The centre is an initiative developed by the Tonga Football Association, with assistance from the OFC Technical Department, which aims to train a selection of players on a regular basis – up to three times a week – to build a more skilled and competitive base of young players in the country.
Fifty-eight players have been identified and selected from past and present TFA competitions and the Just Play programme.
The group is made up of 28 girls aged 11-15 years old and 30 boys aged 12-15 years old.
The 28 girls are following a pilot programme developed by OFC Women’s Development Officer Nicola Demaine and implemented by four qualified female coaches – Lupe Likiliki, Sofia Filo, Penateti Feke and Emalita Moala – who will also mentor the girls.
Demaine says through Just Play junior players learn basic football skills, but the programme she has designed for the centre focusses on girls wanting to continue their development after turning 12 years old.
“They needed a programme to take girls from the mixed football at Grassroots level on to a girl’s only format,” Demaine says.
“The idea is to try and lift the level of skills and understanding these girls possess as soon as possible in order for them to be more competitive on an international scale.”
“I think the programme will be a great success and I would like to see Centres of Excellence being established in more member associations in order to boost the level of women’s football in Oceania in general.”
The boys group, which started training October 31, is being coached by Kilifi Uele and Alalati Pomana and among the players selected are several members of the U-17 national squad.
In what has been a busy couple of months for the TFA, it has also launched three Centres of Development, branches which feed into the COE, in the district of Tongatapu and another on Vava’u.
These centres focus on providing opportunities for both boys and girls aged from 10-12, who will attend the training programme, run by qualified coaches from their community, twice a week.
All the coaches involved in the centres have been identified as role models in the game who are instrumental to football development and who can provide the right message to players.
They have all completed their OFC D-Licences and last month took part in the C-Licence Coaching Course run by FIFA instructor Didier Chambaron.

Share