The 23-year-old is an active participant in the Football Federation Samoa and ACP Business House Tournament and is relishing the chance to turn heads with her football skills.
A firm advocate for the promotion of gender equality, Fanueli says football is instrumental in promoting female participation.
“We need to pomote the fact that football is not only for men, but also for women. The execution of more tournaments with mixed teams, like the Business House Tournament, would help encourage gender equality, especially if the requirements are altered to include the same number of female players as men,” Fanueli says.
It was the Business House Tournament that first lured the pageant queen to the game, joining in to help fill the two female minimum requirement for her team.
It was also the perfect opportunity to wind down with her Audit Office colleagues after a hard day’s work.
“I enjoy football because it really does help me break a sweat and have a good time with my work colleagues while I’m at it.”
After a relatively slow start, women’s football has really started to take off in recent years as more programmes are put in place to develop the skills of young Samoan girls.
Since the introduction of the FFS Soccer Sisters Festival there has been an increased awareness of women’s football and skilled players now have a development pathway to follow.
Structured competitions have been implemented to sustain young girl’s participation and to prepare them to compete at senior and international level in the future.
The move to promote female participation in the game hasn’t been restricted to players, with coaches and referees also being sought.
Maria Akenese Salamasina is one such person carving out a niche for herself. The 25-year-old already has two international apppointments as an assistant referee on her CV and this year became the only female in Samoa to be selected to become a FIFA referee.
The idea of football being a ‘man’s game’ is something both Fanueli and Salamasina refute as they are both shining examples of what women can achieve.
Fanueli encourages more young women to get involved and forget about the gender barriers they might have experienced in the past.
“Never let anyone stop you from achieving what you want and from living that dream just because of your gender,” she says.
“If you are interested in playing football, go for it! The sky is the limit and nobody can stop you but yourself.”
For more on Samoan football go to www.footballsamoa.ws

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