Tonga going for broke at OFC event
“WE are here to win.”
These were the words of Tonga under-17 national football coach Lui Muavesi as the side wrapped up preparations yesterday ahead of the OFC Under-17 Championship which begins today.
Muavesi, who is originally from Rakiraki, has been teaching the Tongan language in Tonga for 20 years now.
He played for Suva in the late 1980s and was also a gold medallist for Fiji in athletics. He competed in the 800 metres and 4x400 metres events.
The soft-spoken coach said preparation had been good for his team.
“Five months we have been training with this young team. Twenty-two of our players, this is the first time to depart from Tonga and it’s a good experience for them,” Muavesi said.
“A bit of a culture shock but after a week here in Fiji, I believe they will be ready for these games against Samoa and Fiji,” Muavesi said.
He said that despite being seeded third in the group of three, the Tongans were here to win.
“Every team comes to win and we came here with a very young team. Most of them are still 15 year old.
“Some of our players do have the skills and ability that is required at Pacific level. So we are almost as the same as many teams.
“We just lack match fitness as we haven’t played much back in Tonga like other Pacific teams have.”
He said more preparation time would have been beneficial but the volcanic eruption in Tonga in January last year took its toll on sports.
“Sports was on a hold. Our water supply was limited and the volcanic eruption also had an effect on these young minds. It took us about four to five months to get back to normal terms. Then sports resumed and that’s when we got the players together.”
Tonga is pooled with Fiji and Samoa at the tournament.
The top two teams from all three pools qualify to the quarter-finals with the best two thirdplaced teams.
Quarter-finals will be played on January 21-22, semi-finals on January 25 while the final is scheduled for 7pm on January 28.