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Cook Islands national football team

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Alex Napa)

Cook Islands
Shirt badge/Association crest
NicknameKukis
AssociationCook Islands Football Association (CIFA)
ConfederationOFC (Oceania)
Head coachRhys Ruka
CaptainBenjamin Mata
Most capsTony Jamieson (22)
Top scorerTaylor Saghabi (7)
Home stadiumCIFA Field
FIFA codeCOK
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 186 Steady (20 July 2026)[1]
Highest166 (October 2015)
Lowest207 (April–July 2015)
First international
 Papua New Guinea 16–1 Cook Islands 
(Papeete, Tahiti; 11 September 1971)
Biggest win
 Cook Islands 3–0 American Samoa 
(Papeete, Tahiti; 12 June 2000)
 Cook Islands 4–1 Tuvalu 
(Apia, Samoa; 1 September 2007)
 Cook Islands 3–0 Kiribati 
(Boulari, New Caledonia; 1 September 2011)
 Tonga 0–3 Cook Islands 
(‘Atele, Tonga; 31 August 2015)
Biggest defeat
 Tahiti 30–0 Cook Islands 
(Papeete, Tahiti; 13 September 1971)
OFC Nations Cup
Appearances2 (first in 1998)
Best resultGroup stage (1998, 2000)
Pacific Games
Appearances5 (first in 1971)
Best resultSixth place (1971)
Polynesia Cup
Appearances2 (first in 1998)
Best resultRunners-up (1998, 2000)

The Cook Islands men's national football team is the men's football team that represents the Cook Islands in international competition since 1971. It is governed by the Cook Islands Football Association which is part of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and FIFA.

The nation has participated in seven FIFA World Cup qualification attempts since their first attempt back in 1998. They have qualified for the OFC Nations Cup twice in 1998 and 2000 OFC Nations Cup with both appearances seeing no wins from their four games that they have played.

They are the 2nd smallest nation in FIFA by population, with only Montserrat being less populated.[2][3][4] They are also one of the most isolated members of FIFA, with Rarotonga being situated around 1,000 km from Niue, the nearest nation.

They have sat bottom of the FIFA World Ranking on multiple occasions[5], and have finished last in FIFA World Cup qualifiers in the 2026 FIFA World Cup[6], 2014 FIFA World Cup[7] and 1998 FIFA World Cup[8], making them to date one of the weakest national sides in the world.

They beat rivals Tahiti for the first time on 30 September 2026 in a 3–2 win at home.[9][10]

History

[edit]

Record defeat, Pacific Games and inactivity (1971–1991)

[edit]

Despite being absent from the first three editions of the South Pacific Games, the geographical proximity of the Cook Islands with French Polynesia, host of the 1971 South Pacific Games, allowed the Cook Islands team to take part in the tournament. In the first round they were defeated 16–1 by Papua New Guinea and 30–0 by Tahiti, while in the match for fifth place, they fell to Fiji 15–1.

Foundation and the two OFC Nations Cup (1991–2001)

[edit]

The Cook Islands Football Association was founded in 1991[11], and was shortly followed by the founding of the Cook Islands Round Cup in 1992[12] and FIFA membership in 1994.

They next played a match in 1995 when proximity allowed them to participate again in the 1995 South Pacific Games. During the tournament they earned their first win, a 2–1 win over Wallis and Futuna, but lost their other four clashes resoundingly.

The Cook Islands qualified for their first OFC Nations Cup after finishing second in the 1998 Polynesia Cup, which they hosted. They faced Australia and Fiji in Group B, in what proved to be a tough draw. Australia crushed the Cook Islands 16–0 in their first match, scoring eight goals either side of the interval. In their next match against Fiji, however, the Cook Islands acquitted themselves much better, losing only 3–0, but with two defeats from two matches they failed to make the semi-finals.

In finishing 2nd at the 2000 Polynesia Cup, the Cook Islands also qualified for the OFC Nations Cup. They were drawn in Group A along with the Solomon Islands, and again, Australia. After their heavy defeat at the hands of Australia in the previous tournament, the Cook Islands hoped to avoid a repeat performance. However, they were powerless to prevent their opponents from running rampant, this time to the tune of 17–0. The Solomon Islands were up next, and in this game the Cook Islands had the consolation of scoring their first goal at the OFC Nations Cup – the only bright spot in an otherwise bleak 5–1 defeat. After two defeats, then, the Cooks Islands again went out at the group stage.

In 2001 during 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification, the Cook Islands faced New Zealand, the first fixture between the two. The Cook Islands held strong, keeping the opposition level at 0-0 until half time, until substitute Noah Hickey scored a brace to put the efforts of the Cook Islands defence in vein. Goalkeeper Tony Jamieson won player of the match, making at minimum 7 and maximum of 26 saves during the match.[13]

Decline and struggles (2002–2025)

[edit]

They next entered qualification for the 2004 tournament, but lost all four matches and failed to progress.

They returned to the South Pacific Games for the 2007 competition, where their only victory was a 4–1 win over Tuvalu. Four years later, at Nouméa 2011, they defeated Kiribati 3–0 but lost their other three matches. In 2012 OFC Nations Cup qualification, they drew with American Samoa and lost to Samoa and Tonga.

In the 2016 OFC Nations Cup qualifiers, they defeated Tonga 3–0 and Samoa 1–0, but lost their final match 2–0 to American Samoa. The Cook Islands finished third in the group, level on points with Samoa and American Samoa but behind both on goal difference.

In March 2022, the Cook Islands played their first match in seven years, losing 2–0 to the Solomon Islands in qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. They subsequently withdrew from their remaining matches due to a COVID-19 outbreak.[14][15]

On 28 August 2023, the Cook Islands returned to international football against Tahiti, suffering a 9–1 defeat at the Stade Pater Te Hono Nui in Pirae.

Later that year, they took part in the 2023 Pacific Games, recording their first victory since 2015 with a 2–1 win over Tonga. Tremaine Rimene-Albrett scored a late penalty on his international debut to secure the victory. The Cook Islands then lost 8–0 to New Caledonia before withdrawing from the competition due to flight issues.

In March 2024, the Cook Islands competed in the qualifying tournament for the 2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup. They lost their opening match 1–0 to Samoa, before defeating Tonga 1–0 through a goal from Taylor Saghabi. The Cook Islands finished second in the three-team qualifying group and failed to advance to the final tournament.[16]

Later that year, the Cook Islands returned to FIFA World Cup qualification for the first time since the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign.[17] In the first round of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, they faced Tonga in a single-elimination match. Despite a goal from debutant Tacettin Kumsuz, the Cook Islands lost 3–1. They subsequently lost 2–1 to American Samoa in a friendly placement match, leaving them 11th among the 11 full OFC members.[18]

Ruka era (2026–present)

[edit]

In 2026, the Cook Islands Football Association announced a two-match friendly series against Tahiti, which would mark the Cook Islands' first full internationals at home in almost 30 years.[19]

In September 2026, a shock call-up was given to Nikao Sokattak goalkeeper Tearii Scheel aged only 15.[20]

They defeated neighbours and rivals Tahiti for the first time in their history, delivering a shock 3–2 result.[21]

Kit sponsorship

[edit]
Kit supplier Period
Italy Lotto2001
Germany Adidas2002–2007
Italy Lotto2007–2012
New Zealand Onu Football2016–2022
Australia KPI Sports 2022–2024
Italy Lotto Sport Italia2024–

Source:[22][23]

Results and fixtures

[edit]

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2026

[edit]
September 26 Friendly Cook Islands  1–3  Tahiti Matavera, Cook Islands
18:00 UTC−10
Stadium: CIFA Field
September 30 Friendly Cook Islands  3–2  Tahiti Matavera, Cook Islands
16:00 UTC−10
Stadium: CIFA Field
November Friendly Tahiti  v  Cook Islands Tahiti
November Friendly Tahiti  v  Cook Islands Tahiti

Coaches

[edit]

Players

[edit]

Current squad

[edit]

The following players were called up for the Tahiti matches in September 2026.[24]

Caps and goals are correct as of 30 September 2026, after the match against Tahiti.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Ngereine Maro (2005-03-20) 20 March 2005 (age 21) 6 0 New Zealand Football Auckland United
1GK Emmett Connolly (2007-04-05) 5 April 2007 (age 19) 1 0 New Zealand Football Western Springs
1GK Tearii Scheel 2011 (age 14–15) 0 0 Cook Islands Football Association Nikao Sokattak
2DF Benjamin Mata (1998-08-10) 10 August 1998 (age 28) 2 2 New Zealand Football Wellington Olympic
2DF Thane Beal (1997-03-26) 26 March 1997 (age 29) 7 0 Football Australia Westvale Olympic
2DF Oscar Wichman (2005-07-01) 1 July 2005 (age 21) 5 0 Cook Islands Football Association Tupapa Maraerenga
2DF Dallas Rongokea (2007-07-13) 13 July 2007 (age 19) 2 0 New Zealand Football Wellington Olympic
2DF Joshua Barrymore-Uden (2008-01-08) 8 January 2008 (age 18) 2 0 New Zealand Football Melville United
2DF Tupaia Ringi (2003-03-14) 14 March 2003 (age 23) 4 0 Football Australia Belconnen United
3MF Ngametua Tuakana (2005-02-28) 28 February 2005 (age 21) 3 0 Cook Islands Football Association Tupapa Maraerenga
3MF Grover Harmon (1989-08-09) 9 August 1989 (age 37) 19 1 Cook Islands Football Association Tupapa Maraerenga
3MF Kerim Kumsuz (1992-08-27) 27 August 1992 (age 34) 2 1 Football Australia Auburn
3MF Taci Kumsuz (1999-01-06) 6 January 1999 (age 27) 3 1 Football Australia University of New South Wales
3MF Eren Kumsuz 0 0 Football Australia Auburn
3MF Jeremiah Williams (2006-11-11) 11 November 2006 (age 19) 0 0 New Zealand Football West Coast Rangers
4FW Cade Mapu (1997-12-05) 5 December 1997 (age 28) 2 0 Football Australia Central Coast United
4FW Tione Nand (2004-11-16) 16 November 2004 (age 21) 1 0 Cook Islands Football Association Avatiu
4FW Dalziel Beal (2005-04-26) 26 April 2005 (age 21) 5 0 Football Australia Port Melbourne Sharks
4FW Tremaine Rimene-Albrett (2002-01-01) 1 January 2002 (age 24) 8 2 New Zealand Football Western Suburbs
4FW Dwayne Tiputoa (1997-12-08) 8 December 1997 (age 28) 9 1 Cook Islands Football Association Puaikura
4FW Kima Webb (2009-07-30) 30 July 2009 (age 17) 2 0 New Zealand Football Mount Albert Grammar School

Player records

[edit]
As of 30 September 2026[25]
Players in bold are still active with Cook Islands.

Most appearances

[edit]
Rank Name Caps Goals Career
1 Tony Jamieson 22 0 2000–2011
2 John Pareanga 20 2 1998–2011
3 Taylor Saghabi 19 7 2011–2024
Grover Harmon 19 1 2009–present
5 Paavo Mustonen 18 0 2007–2024
6 Joseph Chambers 14 0 1996–2004
7 Tahiri Elikana 13 0 2011–2024
Mark Jamieson 13 1 2000–2004
Christian Tauira 13 0 1998–2004
10 Stenter Mani 12 2 1996–2001
Joseph Miitamariki 12 0 2007–2011
James Nand 12 0 1996–2001
Daniel Shepherd 12 1 2000–2007
Nikorima Te Miha 12 2 1998–2011

Top goalscorers

[edit]
Rank Name Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Taylor Saghabi 7 19 0.37 2011–2024
2 Joseph Ngauora 3 8 0.38 2009–2011
Campbell Best 3 11 0.27 2009–2015
4 Tremaine Rimene-Albrett 2 8 0.25 2023–present
Teariki Mateariki 2 6 0.33 2004–2007
Stenter Mani 2 12 0.17 1996–2001
Nikorima Te Miha 2 12 0.17 1998–2011
John Pareanga 2 20 0.1 1998–2011
Benjamin Mata 2 2 1 2022–present

Competition record

[edit]

FIFA World Cup

[edit]
FIFA World Cup Qualification
Year Host Round Pld W D L F A Pos. Pld W D L F A
1930 to 1994 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
1998 France Did not qualify First round 2 0 0 2 1 4
2002 South Korea
Japan		 First round 4 0 0 4 2 25
2006 Germany First round 4 0 0 4 1 17
2010 South Africa First round 4 1 0 3 4 9
2014 Brazil First round 3 0 1 2 4 6
2018 Russia First round 3 2 0 1 4 2
2022 Qatar Withdrew Withdrew
2026 Canada
Mexico
United States		 Did not qualify First round 100113
2030 Morocco
Portugal
Spain		 To be determined To be determined
2034 Saudi Arabia
Total – – – – – – – 0/7 21 3 1 17 17 66

OFC Nations Cup

[edit]
Oceania Cup / OFC Nations Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
New Zealand 1973 Did not enter Did not enter
New Caledonia 1980
Pacific Community 1996
Australia 1998 Group stage 6th 2 0 0 2 0 19 Squad 4 2 1 1 8 11
French Polynesia 2000 6th 2 0 0 2 1 22 Squad 4 3 0 1 8 5
New Zealand 2002 Withdrew Withdrew
Australia 2004 Did not qualify 4 0 0 4 1 17
Pacific Community 2008 4 1 0 3 4 9
Solomon Islands 2012 3 0 1 2 4 6
Papua New Guinea 2016 3 2 0 1 4 2
Fiji Vanuatu 2024 2 1 0 1 1 1
Total Group stage 2/11 4 0 0 4 1 41 — 24 9 2 13 20 51

Pacific Games

[edit]
Pacific Games record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
1963 to 1969 did not enter
French Polynesia 1971 Group Stage 6th 3 0 0 3 2 61
1975 to 1991 did not enter
French Polynesia 1995 Group stage 7th 4 1 0 3 2 37
Fiji 2003 did not enter
Samoa 2007 Group stage 8th 4 1 0 3 4 9
New Caledonia 2011 9th 4 1 0 3 4 15
Papua New Guinea 2015 N/A – tournament was U23
Samoa 2019 did not enter
Solomon Islands 2023[n 1] Group stage 8th 2 1 0 1 2 9
Total Group stage 5/16 17 4 0 13 14 131

Polynesia Cup

[edit]
Polynesia Cup record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Samoa1994 did not enter
Cook Islands 1998 Runners-up 2nd 4 2 1 1 8 11
French Polynesia 2000 Runners-up 2nd 4 3 0 1 8 5
Total 2/3 0 Titles 8 5 1 2 16 16

Head-to-head record

[edit]
Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD WPCT
 American Samoa 5 2 1 2 9 8 +1 40.00
 Australia 2 0 0 2 0 33 −33 0.00
 Fiji 4 0 0 4 2 26 −24 0.00
 Kiribati 1 1 0 0 3 0 +3 100.00
 New Caledonia 4 0 0 4 0 28 −28 0.00
 New Zealand 1 0 0 1 0 2 −2 0.00
 Papua New Guinea 3 0 0 3 1 23 −22 0.00
 Samoa[a] 8 3 1 4 9 12 −3 37.50
 Solomon Islands 5 0 0 5 2 37 −35 0.00
 Tahiti 12 1 0 11 5 81 −76 8.33
 Tonga 11 5 2 4 16 15 +1 45.45
 Tuvalu 1 1 0 0 4 1 +3 100.00
 Vanuatu 1 0 0 1 1 8 −7 0.00
 Wallis and Futuna 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 100.00
Total 59 14 4 41 54 275 −221 23.73
Source: Results
Notes:
  1. ↑ Includes results as Western Samoa.

Historical kits

[edit]
1995 Home
1995 Away
2001 Home
2007 Home
2007 Away
2011 Home
2015 Home
2015 Away
2022 Home
2022 Away

Honours

[edit]

Regional

[edit]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ↑ The Cook Islands men's national team were withdrew by the federation after the elimination from the group stage citing travelling issues for coming back from Honiara. The team didn't play the 5th place semi-final, nor the 7th place final

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". 20 July 2026. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  2. ↑ "Census 2021 - Cook Islands - Ministry of Finance and Economic Management". www.mfem.gov.ck. Archived from the original on 30 June 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
  3. ↑ "Anguilla Statistics Department | Home". statistics.gov.ai. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
  4. ↑ "KEY FINDINGS OF THE 2023 POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS". Government of Montserrat. 19 April 2024. Archived from the original on 18 April 2026. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
  5. ↑ "FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Rankings".
  6. ↑ "Match". Oceania Football Confederation. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
  7. ↑ Knox, Tomos (29 August 2016). "The Cook Islands and football development challenges in Oceania". These Football Times. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
  8. ↑ "FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC) 1998, football - table and standings, match results, schedule, stats, videos, news". soccer365.me. Archived from the original on 14 December 2024. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
  9. ↑ "Cook Islands make history with landmark truimph over Tahiti". Oceania Football Confederation. 1 October 2026. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
  10. ↑ "Cook Islands Make History with Stunning 3-2 Victory Over Tahiti". CookIslandsFootball.com. 1 October 2026. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
  11. ↑ "About CIFA". CookIslandsFootball.com. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
  12. ↑ "Annual Champions & FA Winners". CookIslandsFootball.com. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
  13. ↑ "Soccer: All Whites turn in shocking display against lowly Cooks". NZ Herald. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
  14. ↑ "Cook Islands vs Solomon Islands". Elevensports. 23 March 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  15. ↑ "Update on FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Oceania Qualifiers". Oceania Football Confederation. 23 March 2022. Archived from the original on 23 March 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  16. ↑ "OFC Men's Nations Cup 2024 – Qualifying". Oceania Football Confederation. Retrieved 16 September 2026.
  17. ↑ "OFC World Cup qualifying draw guide". FIFA. Retrieved 16 September 2026.
  18. ↑ "Tonga keep their FIFA World Cup hopes alive". Oceania Football Confederation. 6 September 2024. Retrieved 16 September 2026.
  19. ↑ Saltori, Rafael (12 September 2026). "International football returns to Rarotonga as Cook Islands prepare for two matches against Tahiti". Oceania Football Center. Retrieved 17 September 2026.
  20. ↑ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
  21. ↑ "Cook Islands make history with landmark truimph over Tahiti". Oceania Football Confederation. 1 October 2026. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
  22. ↑ "Antigo(a) Cook Islands camisas de futebol". Archived from the original on 14 June 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  23. ↑ "KPI Sports". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  24. ↑ "Squad Announcement | National Men's". Facebook. Cook Islands Football Association.
  25. ↑ "Cook Islands". National Football Teams.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cook_Islands_national_football_team&oldid=1378448383#Coaches"