Kiribati national football team

Kiribati

Association	Kiribati Islands Football Association
Confederation	OFC & ConIFA
Head coach	Jake Kewley
Most caps	Nabaruru Batiri Lawrence Nemeia (8)
Top scorer	Lawrence Nemeia (2)
Home stadium	Bairiki National Stadium
FIFA code	KIR
First colours Second colours
First international
Fiji 24–0 Kiribati (Suva, Fiji; 30 August 1979)
Biggest win
None
Biggest defeat
Fiji 24–0 Kiribati (Suva, Fiji; 30 August 1979)

The Kiribati national football team is the national men's football team of Kiribati and is controlled by the Kiribati Islands Football Association. Kiribati is not a member of FIFA but is an associate member of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC),^[2] and is therefore not eligible to enter the FIFA World Cup but may enter the OFC Nations Cup.^[3] It became a provisional member of the N.F.-Board on 10 December 2005.

Kiribati is also a member of the ConIFA.

Background

Kiribati have only ever played 11 International matches up to April 2012 where they scored 7 goals and conceded 125. All of these matches were played away from home due to the lack of grass pitches in the archipelago.^[4] The Bairiki National Stadium has a sand pitch rather than grass. Kiribati's first match took place in Fiji on 30 August 1979 when they played Fiji, losing 24–0 in a South Pacific Games match. The side have never won a match but came very close when they lost 3–2 to fellow minnows Tuvalu on 30 June 2003 in Pool A of the South Pacific Games in Fiji, as well as losing 4–2 in penalties to Tuvalu in the consolation round of the 1979 South Pacific Games. Kiribati's only two goals in the 2011 Pacific games were scored by Karotu Bakaane versus Papua New Guinea and Erene Bakineti versus Tahiti, but in the 2003 competition, both goals against Tuvalu came from Lawrence Nemeia on the 26th minute and the 46th minute.

In 2012, Scotsman Kevin McGreskin became the team's coach, with the aim of improving its results and obtaining recognition from FIFA.^[4]

On 10 April 2015, Jake Kewley was officially appointed as the Manager and Ambassador for the Kiribati Islands National Football Team with the remit of liaising with the relevant footballing bodies to advance Kiribati's prior membership applications, with a FIFA application being drafted, finalised and submitted later that year.^[5]

On 6 May 2016, Kiribati was formally accepted as the newest member of ConIFA (Confederation of Independent Football Associations), becoming the first ever Oceanic member to join the federation.^[6] Kiribati hosted an official visit from ConIFA in November 2016 for the national football competition in Tarawa – Taiwan Sport Tournament – with ConIFA documenting the tournament whilst in the country.^[7] Kiribati qualified for the 2018 World Football Cup, that was held in England.^[8] However, Kiribati were forced to withdraw, with Tuvalu taking their place.^[9][10][11]

Complete International Results

Kiribati's score is shown first in each case.

No.	Date	Venue	Opponents	Score	Competition	Kiribati scorers	Att.	Ref.
1	30 August 1979	Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori (N)	Fiji	0–24	1979 South Pacific Games		—	[12][13][14]
2	31 August 1979	Bidesi Park, Suva (N)	Papua New Guinea	0–13	1979 South Pacific Games		—	[12][13][14]
3	5 September 1979	Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori	Tuvalu	3–3 (2–4 pens.)	1979 South Pacific Games	Unknown	—	[12][13][14]
4	30 June 2003	National Stadium, Suva (N)	Tuvalu	2–3	2003 South Pacific Games	Nemeia (2)	—	[12][13][15]
5	3 July 2003	National Stadium, Suva (N)	Solomon Islands	0–7	2003 South Pacific Games		700	[12][13][15]
6	5 July 2003	Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori (N)	Fiji	0–12	2003 South Pacific Games		4,000	[12][13][15]
7	7 July 2003	Churchill Park, Lautoka (N)	Vanuatu	0–18	2003 South Pacific Games		2,000	[12][13][15]
8	30 August 2011	Stade Boewa, Boulari Bay (N)	Fiji	0–9	2011 Pacific Games		—	[12][16]
9	1 September 2011	Stade Boewa, Boulari Bay (N)	Cook Islands	0–3	2011 Pacific Games		—	[12][16]
10	3 September 2011	Stade Boewa, Boulari Bay (N)	Papua New Guinea	1–17	2011 Pacific Games	Bakaane	—	[12][16]
11	5 September 2011	Stade Boewa, Boulari Bay (N)	Tahiti	1–17	2011 Pacific Games	Bwakineti	—	[12][16]

Record by opponent

Up to matches played on 5 September 2011.

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	WPCT
Cook Islands	1	0	0	1	0	3	−3	0.00
Fiji	3	0	0	3	0	45	−45	0.00
Papua New Guinea	2	0	0	2	1	30	−29	0.00
Solomon Islands	1	0	0	1	0	7	−7	0.00
Tahiti	1	0	0	1	1	17	−16	0.00
Tuvalu	2	0	1	1	5	6	−1	0.00
Vanuatu	1	0	0	1	0	18	−18	0.00
Total	11	0	1	10	7	126	−119	0.00

South Pacific / Pacific Games record

Brief Record

• 1963 to 1975 – Did not enter
• 1979 – Round 1⁽¹⁾
• 1983 to 1995 – Did not enter
• 2003 – Round 1
• 2007 – Did not enter
• 2011 – Round 1

⁽¹⁾ Represented by a club team.

Performances

1979

	Group One – 1979	Pl	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
1	Fiji	2	1	1	0	24	0	3
2	Papua New Guinea	2	1	1	0	13	0	3
3	Kiribati	2	0	0	2	0	37	0

2003

	Group A – 2003	Pl	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
1	Fiji	4	3	1	0	18	1	10
2	Vanuatu	4	2	2	0	21	2	8
3	Solomon Islands	4	2	1	1	14	4	7
4	Tuvalu	4	1	0	3	3	11	3
5	Kiribati	4	0	0	4	2	40	0

2011

	Group B – 2011	Pl	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
1	Fiji	4	4	0	0	18	1	12
2	Tahiti	4	2	1	1	25	5	7
3	Papua New Guinea	4	2	1	1	22	4	7
4	Cook Islands	4	1	0	3	4	15	3
5	Kiribati	4	0	0	4	2	46	0

Current squad

Squad selected for the 2011 Pacific Games.^[17]

See also

• Kiribati women's national football team

References