Kiribati national football team
National association football team
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The Kiribati men's 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),[1] and is therefore not eligible to enter the FIFA World Cup but may enter the OFC Nations Cup.[2] It became a provisional member of the N.F.-Board on 10 December 2005.
| Association | Kiribati Islands Football Federation (KIFF) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Confederation | OFC (Oceania) | ||
| Head coach | Jake Kewley | ||
| Most caps | Nabaruru Batiri (8) | ||
| Top scorer | Lawrence Nemeia (2) | ||
| Home stadium | Bairiki National Stadium | ||
| FIFA code | KIR | ||
| |||
| First international | |||
 Fiji 24–0 Kiribati  (Nausori, Fiji; 30 August 1979) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
| None | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
| Fiji 24–0 Kiribati (Nausori, Fiji; 30 August 1979) | |||
| Pacific Games | |||
| Appearances | 3 (first in 1979) | ||
| Best result | Group stage (1979, 2003, 2011) Ninth place (1979) | ||
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.[3] 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.[3]
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.[4]
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.[5] 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.[6] Kiribati qualified for the 2018 ConIFA World Football Cup held in England,[7] but were forced to withdraw and were replaced with Tuvalu.[8][9][10] The team were also entered in the 2023 Pacific Games, but withdrew a fortnight before the tournament began.[11]
Coaching history
Pine Iosefa (2003–2011)
Kevin McGreskin (2012)
Jake Kewley (2015-present)[12][13]
Last squad
- Squad selected for the 2011 Pacific Games.
- Players' club teams and players' age as of 27 August 2011 – the tournament's opening day[14]
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Tarariki Tarotu | 27 July 1974 (aged 37) | 6 | 0 | |||
| 12 | GK | Tiaon Miika | 4 November 1992 (aged 18) | 3 | 0 | |||
| 3 | DF | Kaake Kamta | 28 August 1980 (aged 30) | 3 | 0 | |||
| 4 | DF | Kaben Ioteba | 24 February 1992 (aged 19) | 4 | 0 | Makin | ||
| 5 | DF | Enri Tenukai | 17 December 1985 (aged 25) | 4 | 0 | Betio Urban Council | ||
| 6 | DF | Nabaruru Batiri | 1 December 1984 (aged 26) | 8 | 0 | |||
| 2 | DF | Beniamina Kaintikuaba | 3 December 1993 (aged 17) | 2 | 0 | Marakei | ||
| 16 | DF | Barurunteiti Kaiorake | 1 April 1980 (aged 31) | 1 | 0 | Betio Urban Council | ||
| 7 | MF | Atanuea Eritara | 24 October 1992 (aged 18) | 4 | 0 | Marakei | ||
| 9 | MF | Atino Baraniko | 6 April 1985 (aged 26) | 1 | 0 | Betio Urban Council | ||
| 10 | MF | Jeff Jong | 4 April 1971 (aged 40) | 3 | 0 | Marakei | ||
| 15 | MF | Martin Miriata | 27 May 1994 (aged 17) | 4 | 0 | Makin | ||
| 17 | MF | Biitamatang Keakea | 26 March 1989 (aged 22) | 4 | 0 | Betio Urban Council | ||
| 18 | MF | Tongarua Akori | 30 June 1983 (aged 28) | 2 | 0 | |||
| 19 | MF | Lawrence Nemeia | 12 November 1977 (aged 33) | 3 | 2 | |||
| 14 | FW | Karotu Bakaane | 20 April 1987 (aged 24) | 3 | 1 | Betio Urban Council | ||
| 13 | FW | Erene Bwakineti | 2 July 1982 (aged 29) | 3 | 1 | Marakei | ||
| 8 | FW | Antin Nanotaake | 3 July 1982 (aged 29) | 4 | 0 | Betio Urban Council | ||
| 11 | FW | Joseph Yan | 25 January 1993 (aged 18) | 3 | 0 | Tarawa Urban Council | ||
Player records
- As of 5 September 2011[citation needed]
|
Note: Missing goalscorers from 1979.
|
Competitive record
Pacific Games Record
| Pacific Games | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host | Round | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Source |
| 1963 to 1975 | Did not enter | ||||||||
| 1979 | Fiji | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 40 | [15] |
| 1983 to 1995 | Did not enter | ||||||||
| 2003 | Fiji | Group stage | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 40 | [16] |
| 2007 |  Samoa | Did not enter | |||||||
| 2011 |  New Caledonia | Group stage | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 46 | [17] |
| 2015 |  Papua New Guinea | Did not enter[A] | |||||||
| 2019 | Samoa | Did not enter | |||||||
| 2023 |  Solomon Islands | Withdrew | |||||||
| Total | 11 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 7 | 126 | |||
- Notes
- ^ A: The men's football tournament at the 2015 Pacific Games was an age-restricted competition that doubled as the OFC Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Head-to-head record
| 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 |
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 | — | [18][19][15] | |
| 2 | 31 August 1979 | Bidesi Park, Suva (N) | Papua New Guinea |
0–13 | 1979 South Pacific Games | — | [18][19][15] | |
| 3 | 5 September 1979 | Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori |  Tuvalu |
3–3 (2–4 p) |
1979 South Pacific Games | Unknown | — | [18][19][15] |
| 4 | 30 June 2003 | National Stadium, Suva (N) | Tuvalu |
2–3 | 2003 South Pacific Games | Nemeia (2) | — | [18][19][16] |
| 5 | 3 July 2003 | National Stadium, Suva (N) | Solomon Islands |
0–7 | 2003 South Pacific Games | 700 | [18][19][16] | |
| 6 | 5 July 2003 | Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori (N) | Fiji |
0–12 | 2003 South Pacific Games | 4,000 | [18][19][16] | |
| 7 | 7 July 2003 | Churchill Park, Lautoka (N) | Vanuatu |
0–18 | 2003 South Pacific Games | 2,000 | [18][19][16] | |
| 8 | 30 August 2011 | Stade Boewa, Boulari Bay (N) | Fiji |
0–9 | 2011 Pacific Games | — | [18][17] | |
| 9 | 1 September 2011 | Stade Boewa, Boulari Bay (N) | Cook Islands |
0–3 | 2011 Pacific Games | — | [18][17] | |
| 10 | 3 September 2011 | Stade Boewa, Boulari Bay (N) | Papua New Guinea |
1–17 | 2011 Pacific Games | Bakaane | — | [18][17] |
| 11 | 5 September 2011 | Stade Boewa, Boulari Bay (N) | Tahiti |
1–17 | 2011 Pacific Games | Bwakineti | — | [18][17] |
Historical kits
          1979
South Pacific Games |
 2003 Home
|
     2011 Home
|
    2011 Away
|
