The draw for the OFC U-16 Women’s Championship 2025 and its Qualifying tournament has been confirmed today at the OFC Home of Football. The championship, set to take place in Samoa in August, will see Future Mataliki, Tonga’s rising women’s football team, battle alongside New Zealand and Solomon Islands in Pool B. The final spot in the group will be determined by the winner of the upcoming qualifying tournament.
The qualifying stage is set to kick off in the Cook Islands on April 26, with Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands, and American Samoa vying for the last available spot in the championship. The team that prevails will join the Future Mataliki in Pool B.
Future Mataliki has been on an impressive upward trajectory in recent years. After finishing fourth in the 2023 edition of the tournament, they made history in 2024 by securing their first-ever bronze medal.
Last year’s campaign in Fiji saw them start strong with a thrilling 3-3 draw against the hosts before falling 2-0 to Samoa, the eventual silver medalists. However, a resounding 6-0 victory over Cook Islands propelled them into the semi-finals, where they faced the dominant New Zealand side and suffered an 8-0 defeat. They bounced back in the bronze medal match, edging out New Caledonia 1-0 to clinch third place.
With consistent improvement over the years, Tonga now has its sights set on making history by securing a place at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2026 in Morocco. The two finalists from this year’s OFC U-16 Women’s Championship will earn direct qualification, making this tournament the most crucial in Future Mataliki’s history.
With the team’s steady progress and a determined mindset, Future Mataliki enters the 2025 championship with the belief that they can break new ground and secure a historic FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualification. August will be a defining moment for Tonga women’s football, and the team will be ready to give it everything in August.
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