Samoa comfortably qualify for OFC Women’s U-16 Championship

Source: OFC Media/

20 June 2024 – Samoa have dominated the OFC Women’s U-16 Championship – Qualifying, dispatching neighbours American Samoa 11-0 to secure their place at the OFC Women’s U-16 Championship in Fiji in September.

And having so done scoring 22 goals and conceding none over the two games, they will have put the rest of the competition on notice.

Samoa forward Holly Leapai picked up where her side left off on Monday, scoring inside the first minute to set the tone for another dominant performance from coach Juan Chang Urrea’s side.

Less than a minute later they doubled their lead, this time through Cali Willis.

Leapai doubled her tally for the game in the fifth minute, fed by Willis who reprised her role from Monday’s game as assister-in-chief.

Leapai completed her hat trick in the 10th minute, assisted by Lynn Aiono Sagiao, to cooly slot home past Nathalia Toilolo.

The deluge was then stymied until the 18th minute, when a freekick from Leah Atuaia was diverted by an American Samoa player into the back of her own net.

Captain Grace Taeoalli made it 6-0 in the 24th minute following a well-worked corner routine.

Substitute Tamani Skeers added a seventh goal just before half time after being released by Aiono Sagiao, with the number four finding the time and space to pass the ball into the net.

The second half was a more reserved affair for Samoa, who took 10 minutes to reopen the scoring, with Bree Toatelegese thinking she’d scored with her first touch of the game after coming on as a substitute seconds earlier, only for the goal to be struck off for offside.

Skeers doubled her tally in the 63rd minute, and Toatelegese secured a double in the 72nd and 88th minutes.

The game was rounded off with a 91st minute penalty scored by Ayres Ava.

Samoa will play in Group A at the OFC U-16 Women’s Championship, to be held in Fiji from 8-21 September, and will take on Fiji, Tonga and Cook Islands. Group B consists of New Zealand, New Caledonia, Tahiti and Solomon Islands.

The finalists of the OFC Women’s U-16 Championship will represent Oceania at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup™ in 2025.

American Samoa: 0

Samoa: 11 (Holly LEAPAI 1’, 5’, 10’; Cali WILLIS 2’; Grace TAEOALLI 24’; Tamani SKEERS 45’, 63’; Bree TOATELEGESE 72’, 88′; Ayres AVA 90+1; OG 18’)

HT: 0:6