Nauru Soccer

Football Team Profil

Founded: 1973

First game: 2:1 against Solomon Islands

Biggest win: 2:1 against Solomon Islands

Biggest defeat: none

Most famous Player: unknown

Status: in contact with OFC, but not ready for international competition

Stadium: Meneng Stadium (not built completely)

Most successfull club: Black Brothers (team comprised of the Solomon community on the island), other teams were Police, Comp Phos, Buada Sport, Hospital, Work Force Phos and University

The national sport is Australian Rules Football but also association football is really popular. There were even organised tournaments on the island in which also teams from Kiribati, Tuvalu and other islands did participate in. But since 2004 there is no organised football on the small island due the lack of money, qualified staff and no real stadium to use. There are several sporting fields on Nauru (Denig Stadium, Linkbelt Oval). Both are mostly used by Australian Rules Football teams. The first real stadium was supposed to be the Meneng Stadium. But due the lack of money in the houshold of the Nauruan government the stadium is not finished till this date and doubtful that it will be completed. But Nauru is keen to revive football on the island but the problems are as already described. Their long term target is to join the FIFA-family as they self say.

Their first and till date only known international match against the Solomon Islands team ended 2:1 in favour for the hosts Nauru in 2 October 1994 on Deningomodu. But it is not sure if it really was the national team but it´s very unlikely. There is also a rumor that Nauru played a Kiribati team on home soil. But it seems that the teams of Kiribati as well as the one of the Solomon Islands were just selections of people working on Nauru.

At the moment the Nauruan Olympic Committee thinks about reviving football on the island but they want to check first if there is enough interest in the country.

Did you know?

A picture of the Denig Stadium where the match against the Solomon Islands selection was played on.

The only football ground on the island again in 2004, when there was organised football for the last time.

Nauru Football Match 1990

Champions:

unknown; last organised competition in 2004.