FIFA World Cup qualifiers: Samoa looking to step up

All Whites v Samoa

Kick-off: 7:30pm Monday 18 November

Go Media Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland

Live updates on RNZ Sport

Just one player in the current Samoa men's national football team was alive the last time they faced New Zealand in a senior international.

Captain Andrew Setefano was just three months old when, as Western Samoa, they took on the All Whites in Auckland on 13 November 1987.

Now, 37 years later, Samoa's new generation is preparing for arguably the nation's biggest-ever football match-a FIFA World Cup qualifier against New Zealand.

Yet, while the All Whites may have an official home advantage, Samoa's strong links to Aotearoa mean the underdogs feel just as welcome.

Faitalia Hamilton-Pama has been part of the Samoa national team since 2015.

However, the defensive midfielder, who was an injury doubt for Monday night's game at Go Media Stadium, was born and raised in Auckland.

He has played club football for Central United and Western Springs and knew All Whites defender Michael Boxall, himself of Samoan descent, and his family well.

For Hamilton-Pama, this match feels far from an away fixture, especially with the support he will have in the stands.

"I've got a massive family," he said.

"I think I've got 42 cousins on my Samoan side, and all of them are coming to watch. Even the boys based in Samoa have family connections in Auckland, so it'll be great to have that support."

He is not alone in his Kiwi ties.

Of the current squad, 10 players were either born in or most recently played for New Zealand clubs.

Eight were in the starting line-up that bravely held Tahiti goalless for an hour at a rain-soaked Waikato Stadium on Friday before falling to a 3-0 loss that ended their World Cup dreams.

Simply reaching this stage is a significant achievement for Samoa.

The pandemic wreaked havoc on football across the Pacific Islands, with strict travel restrictions and limited flights forcing Samoa into a four-year absence from international fixtures, inactivity which briefly cost them their FIFA ranking in July 2023.

However, the nation's football programme is bouncing back.

Overcoming American Samoa, the Cook Islands, and Tonga in the first round of World Cup qualifying marked an important step forward.

Samoa is striving to rise above Oceania's lower tier and join the more competitive middle ground behind New Zealand.

This progress is evident across all levels, highlighted by the U-16 girls qualifying for the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco next year.

A key part of this turnaround has been the identification of dual-national players, led by football consultants Alastair McLae and Russ Gurr and championed by current men's head coach Jess Ibrom.

Ibrom has spearheaded efforts to scout Samoan-heritage players globally, especially in New Zealand and Australia.

Many of the current squad were identified during his tenure as Samoa's technical director in 2022 and have since transitioned from youth to senior levels.

One standout is young defender Luke Tolo-Kent.

Just two months after being shoulder-tapped for a talent identification game in Papakura by then-Samoa coach Matt Calcott, the youngster found himself playing at the 2022 OFC U-19 Championships in Tahiti.

Now, two more years later, he is preparing to face old schoolmate Matt Garbett and Premier League player of the month Chris Wood, New Zealand's record scorer.

"I guess you could say I'm nervous but excited," Tolo-Kent said of marking the Nottingham Forest forward.

"It's about embracing the challenge and competing. If we don't compete, we'll get rolled. It's as simple as that."

For Ibrom, Monday's match is the culmination of years of hard work in rebuilding Samoa's football programme.

This fixture holds special significance in this journey, with many players scouted from Auckland and wider New Zealand Tāmaki Makaurau was also a valuable hub, hosting training and identification camps towards the end of the pandemic.

"We've moved ourselves up in the rankings and improved our credibility," Ibrom explains.

"We're now in the top eight of Oceania, and the focus is on establishing ourselves in the next phase. That means deeper tournament runs and results against higher-ranked teams."

Samoa's history against New Zealand underscores the scale of the challenge.

The aforementioned 1987 encounter ended in a 12-0 defeat, part of the qualification process for the 1988 Seoul Olympics in which they also lost 7-0 to the All Whites.

Monday will mark just the third senior meeting between the two nations and avoiding another heavy loss will be a difficult task, especially against an All Whites side that annihilated Vanuatu 8-1 on Friday.

Still, this is a challenge Samoa are eager to face.

For Hamilton-Pama, the match is about more than the result-it is a source of immense pride.

"The first thing we emphasise is being happy and proud to represent your country," he said.

"It might only be Samoa, but for us, that's the pinnacle-wearing the jersey, representing not just our families but the nation itself.

"Be proud of your family, your heritage, your culture, and enjoy the moment."