted by UEFA.
Format of the Tournament
- All matches are 3 x 25min thirds, with 2 x 7min breaks
- If the scores are level at the end of normal time, no extra time will be played
- At the end of each game kicks from the penalty mark will take place regardless of the score (with five penalty kicks for each team – sudden death system if the score is still equal)
Solomon Islands proved themselves the better team by how they control the ball, together with accurate passing scoring their first goal on the 10th minute of the first quarter. They scored another goal on the 15thminute of the second quarter. Last two goals was scored on the final quarter which ended with a penalty kick from inside the penalty box to seal the victory 4-0.
However as it came to the penalty shootout, Tonga’s Goal Keeper, Kotoni Liu was too good that Solomon Islands only slipped one kick through to the net while Tonga scored two goals each from their number 7 and 8 to win the penalty shootout 2-1.
Aim of this Tournament is to provide Footballers with experience of international tournament format including travel, competitive matches and training. Also to provide developing coaches with planning, delivery and reflection opportunities for an international tournament.
Tonga U-15 Development Team Captain, Sitakio Vaka’uta explains how grateful the team is for such opportunity that enables most of the team to be on a plane for the first time and experience a world of being an elite footballer.
“This is my first time travelling overseas and also most of the team and I am blessed to be a captain of a Tongan Team on my first tour. We know that this is not a competition but this Tournament has introduced us to the real format of international level competitions not only on playing teams from other countries but also travelling, staying in a good accommodation, day to day schedules of training and meals and surely it is a motivation for us to push to the limit and become elite footballers”.
“There are a lot of talented kids back in Tonga but unfortunately could not share the same experience we have right now but what we could do is go back home to our clubs and teach them the lifestyle, techniques and new things we’ve learned from this experience so it will be a motivation for them to improve themselves and make it to the National Teams”.
Tonga’s U-15 Development Team will play Cook Islands on Friday and their final game on Monday next week against Fiji before they depart back to Tonga on Tuesday.
End.
