Kiribati’s national men’s football team has made history after winning its first-ever international competition in Fiji over the weekend.
Kiribati is an associate member of the Oceania Football Confederation and is not a full member of the sport’s global governing body, FIFA.
Te Eitei were one of the invitational teams at the annual Inter-District Championship (IDC) in Suva last week, where they competed in the premier division of the tournament.
The side defeated newly promoted Seaqaqa FC 6-1 in the final of the second-tier competition.
Seaqaqa secured their place in the Fiji Football Association’s top league for next season to become one of the two teams from Fiji’s northern division to feature in top-flight football for 2027.
Kiribati had lost their opening game against Seaqaqa 4-2, before thumping Nadroga FC 6-0 in their second game to qualify for the semifinals.
They beat the Fiji U17 national team, bound for the World Cup, 3-1 in the semis to lock in a rematch with Seaqaqa in the final and beat the home side comprehensively.
Kiribati went into halftime locked at 1-1, but following a 59th-minute red card for Seaqaqa, Te Eitei capitalised heavily on the numerical advantage – scoring 5 second-half goals to secure their maiden championship.
Kiribati coach Tetabo Manaima told local media he was very happy with the players’ performance.
He said footballers in Kiribati play the sport on sand because there are no grass football fields in the country.
“We did not know we would win [in Fiji],” he said in a post-match interview with local media.
He added that they will return to Kiribati and focus on developing more players.
